Rush rallies for state championship

When Mitchell needed a strike, but only got mine, the Friendship junior became the latest Lady Commander with an individual state championship with a 191-181 win at Smyrna Bowling Center.

“That’s one thing you have to consider with tournaments, you have to find a spot and thinking this is my chance,” Rush said. “When someone has an unlucky shot or unlucky break, even a spare, you just have to act on that and make sure you perfect the next shot because it could come down to a matter of pins.”

“When she went and got that first strike we said ‘you need to double up right here’,” Lady Commander coach Jon Shoulders said. “And when she finished it and made it to where (Mitchell) had to strike out to win, that just puts a lot of pressure on a student… It’s a lot of pressure when you’re here and everybody’s watching.”

“Everyone was back there counting because they knew she needed 10 and probably put a little pressure,” Rush said. “It’s always hard.”

Rush said she danced for 12 years before quitting for bowling.

“I think that really had an impact on my timing,” Rush said. “I’ve never had a problem with my timing, footwork or anything. A lot of that comes from dance. And a lot of mental preparation with dance and competitions, it’s very hard, very tough mental game and I think that’s really helped make this work.”

Friendship teammate Landry West was the top seed coming into state based on region scores. She finished fifth in the semifinals and had to play in the first finals match in the step-ladder format where she beat No. 6 Simone Guyton of Harding Academy 153-142 and No. 4 Caroline Sisk of Boyd-Buchanan 148-125 before catching her teammate Olivia VanHooser, the No. 3 seed.

West, whose sister Kennedy won the state in 2018, beat the ’19 champ (and newly crowned 2023 Miss Bowling) VanHooser 191-168 before bowing to No. 2 Mitchell 163-144.

That set up a championship match with Rush, whose 1140 pin count (190.0 average) in the semifinals put her No. 1 and guaranteed her no lower than a runner-up finish.

On the boys’ side, Friendship eighth-grader Brody West (brother to Landry and Kennedy) was seeded fourth coming out of the semis. He beat St. Benedict’s Benjamin Miller 173-158 before falling to eventual champion Connor Butt of Columbia Academy 195-184.

In Division I, no Wilson County bowlers reached the finals. Lebanon senior Andy Romer came the closest with a ninth-place semifinal finish. Green Hill’s Tate Gray, who had the best sectional score coming into state, was 27th. The Blue Devils’ Cameron Farmer was 48th.

Wilson Central senior Anna Grace Vaught was the only girl from the county and finished 25th.

Team competition rolled off Thursday with both Friendship teams in action along with Mt. Juliet’s boys, in the state for the first time since 2007. FCS’ girls were seeking a third straight championship. Semifinals and finals were held yesterday.

Mt. Juliet’s season ended with an 18-5 loss to the Hardin County dynasty to end a 17-6 season.

Friendship’s unbeaten boys advanced with a 16-7 quarterfinal win over Lipscomb Academy on Thursday and beat Briarcrest 21-2 in Friday-morning’s semifinals. The 16-0 Commanders faced Columbia Academy in yesterday afternoon’s final. West rolled a 210 and John Brooks 205 in the American 10-pin against Lipscomb.

The Lady Commanders played for a third straight championship yesterday afternoon after beating Boyd-Buchanan 19-4 in the morning. They opened the tournament Thursday with a 23-0 shutout of Lipscomb Academy. VanHooser’s 200 was the high game for Friendship against Lipscomb and was even better against Boyd-Buchanan with a 224. They faced Girls Preparatory School for the title.