Lady Cards bring home state bowling title

Nathaniel Bryan

Taylor County High School’s Lady Cardinals captured the Ebonite/Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Tournament on Friday at the Executive Strike and Spare in Louisville. They are, from left, front: Sabrina Garrison, McKayla Sprowles, Megan Hedgespeth, Shelby Barnett, Hannah Brockman and Candace Gibson. Back: professional bowler Tommy Jones, coach John Hedgespeth, Cherith Brockman, Taylor Blevins, Summer Hunt, Emily Florence, Justice Burchett, coach Kim Hedgespeth and an Ebonite staff member. Absent from the photo is team member Felicity Kerns.

Nathaniel Bryan

Shelby Barnett finished four points out of the final four in singles.

Nathaniel Bryan

Megan Hedgespeth missed the elite eight by two pins in singles' competition.

Taylor County High School’s girls’ squad downed defending state champion Pleasure Ridge Park 3-1 (231-130, 189-215, 228-202, 192-170) to claim the 2013 Ebonite/KHSAA State Bowling Tournament on Friday in Louisville.
The Lady Cardinals, coached by Kim Hedgespeth and John Hedgespeth, had knocked off Highlands (3-0), North Bullitt (3-0) and Graves County (3-1) to reach the finals.
TCHS bowlers fared well in singles’ play a day earlier as sophomore Shelby Barnett finished fifth (four pins out of the final four) and Megan Hedgespeth, who was named Kentucky National Guard Best and Brightest Award, was ninth (missing the top eight by two pins). Candace Gibson placed 16th.
The Cardinal boys’ squad which was seeded 14th, lost to No. 3 seed Campbell County 3-2 (losing the decisive game 185-182) in first-round state tourney action.
Winston Cook was 12th (just eight pins out of the elite eight) in boys’ singles on Thursday while McKinley Knopp finished 23rd for coach Ben Hamilton’s Cardinals.