Sailors roll to top five finish

While some teams struggled with the addition of a fifth bowler to the lineup for the Nassau County championships, Oceanside had its depth on display at Garden City Bowl and placed fifth in a field of 16 schools.

“The kids handled the pressure extremely well and I’m proud of the way they performed,” Sailors coach Claire Johnson said. “I knew we had the talent to have a successful season.”

Competing in a challenging Conference V, which included top-ranked Baldwin, Hewlett, and Lynbrook, prepared Oceanside for the pressures of the county tournament. The Sailors split their 12 regular-season matches, all of which were held at Baldwin Bowl. 

“You only use four bowlers during the regular season, so I had to rotate kids in and out,” Johnson added. “They understood the situation.” 

Each of the Sailors five participants averaged at least 208 in the afternoon three-game block at the county tournament. Senior Derrick Miller, who earned All-County honors, set the pace with a 712 series that included a high game of 258.

“Derrick is a great story,” Johnson said of Miller, who finished 18th out of 40 bowlers in the Nassau individual tournament. “He averaged 205 after not making the varsity lineup last season. He was voted the most improved and most valuable by his teammates. He was focused and consistent all season.”

While Miller held down the anchor position, freshman Mike Ryan burst onto the varsity scene and sparked the Sailors from the top of the lineup. Ryan averaged 193 and came through in the county tournament with a 644 series in the afternoon, including a 247 game.

Senior Kyle Smith usually followed Ryan in the lineup. Smith, a lefty, averaged 195 and was a model of consistency. He shot a 616 afternoon series at the county tournament. “Kyle was always around his average in the 190’s,” Johnson said.

Junior Josh Vine was capable of shooting a big game at any time. He began the season with a bang, rolling a 278 in a win over Lawrence, and closed with a 629 series at Garden City Bowl. He averaged 193, primarily from the No. 3 spot in the lineup.

Senior Mike Maloney also came up big. After averaging 194 during the regular season, he threw a 639 series in the afternoon with a high game of 234.  

“The kids really stayed composed,” Johnson said. “We were seeded 12th in the county tournament and were ninth after the first three games. Everyone bowled great in the afternoon and we ended up in the top five.”