UPDATE: Dylan kicked off the morning session at states with an impressive 711 series, setting a new Mayfield school record! He finished the afternoon session with a 549 series, bringing his total pin count to 1,260 pins for the day. Congratulations to Dylan on an outstanding performance and incredible achievement to cap off his high school bowling career.
Senior Dylan Scott to represent Mayfield at NYS Bowling Championship
Senior Dylan Scott will attend the New York State Bowling Championships on Saturday, Mar. 15 as Mayfield’s first student to attend the state championships for his sport. As a member of the Mayfield Bowling team since 7th grade, his hard work and dedication have brought him to the sectional championships four times in his school career, finally earning a spot at states in his senior year.
Dylan’s coach, Natalia Anapolis, is proud of how hard he’s worked to earn this accomplishment.
“Over the past three years as his coach, I’ve watched Dylan grow immensely as a student and bowler. It’s been an honor to coach and guide him in that time,” said Anapolis. “His passion for the game is unmatched, and I’m excited to see him represent Mayfield and Section 2 at the state tournament this weekend.”
The Bowling Championships will be held at AMF Strike and Spare Lanes, 1777 Brewerton Rd., Syracuse, NY. Doors open at 10:30am and an opening ceremony will be held at 11:30am. As one of the highest overall scorers from the sectional championship, Dylan will join five other bowlers to represent Section 2 as a composite team.
Dylan was happy to answer a few questions about his bowling career and what his expectations are for the state championship:
What’s your favorite part of being on the team and how do you support each other?
I joined because bowling comes easy to me and being on the team has made me want to make bowling more a part of my life. My teammates always clap and cheer each other on and we give each other advice on techniques and ways to improve. I also really like the excitement of the games.
What are your strengths as a bowler?
I have really good accuracy when positioning the ball and I know the different techniques well. Coach Anapolis has really helped me improve on those techniques even more this year.
Do you bowl outside of school?
I’ve bowled in a youth league at Arterial Lanes in Gloversville for the past eight years. We do a lot of fundraising tournaments to benefit things like the humane society and celebrations of life. It’s a lot of fun.
What do you do to focus when you’re struggling?
I try to clear my head and focus on what’s coming up instead of anything negative in the past. I put my headphones on to listen to music and just try to ignore any distractions.
What was working for you the day of sectionals?
I have a new bowling ball, it’s a Phaze II ball and it really has helped me with my aim. I also had a lot of support from my parents and my teammates’ parents. They were all there cheering us on. My parents come to all my games and really encourage me to do my best.
How are you feeling about going to the state tournament?
This will be my first time going out of town overnight and I’m a little nervous about how busy and hectic the tournament is going to be. I’m just going to do my best to listen to the coach’s advice. I honestly don’t know how it’s going to go but I’m excited to be there.
Mayfield bowling has been a consistently competitive program in the Western Athletic Conference over the last few years. Athletic Director Jon Caraco credits Coach Anapolis’ commitment to growth and the athletes’ dedication to their sport.
“Coach Anapolis has worked hard to create consistency and grow the program and it is very rewarding to see her efforts pay off in a tangible way,” said Caraco. “I know Dylan has dedicated a tremendous amount of time to the sport, he has worked on his technique and developed into one of the top high school bowlers in the area. We wish him the best at the state tournament.”