James Clemens bowls to undefeated season
MADISON – The James Clemens bowling teams are rolling along with a perfect season. Both the boys, 18-0, and girls, 16-0, sport a clean slate headed into this week’s Class 6-7A Regionals scheduled to be held in Trussville where the top four teams will advance to the AHSAA State Tournament set for Jan. 29-30 at Bowlero Lanes in Mobile.
“Our bowlers have been bringing it to the lanes to all tournaments and other events with multiple first place wins,” said Kristin Hartland, head coach of the Lady Jets and spokesperson for the entire James Clemens program.
The boys squad is led by four seniors, two of which are brothers Joshua and Zachary Holt, whose father, Jason, is the head coach. Top bowler among the boys is Parker von Oven, a junior, who has an average of 204.91. Joshua Holt is next at 198.39 with Britten Leide, Jr., 190.23 and senior Donovan Ayers fourth with a 186.70 scoring average. Ayers also has the honor of having rolled the highest game on the season with a 277. Additional bowlers on the roster include Rylee Putman, Sr. and Anthony Holland, an eighth grader.
For the girls hitting the lanes, the squad is a young roster with one senior and junior each. Those are Adriana Nelson and Emily Caldwell, respectively. Freshmen members are Cora Oliver, Izzy Cloud and Zelaney Hartland, with Liberty Middle School eighth graders Alexis Friloux and Leilani Woltman. Caldwell has the top average on the season at 142 and highest game of 217. Teammates are not far behind: Cloud (139), Friloux (138), Oliver (133), Woltman (132) and Hartland (127).
“We have a young team, but that does not scare them when it comes to competing against tougher teams,” said Hartland. “Our girls work so well together and have come a long way throughout the season. I’m excited to see both of our teams give it all they’ve got in the regional.”
During the season, the boys team scored what was just 11 pins shy of the state record in one traditional game. The Jets scored a 267 striking out in the tenth frame. For von Oven, he’s the team captain and vocal leader of the team. He said, “Our team has come so far and without everybody putting in the effort, we wouldn’t be here. The team has the potential to be great. We just need to believe in ourselves and do our best so we can show everyone that James Clemens is the team to beat.”
Caldwell is the team captain and has remained composed under the pressure of the season as she has continually worked to improve her own performance while providing helpful feedback to her teammates. The freshman Cloud only took up bowling last summer has been a mainstay in each of the recent tournaments the Jets have nearly dominated. The two eighth grade bowlers were part of the Lady Jets last year when the squad finished third at the State Tournament and have improved their game significantly. Hartland’s daughter, Zelaney, and Oliver are also brand new to the sport, but have posted a big part of the team’s success.
At the Regionals, the Jets are seeded No. 1 with Grissom in girls and Hartselle in boys seeded second.
Coach Holt holds his boys team accountable in every aspect of being a high school student-athlete including how to treat others and how to deal with setbacks during practices and matches. Hartland added, “He has helped me as a coach to think about things differently and to look others’ perspectives before making my own coaching decisions.”
Overall, the James Clemens program has 34 bowlers, the most in school history, which makeup the two varsity teams as well as three junior varsity squads.
“With the top five bowlers on the boys team working smoothly as one unit, the boys don’t need cheering or loud chants to encourage them to be good, they just want to bowl,” said Coach Hartland. “I am truly amazed at each and every one of them and I believe they can go all the way to win state.”
