Girls bowling: Locals Keira Phillips, Katie Smith and Open Door's team competing at state tournament

Oberlin High freshman Keira Phillips has learned to make adjustments to her game. It's paid off well in the postseason, which includes a trip to the highest level. Phillips earned a No. 1 singles qualifying berth to the Division II girls state tournament from the Northeast Division II District last Friday at Rebman Rec. Phillips rolled a 242-160-196-598 series to edge Firelands senior Katie Smith (214-180-188-582) for the top qualifying spot in a field of 84 bowling a three-game set. Phillips and Smith lead the area girls at Saturday's 13th annual state tournament at HP Lanes in Columbus. The top 15 individuals earn All-Ohio honors. "My goal for this Saturday is to have a positive mindset," said Phillips. "It's a very big accomplishment that I've made it this far. It still doesn't feel real. I've been working very hard at practice to prepare for it. I've never done something like this. It's definitely nerve-racking." Phillips bowled well in her two previous tournaments leading to districts. She rolled a162-169-136-467 series to finish fourth out of 50 bowlers at the sectional tournament at AMF Medina on Feb. 8 to lead Oberlin to its first district berth. Phillips scored 195-153-183-531 to finish second out of 41 bowlers at the North Shore Bowling Conference Erie Division tournament Jan. 31 at Rebman Rec to lead Oberlin to a second-place finish. "We're very excited for her going into this weekend's state tournament," said Oberlin coach Austin Smith. "She's earned this opportunity. What I'm most proud of is how much her mental game has grown throughout the season. From the beginning of the year to now, that's where I've seen the biggest jump." Phillips was key in the team's success. Last year in the program's first season, it finished eighth at the North Shore Bowling Conference Erie Division tournament and 10th at the Northeast Division II sectional at Medina AMF. Phillips comes from a family of bowlers. Her parents, Robert and Olivia, grandparents Roger and Ellie Pitts, along with her sister, Isabella, a Vermilion High senior, and brother, Chase, an Oberlin seventh grader, are also bowlers. A 2025 Division II All-Ohio (11th place) performer, Isabella is a four-time district qualifier and led her team to districts in her sophomore and junior years. "I started bowling at age eight," Keria Phillips said. "I come from a bowling family, so it was just for fun at first. My goal for the first few years was just to get on the lane. What got me into it is that I've just had a lot of fun with it. I was bowling with friends, which made it a whole lot better. Mainly friends have kept me in it throughout. "I started taking the sport more seriously at around age 13. When Isabella qualified to state, it inspired me. I figured I might as well have two sports I'm good at, and they're in different seasons. Softball is my other sport. I play second base. I've done that for three years." Phillips finished the regular season as one of the top bowlers for average in the NSBC Erie Division. She posted a 162 average, finishing behind Smith (195) and Keystone's Kaitlyn Drew (163). "Early on, like a lot of talented athletes, she could be hard on herself after a tough frame or a bad break," Coach Smith. "Over time, she's learned how to reset, stay present and focus on the next shot instead of the last one. That ability to manage emotions, handle pressure and stay composed has been the key to her consistency. "As a coach, that mental toughness is incredibly important to me. Physical skill will only take you so far, especially at the state level. The bowlers who separate themselves are the ones who can stay steady mentally strong, and Keira has really developed that strength." "Talking things over with people during matches helps, especially talking with Mr. Smith. He helps me dissect lanes and how my ball rolls," said Phillips. "That helps a lot. Then I try envision it. He's definitely helped my mental game. I used to struggle with my mental game a lot. He helps me to keep my mind in the game, instead of giving up and worrying if I do something bad. "The mental game is what keeps you in the game. If you don't have a good mental game, you are not going to go anywhere, because when things get hard, you really rely on your mental game to keep yourself in it." For such a young bowler, Smith is impressed how quickly Phillips has developed. "Her work ethic has also played a huge role in her success," he said. "She's committed to refining her mechanics and making smart adjustments during competition. But what's elevated her game is the combination of that preparation with a stronger mindset. She trusts her process now, even in big moments. "I'm proud of the leadership she's shown and the example she sets for our team. No matter what happens this weekend, she's prepared herself the right way and I'm excited to see her compete on the state stage." The state tournament atmosphere last year caught Phillips' attention when she watched her sister compete. "It seemed nerve-racking, but Bella kept her cool throughout," said Phillips. "It made me to start believing in her more and more because she kept her head in the game. It helped to make it to appear that the state tournament atmosphere wasn't as stressful as some people say it is. "I really enjoyed the team atmosphere this year. At the beginning of the season, a lot of the players didn't have their own ball and equipment. It felt like I was the only one holding everyone up. Throughout the season, we got everyone balls, we got everyone shoes. It really changed everything. It's a real team now. We're all holding each other up. It was an unbelievable feeling advancing to districts." Contact Paul Heyse at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. WHAT: 13th annual Division II state high school bowling tournamentWHERE: HP Lanes, 2012 Innis Rd., ColumbusWHEN: Friday (boys, 10:45 a.m.); girls (Saturday, 10:45 a.m.) LOCAL QUALIFIERSTeam Open Door: Molly Felty, sr.; Abby Hopkins, jr.; Linda Kinnear, sr.; Alex Loescher, so.; McKenna Moore, sr.; Hannah Thomas, jr. Individuals Keira Phillips, fr. (Oberlin); Katie Smith, sr. (Firelands)