Eight years ago, when Jason Siminitus took his 9-year-old daughter and her 10-year-old friend to try bowling for the first time, he had no idea he was forming the cornerstone of a future state championship team.
But that is exactly how it turned out on Feb. 14, as the Ewing High girls bowling team was loving life on Valentine’s Day after winning the NJSIAA Group 3 state championship at Bowlero Lanes in North Brunswick. In winning the girls program’s first state title, The Blue Devils amassed 2,440 pins in three sets to outdistance Barnegat by 62.
As usual, in the middle of it all, were Mia Siminitus and Sierra Reid. Siminitus rolled a 651 series and Reid was the Devils second leading bowler with a 512 series.
For Reid, it was her last shot at a team championship, although she also qualified for the individual finals that were held on Feb. 18.
“As a senior and coming close to winning states before it means everything for me to actually win it this time,” she said. “It’s definitely a great way to end my senior season, plus I still have to go for individuals, but it makes the end of my senior season memorable and I am so proud of my team for helping me get there. I’m very proud of how far each of them have come from the beginning of the season.
“Also, winning makes me feel that getting knee surgery before the season has paid off and is worth it. I’m glad I worked as hard as I did to get to states and actually win. The third game was very back and forth with who was gonna win and we definitely made our best effort as a team to make it count and count big.”
Siminitus, a junior who missed advancing in the individual tournament by just 40 pins, came up huge in the third game with a 237. Ewing and Barnegat were tied after two games at 1600, so Siminitus’ big effort was necessary.
“Going into that last game we were all pretty nervous but I told everyone to just bowl like we all know how,” she said. “I was shaking while finishing out my tenth frame in that last game because I knew that we had won.”
And that knowledge was a feeling like no other.
“It means a lot to win states,” Siminitus said. “It’s a big accomplishment, especially after starting out the year with brand new bowlers. We’ve all worked very hard to get to states and it all worked out in the end. We were all so excited and it means a lot to see how much my teammates and myself have improved. This will be a memory that none of us will ever forget.”
The Blue Devils were fairly inexperienced this year, as freshmen Amanda Curtis and Ellie Otto and sophomore Megan Rosiejka are all relative newcomers to the sport (Also on the roster were Brielle Jenkins and Amber Porter).
“I see potential in all three of them,” coach Dave Angebranndt said. “Megan never picked up a ball in her life, I said all I need you to do is shoot 100 every game. She did exactly what I needed her to do. Amanda Curtis was a field hockey player, she never bowled that much, she made tremendous strides. Ellie is another freshman with a lot of promise. We can see some success in the future.”
But there is no doubt who owned the present, as Reid and Siminitus were outstanding from Day One.
Siminitus averaged a 184.6 during the regular season, and had a 503 series in helping Ewing take second place in the Central Jersey Group 2 sectionals (The top two teams advanced to the state finals). She led all girls in the Burlington County Scholastic League Open with a 569 series.
Reid averaged 173 during the regular season, during which she missed some time due to injury, and shot a 554 series in CJ 2 play to reach the individual finals. She was second to Siminitus in the BCSL Open with a 546 series.
“I think they play off each other,” Angebranndt said. “They both kind of serve that leadership role. When one bowls well the other one bowls well and I think it kind of bounces off all the younger ones also. I think it’s important when you have two people who can act as leaders, let alone one.”
The veteran coach has had a wealth of talent over the years, including several of Ewing’s all-time top girls on the team at the same time. But in thinking back, he feels this is the first time he ever had two of his best bowlers both at their peak in the same year.
In assessing their skills, Angebranndt sees similarities and differences.
“They know where to throw the ball, they know where their marks are,” he said. “They demand a lot out of each other, they demand a lot out of themselves. But they both throw the ball very similarly and their balls react very similarly.”
The difference is, Siminitus can sometimes overthink, while Reid will underthink.
“Mia is a little more technical,” Angebranndt said. “Sierra is a very natural athlete and picks up on things a lot faster. Having both of those balances helps a lot. When Sierra might not be going well, you have Mia, who’s a little more technical, helping her a little bit. On the opposite side, when Mia’s getting a little too technical, Sierra’s there to help her out a little bit, kind of bring her back down to earth at times, just let her be herself.”
It all started back in 2014 when, ironically, Siminitus’ parents were worried more about her pitching arm for softball than whether she could pick up a split. Jason learned to bowl from his father, and Mia would go watch Jason bowl in his leagues as a little kid.
“One day my mom said ‘We need to get her arm strength up,’” Siminitus recalled. “We said ‘OK, let’s go bowling.’ So I joined the junior leagues and stuck with it forever.”
She brought Reid with her and the two joined Ewing’s Saturday Morning League at Curtis Lanes, which has since switched to Slocum’s. At first they just did it for fun, but began to take things more seriously. They started playing competitively and began winning championships in doubles tournaments.
“When I got better at it I was like ‘Hmmmm, something’s up here. I’m good at this,’” Siminitus said. “Within the last couple years a lot of stuff happened with softball and I stuck with bowling. I’m playing out the rest of my travel season but I’m done with high school softball.”
Siminitus hopes to bowl in college and her top choice at the moment is Wichita State. Reid’s scholastic career ended after the individual states as she will head to Mercer County Community College to major in Special Education.
The two helped bring each other through the ranks during the past three years at Ewing.
“I know sometimes the boys try to stay quiet and not talk (during matches), but we try to make jokes and keep each other positive and help each other,” Reid said. “The same with the team. We try and feed off each other so if one person’s happy then we all try to be happy; or if one person’s sad we all try to make her happy, so it doesn’t go downhill, and we all start to deteriorate.”
Despite the fact Reid came in as one of the Blue Devils top bowlers, she was far from confident when the season started. She had to have a torn meniscus repaired, and then have a cyst drained prior to the campaign.
“I was nervous because right as bowling started I was doing physical therapy to get back on my feet and so I worked my butt off to get back on the lanes as fast as possible,” said Reid, who also plays softball. “I wanted to have a good senior season and go out with a big bang. I had to slow my feet down (on the approach) but that was about it. It didn’t change the way I threw it.”
Reid felt that for the most part, she was at the top of her game this year. Siminitus was also happy with her effort, but realizes she still has room to grow.
“I know I’m better than what I’m showing,” she said prior to the state finals. “When it comes to tournaments, I get it in my head that my name’s gonna be out there and I have to do well to get into good colleges; and I don’t bowl as well as I can. I gotta bowl better, the way I know how, and not let it get in my head. Knock the pins down, not myself.”
A few days later, she lifted herself and her team up, with help from her long-time partner.
Jason Siminitus had to be smiling with pride.
EHS bowlers Mia Siminitus and Sierra Reid during a recent practice. The two were key contributors in helping the team win its first-ever state title.// <
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