As the days get longer and the weather warmer, the high school sporting world shifts its attention outside. Before that move goes mainstream, the Conestoga Valley bowling team put a bow on its 2022-23 season by taking part in the District 3 Championship and the Eastern PA Regional Championship.

First for the Buckskins was a trip to Clearview Lanes in Mount Joy for the District 3 Championship, held on Feb. 25. Only three Bucks qualified for the district tournament, with Ryan Muckle and Daniel Subers repping the boys and Jocelyn Ross the Lady Buckskins.

Muckle started and finished slow with games of 195 and 155, but in between he posted games of 231, 235 and 247 to push his qualifying round total to 1063. That left the junior 23 pins shy of the finals and in 13th place in the 40-person field.

Subers was unable to find his groove, cracking 200 with only his final game of qualifying. That 227 followed games of 155, 198, 174 and 167 and gave the freshman a 921 qualifying score, slotting him 35th.

Ross, like Subers, was unable to get on track, posting games of 158, 189, 165, 184 and 183, leaving the junior in 14th place on the girls' side, her 879 series falling 94 pins off the finals pace.

A week later the Buckskins split time between Leisure Lanes in Lancaster and 222 Dutch Lanes in Ephrata taking part in the Eastern PA Regional Bowling Championships that were held March 3 and 4.

Josiah Casler joined Muckle and Subers in the boys' singles qualifying, while Ross was the lone Lady Buck once again. That did not stop Ross from posting the highest finish, settling into 40th position on the girls' side. Ross started well, bowling a 213, but faded from there with games of 179, 185, 155 and 132 to finish with an 864 qualifying score.

Muckle was the top finisher on the boys' side, his 969 series placing him 48th in qualifying. Casler also cracked the 900-pin barrier in qualifying, finishing 75th with a 923 thanks to games of 182, 202, 180, 180 and 179. Subers tallied 867 pins in qualifying and finished 106th thanks to two games of 193 to go along with his 154, 140 and 187.

Conestoga Valley also qualified for the Eastern PA Regional as a team with Evan Zimmerman and Ethan Tardibuono joining Muckle, Casler, Subers and Ross for a 14th-place finish. Casler just missed a perfect game, posting a 298 in between his 202 and 192, giving him a team-high 692 series. Muckle and Ross also bowled all three games, with Muckle finishing with a 589 series and a 233 high game. Ross' high game was 200, which, along with games of 198 and 166, gave her a 564 series. Zimmerman (379), Tardibuono (301) and Subers (374) bowled two games apiece to round out the CV contingent.

SWIMMING

The Conestoga Valley swimming team sent just two swimmers, Connor Ludwig and Daniel Ivanchikov, to Cumberland Valley High School for the District 3-3A Championships on March 3 and 4. The pair combined for four events, two each, with Ludwig in the 100-freestyle, Ivanchikov the 500-freestyle and both in the 200-freestyle.

Ivanchikov extended his season by finishing in a sixth-place tie with Governor Mifflin's William Troy in the 200-free. Both touched the wall at 1:44.60, earning both a spot at Bucknell University for the PIAA Championships. Ivanchikov also took sixth in the 500-free, where his 4:47.44 left him as the first alternate for the PIAA meet. "He made qualifying for states, one of his goals for the season, and all his hard work and dedication has paid off," said head coach Bard Raasch. "He is continuing on with an amazing senior season at Bucknell."

Ludwig's top finish came in the 200-free, where his 49.02 was just 0.03 seconds off his personal best time and left him 19th in the final standings. Ludwig just missed his personal best in the 200-free, posting a 1:50.33 that slotted him 22nd in the final standings. "I am so proud of Connor for all his times this season," said Raasch. "He PR'd in all eight individual events, not by small amounts but by big-time drops!"