It has been more than 30 years since the Jackson Memorial High School boys bowling team reached the NJSIAA state tournament finals. But the Jaguars saved their best for last to reach the final day of action at Carolier Lanes, North Brunswick, on Feb. 20 and nailed down a third-place finish in the team standings.

Coming off recent runner-up finishes in the South Jersey Group IV sectionals behind runaway leader Washington Township with a school record 3,273 total pinfall and in the Shore Conference Tournament behind Brick Memorial, the Jaguars stayed hot in the state finals. They drilled 3,078 total pins to finish behind No. 1-ranked Washington Township and East Brunswick.

In what was a great late-season surge for both high schools in town, Jackson Memorial girls team bowler Ashley Ormsby qualified for the state finals individually when her 580 series was seventh out of the 18 South Jersey qualifiers. Ormsby fell short of reaching the stepladder finals.

Jackson Liberty High School’s boys won the South Jersey Group III sectionals but did not place well in the state finals.

“I could not be more proud. I am taken aback by what they bowled,” said Jackson Memorial boys coach Anthony Buczynski, reflecting on the team’s late-season surge. “I saw their determination. We rotated six guys into five spots and nobody complained about it. Everyone went through their tough slumps and came out of it and consistently bowled games in the 192 to 205 range.”

Jackson Memorial actually was in second place in the state finals going into the Baker game (type of format) when Washington Township sealed it with a 300. Jackson Memorial also bowled well in the final game with a 1,159, but East Brunswick also finished strongly.

It was only the third appearance in the state finals for Jackson Memorial, the first since 1978. The school also competed in the state finals in 1976, winning the title that year.R

ob Layne, one of two seniors on the team, led the way in these state finals with games of 227 and 236 (each bowler rolled two games before the Baker finale).

“It’s probably the best I bowled all year,” said Layne. “I could have bowled a 257 if I carried the 8 and 9 pins.”

Mario Starace, the other senior, rolled 235 and 201 games. Sophomore Luke Kane followed with games of 231 and 190, and junior Jake Zamrzycki reeled off 192 and 223 games.

“At the end of the season, we pulled together as a team and bowled our best and put it all out there,” said Zamrzycki. “We felt we all did our best.”

“This was a great team to play with and a great coach,” said freshman Mike Ormsby, who was a regular in the Jaguars’ lineup for most of the season, particularly as the anchor. “At the end, we had more strength. We knew how good we could do and gave it all we had.”

In the South Jersey sectionals, Ormsby led all bowlers with a 290 game and also had his high series for the season, a 697. Starace and Kane also bowled their seasonhigh series, both at 674. Starace rolled a 258 high game and Kane smashed a 247. Layne and Zamrzycki chipped in series of 615 and 613, respectively.

The team got some added satisfaction when it finished ahead of Brick Memorial, which had outpointed Jackson Memorial in the Shore Conference Tournament finals. Brick Memorial fell short of advancing out of the section to defend its state title.

Jackson Memorial finished first in Shore Conference North B Central with a 33-12 record, its first title in three years, behind Zamrzycki, who was third in the league with a 205 average, while Ormsby was fourth with a 202 average. The Jaguars the last two years fell short of qualifying for the Shore Conference Tournament, but qualified the previous seven years in a row, finishing second five times and winning the crown in 2002 in Buczynski’s first year as coach.

“We were picked to finish fourth in our division, and this year was unreal,” said Layne. “This was the most fun year I’ve ever had. We had a great time. I’ll never forget it.”

“I knew we would be competitive, but I did not think we would come in second in both the state sectionals and the Shore Conference Tournament,” said Buczynski; all five Jackson Memorial bowlers hit a 600 series in the Shore Conference Tournament.

Starace led the way with a 697 series off a 256 game. Ormsby chipped in a 233 game and a 661 series, and Kane was right behind with a 246 game and a 655 series. Zamrzycki had a 231-615 and junior Evan Rudenjak, a spot starter, rounded out the rotation with a 601 series off a 212 high game.

“At the beginning of the year we were not sure how we would do, and when we saw we were doing so well in matches, we would pull it together,” said Zamrzycki, one of two starters from the previous season, along with Layne.

“If one guy was struggling, there was always someone the coach could bring in,” said Ormsby.

For the Jaguar bowlers, it all came together by the end of their season of distinction.