Locals Carpenter, Bares, Linker score wins at Pepsi state bowling event

KENNER – It was a good day for the New Orleans area at the annual Louisiana State Pepsi championship bowling tournament which concluded Sunday at AMF All Star Lanes.

Locals swept the top age divisions as William Carpenter won the boys U18 division title and Olivia Bares rallied out of the loser’s bracket to capture the girls U18 title. Another New Orleans area bowler, Anthony Linker, won the boys U15 crown.

Carpenter, a senior at Jesuit, defeated Brady Null of Denham Springs 212-152 to complete an undefeated run through the boys U18 bracket.

A 191 game in the final game of Sunday morning’s semifinals allowed Carpenter to move into the top eight, who advanced to the double-elimination bracket. Brother Martin junior Jacob Vangilder, who along with Carpenter grabbed the final two spots in the bracket, went 2-2 in bracket play to finish third.

Bares, a sophomore at Archbishop Chapelle, defeated Sydney Lee of Dutchtown twice in the championship round, including a 209-198 victory in the winner-take-all final.

Bares was the No. 6 seed in the bracket. She lost to the top-seeded Lee in the second round but rallied to win three straight matches in the loser’s bracket to earn a rematch.

Coincidentally, both U18 title matches featured bowlers who avenged team playoff losses last month with victories Sunday. Jesuit lost to Denham Springs in the second round of the boys playoffs, while Dutchtown eliminated Chapelle in the semifinals of the girls bracket.

Linker, an eighth-grader at Archbishop Rummel, defeated Brady Fay in an all-New Orleans area final for the boys U15 title. Linker was the top seed and Fay the No. 2 seed.

Albany’s Caroline Engeron defeated Kaelyn Mumphrey of St. Amant for the girls U15 title. Chapelle’s Elizabeth Hamilton finished third.

The annual event crowns boys and girls champions in five different age groups. In addition to college scholarships, winners also earn automatic berths to the Junior Gold Championships.