West Clermont High sophomore Ashton Lack is a “perfect” example of making the best of your idle time.
As a freshman, Lack rode to school with his older brother David (“D.J.”), who was (and still is) a member of the school’s bowling team. That meant during the winter they went to Cherry Grove Lanes for practice, instead of straight home, after school.
“Since I had no other ride home it would have either been sit in the bowling alley for a couple hours while he bowls or I learn the sport as well, and ever since I decided to stick to this sport. It’s all been great,” the 16-year-old Amelia resident said.
“Great” may be an understatement. In his first varsity season, Ashton Lack averaged 179.3, with a high game of 247 and high two-game series of 417; the average was five pins behind D.J. Dec. 10, against Milford, Ashton joined an exclusive club. He bowled a perfect 300 in the second game, surpassing his previous best 279, which he rolled in a travel league.
Nine consecutive strikes to begin that game were the most Lack had ever made, but he said the weight of history did not overwhelm him.
“I feel like I controlled my emotions/nerves that game really well. I wasn’t shaky nor was I nervous. I really just treated it like a normal match, all I did was lock in and execute,” Lack said.
That confidence came from the approach line his coach, Brady Dunigan, set for him. Lack said he released the ball between boards 13 and 15. “I don’t really feel like there was a point where I felt any extreme pressure. Yeah, there was a little, but like I said before I just treated it like a normal match. I was a little shaky, but I think I held it in good,” Lack said.
Dunigan is in his sixth year with West Clermont, his fifth with head coach Leslie Campbell. She spends most of her time with the girls while Dunigan guides the boys. Though he has bowled two 300 games and two 800 three-game series, Dunigan said he couldn’t recall being more nervous than before the 10th frame of Lack’s game.
“It felt different this time because I had no control over it,” Dunigan said. “Ashton had been struggling a bit to start the first game, and he was getting anxious. He felt like he was throwing the ball fine, mechanically, but was not getting the results he wanted. We talked over the next couple of throws and eventually got him in a great place mentally where he was able to throw comfortably.”
Perhaps conceding to the superstitions of sport, Dunigan said he did not speak with Lack during the final frames of the perfect game. Noting that Lack “was in his own world” and communicating well with teammates, including D.J., who was his lane partner.
“I saw no reason to add any pressure by making any comments. During the last frame, I stayed away from the lanes, as I did not want to be in direct sight of Ashton. I let his teammates support him as I stood back next to some spectators. With each shot, my blood pressure just skyrocketed,” Dunigan said.
As Lack’s 12th shot hit the lane, Dunigan said, “All sound left the alley. As soon as the 10-pin kicked out, it was just straight joy.”
Campbell was six lanes away, with the girls squad, “When all of a sudden an explosion of clapping and cheering happened. The girls noticed that their teammate had shot a 300 and ran down to congratulate him,” she said – thought they weren’t immediately sure which teammate had accomplished the feat.
“When we found out, it was shocking as you usually don’t think a kid that started bowling last year would do it,” Campbell said. “However you never know and with all the hard work he’s put in, Ashton definitely deserves it. It was awesome to see not just the boys, but the girls and the other team congratulate him for his perfect game.”
“My teammates were pretty hyped. They all gave me high-fives and said congratulations. It was a great time and they were laughing a little,” Lack said.
West Clermont’s boys teams stood 4-0 after the 721-pin win over Milford; the girls were 2-2 after a 95-pin loss to the Eagles. Senior Wiliam “Will” Shepard led the Wolves with a 223.5 average through 11 games; junior Matthew Samples was second (202.3), followed by Ashton Lack (201.6), sophomore Ty Barrett (198.3) and D.J. Lack (189.3). Shepard ranked first in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference and Samples fifth.
Junior Taylor Hooks has been the top-scoring girl (172.3 through 11 games), followed by sophomore Rachel Ford (162.9) and freshman Chloe Sears (124.9). Junior Lindsay Neal (109.3), freshman Genevieve Risko (105.2) and junior Jocelyn Romero-Morales complete the lineup.
“They are putting in the work, which is all you can ask for as a coach,” Campbell said. “The returners are wanting to build off of last year’s season and make it back to districts while the others are eager to help make that happen. This team as a whole is just getting stronger and stronger.”
Last season West Clermont’s boys were 11-4 overall and 8-1 in the ECC, sharing the title with Lebanon. Shepard was the Division I sectional champion from the Crossgate Lanes sectional, qualifying to the district tournament. West Clermont was 10th as a team, 45 pins from advancing.
“The team is very adamant about one thing: making it to state as a team,” Dunigan said. “In the history of West Clermont (dating back to the Amelia/Glen Este days), we have never had a men’s bowling team make it to state. The boys are very focused on making that happen, which I will do my best to help them achieve.”
The girls were 12-3 overall and 8-1 in the ECC, tri-champions with Lebanon and Milford, and won the RollHouse Lanes sectional tournament. Then-senior Courtney Carmack was second overall at RollHouse and Hooks was 16th. The Wolves were 18th at the district tournament.