Butler boys striking with title aspirations


 


Now it’s the boys turn? 

First-year Butler varsity bowling coach Bob Cupp is thinking that way. 

The high school season gets under way Wednesday with the Golden Tornado girls beginning the campaign as defending state champions. 
“Our starting five on the girls side should be very solid again,” Cupp said. “We just won’t have the depth they had a year ago. 
“The boys team could be ready to make a strong run at the regional and state level. The team is deep, has experience and a definite leader.” 
That leader is senior Jacob Cookson, who averaged 198.8 a year ago “and should easily average over 200 this year,” Cupp said. Garrett Sexton (188) joined Cookson as a regional bowler last season. 
Cody Rosenbauer (181) is a third returning senior starter. Rounding out the starting five for Wednesday’s opener against Mars are sophomore Matt Wetzel and freshman Nick Huff. 
While the girls team has eight bowlers, the boys had 20 try out. Cupp kept 13 of them. 
“Our varsity boys team will run nine or 10 bowlers deep,” the coach said. All of these kids can put up numbers and if the conditions are challenging, they can handle it.” 
Butler’s girls return three starters from their state title team — juniors Megan Paul (178) and Mikayla White (159), senior Kelly Bintrim (170) — and each was a regional qualifier. 
Other starters will be senior Ciara Pellegrini and junior Baylee Verner, with freshman Abby Bagley a candidate to crack the topfive. 
“That top five is very strong and we’ve got a couple of pretty good newcomers,” Cupp said.