Fort Recovery’s Lilah Thien (left) and Deanna Brown lead the Indians in season averages with 186 and 177, respectively. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Saturday’s head-to-head with Coldwater was all about the outright lead in MAC girls bowling. And Fort Recovery’s Deanna Brown and Lilah Thien did what they do to give their team a chance for the league title.
Over the course of the current MAC bowling season if you look at the weekly statistical leaders there’s three names that typically top the list of top girls’ averages.
Chances are that Coldwater’s Brittany Burden, Fort Recovery’s Deanna Brown, and Recovery’s Lilah Thien have occupied the top three spots since early December.
And currently, going into Saturday’s finale of the MAC regular season schedule, Deanna Brown was the average leader with a mark of 186. Burden was one pin behind at 185. And Thien, the youngest of the three (a sophomore) was at 177. So league-wise, the statistical title for high average was at stake Saturday…as well as shares of the outright lead in conference standings with Coldwater and Fort Recovery, both owning perfect 5-0 marks in conference competition.
Brown had an outstanding day owing to her consistency throughout the season, bowling a 235 and a 225, just one pin under her season high of 236.
Thien bowled a 204, followed by a 193 despite being plagued with 10 pins and the occasional multi-pin spare.
And going into the Baker round, the two had positioned Fort Recovery to push Coldwater to the limit in order to protect their 5-0 record. More, going into games four and five Fort Recovery was holding its own, and a slim lead. But Baker games can both giveth and taketh away, the fourth game proved to be a decider as Coldwater ended up winning the head-to-head, by a 122 pins…2696 to 2574.
It was disappointing to come so close, but for Brown and Thien they both have lots of high school competition, including the upcoming tournament to look forward to. Bowling has long been a shared journey for the two, starting out as early as the third grade.
“I’ve learned the ins and outs of bowling, and when I’m in a particular house I know the lanes and where to throw the ball to score. So I think we have an advantage because we’ve been doing it for so long.” – Lilah Thien
“We’ve bowled together since the third grade,” says Thien, a sophomore, whose mechanics and form for throwing a bowling ball are impeccable. “We’ve learned the ins and outs of bowling, and when I’m in a particular house I know the lanes and where to throw the ball to score. So I think we have an advantage because we’ve been doing it for so long.”
“I started out working with Rick Hartings, in Coldwater, back in the third grade,” adds Brown. “I was young. I didn’t know what I was doing, and joined a junior league in Coldwater and just started working. And being a lefty I have an advantage because my oil pattern hardly ever changes. Everyone else bowls right-handed. The pattern doesn’t change, but I change with the pattern, and the righties…their oil is always changing. It’s helped me stay consistent.”
Brown is ambidextrous, by the way. She bowls left-handed, but enjoys archery and clay bird shooting, as well, which she does right-handed.
“Everything else I do is left-handed.”
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Both are quite young to be so accomplished, and both credit the people and relationships in bowling as something that helps them stay motivated.
“It’s something that I enjoy outside of doing my normal farmwork,” says Brown, who raises and exhibits show cattle (Holstein and Angus mix). “It’s something different, even though a lot of people don’t think of it as a sport. However, it’s just as competitive as any sport.”
“Bowling is something different, even though a lot of people don’t think of it as a sport. However, it’s just as competitive as any sport.” – Deanna Brown
“I like the competition,” adds Thien (pronounced ‘Ten’). “And there’s always something to bowl for, like the MAC championship and the state tournament to look forward. Those things help keep me going, along with my teammates. We have new girls on the team this year wh0 provide new relationships and someone to talk to. There’s always something new – people, equipment, different lanes – anything like that helps me.”
The finale loss to Coldwater was disappointing for both.
“We tried to do the math as we went along,” said Thien. “But once we knew we were out of it we just kept our heads up and did our best to make it fun. And bowling is fun.”
Bowling is frustrating, as well. Especially on solid pocket hits when the 7 and 10 pin are left standing,
“You just have to throw one pin at a time,” says Brown with a big smile. “You just have to focus and do your best to get back in a positive frame of mind.”
They’re great kids, and kind souls – ‘people’ people – who enjoy the company of others and sharing high character and positive influences.
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“I enjoy being with family,” says Thien. “I have three nieces now and I spend a lot of time with them. And I enjoy playing Euchre. Big Euchre player.”
And career-wise, after Fort Recovery?
“Go to college and study nursing,” says Thien. “I’d like to be a pediatric nurse, and maybe I could bowl in college”.
“Something with agriculture and animals,” adds Brown. “Something with working in cattle.”
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Their consistency does not end with bowling on Saturday mornings. Brown and Thien are motivated, competitive, and both see the irony with bowling as a high school sport.
“It’s not that respected as a sport,” says Brown. “It doesn’t get talked about like football when they do announcements in school. Not that many people recognize it. No one says, ‘Oh my gosh, bowling’s going to state, like they do football.’ But it’s getting better.”
But, if either of them go to state, and win, it’s going to be a big deal.
“Hopefully,” they laugh.
And every high school team has its own support group of parents, family and adults onhand to watch and encourage. Beautiful Community Lanes, in Minster, was standing room only for Saturday’s league finale.
Bowling has been, and is fun for Deanna Brown and Lilah Thien. And consistent with the best things they look forward to for the rest of their lives.
You never have enough good nurses…and cows do more for people than people do for cows.
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