Dr. Joaquin Garcia junior Jayden Brown and South Plantation senior Sofia Montefusco both reached the individual finals bracket at the FHSAA Bowling Finals from Tuesday through Thursday at Boardwalk Bowl Entertainment Center in Orlando.
The individual finals bracket competition, which consisted of a double-elimination format, included 16 qualifiers who competed head-to-head in best-of-three matchups.
Brown placed 11th in the boys individual state qualifier with a total of 878 (231-175-248-224). He earned a victory in the first round of the finals bracket before falling in the second round. He was eliminated during third round action. Brown finished ninth overall in the final standings.
“Making it as an individual wasn’t easy,” Brown said. “There were a lot of good bowlers putting up good scores, and I had to keep up with those scores throughout qualifying. When I bowled my first match, I was nervous but knew I would bowl good, and I won my next two matches. I bowled really well, but my opponents just did better than I could.”
Brown placed sixth as an individual at districts to help lead the Bulldogs to a district title. Brown previously captured the boys individual state championship in 2023.
“Jayden is a quiet but focused bowler who has steadily increased his average throughout the season,” Dr. Joaquin Garcia coach Krystal Lamb said. “He was able to keep his composure to bowl an excellent tournament. It is always amazing to watch him bowl.”
Montefusco placed 16th in the girls individual state qualifier with a total of 776 (219-149-211-197). She reached the finals bracket and was eliminated after falling in the first and second round. She finished 13th overall in the competition.
“Making it to the top 16 this year was really exciting for me, especially since I missed it by 17 pins last year,” Montefusco said. “I was so grateful to have the opportunity because of how much effort I have put in the last four years and that my friends were able to cheer me on. Even though I didn’t make it far in the second round, I still feel very accomplished as I got to experience something I’ve never have before.”
The boys qualifier also featured other top performers, including McArthur’s Ryder Willman (32nd; 830 total) and Stoneman Douglas’ Bryce Gregory (34th; 826 total). The girls qualifier also had strong performances from South Plantation’s Cristina Dixon (21st; 764 total) and Coral Springs Charter’s Faith Tucker (32nd; 714 total).
The Coral Springs Charter girls team reached the fifth round of the baker team tournament. The Panthers earned a win in the first round before a loss in the second round. They bounced back with two consecutive victories in the third and fourth round. Coral Springs Charter finished ninth in the girls team qualifier.
South Plantation placed fifth in the girls team qualifier. The Paladins won the first round in the baker team tournament. They were eliminated after falling in the second and third round.
Stoneman Douglas placed 15th in the boys team qualifier. The Eagles dropped both matches in the baker team tournament and were eliminated in the second round.
Dr. Joaquin Garcia finished 16th in the boys team qualifier. The Bulldogs fell in the first round of the baker team competition. They bounced back with a victory in the second round before a loss in the third round.
Astronaut’s James McGill captured the boys individual state title while Largo’s Carly Rhodes won the girls individual state championship. Astronaut won the boys baker tournament championship while East River captured the girls baker tournament title.
