ROCKINGHAM — Junior bowler Cadence Thompson has been named the Official Richmond County Female Athlete of the Week presented by HWY 55.
The Lady Raiders wrapped up their most successful season yet, winning the Sandhills Athletic Conference championship and finishing as the runner-up in the state championship meet on Friday.
Playing a large role in the team’s success in both events, Thompson was also the singles conference champion and a state tournament finalist, earning her the first recognition of her career.
Athletic Profile
Age: 16
Birthday: May 12, 2005
Year: Junior
Winter Sport: Bowling
Years on Varsity: 3 years
ALL-STATE WITH CADENCE THOMPSON
The Lady Raiders and Thompson opened the week last Tuesday with an upset win over rival Scotland to claim their first SAC conference championship in program history.
No. 3 Richmond defeated the No. 1 Lady Scots 141-110 in the single-elimination championship match. Thompson bowled in the anchor spot and collected a spare in the 10th frame, allowing her to roll again, where she added 8 more pins.
In the semis match, a 122-93 win over No. 2 Hoke County, Thompson had a spare.
Competing in the singles tournament, Thompson was joined by teammates Molly Erwin and Addison Massey with top 10 finishes. Thompson went on to defeat two bowlers in the roll-off to secure the SAC singles title.
In her three individual games, Thompson rolled scores of 158, 157 and 153 (468) to move into the single-elimination tournament. As the No. 2 seed, Thompson defeated Angelle Norton (Scotland) 144-133 in the semis, which featured two strikes and four spares.
She followed that by upsetting Pinecrest’s ace Catherine Vierwinden by a total score of 158-135 in the championship match. Thompson rolled three consecutive strikes in the seventh through ninth frames to ice the win.
Three days later at the state championship meet, Thompson was the best singles finisher for Richmond. She placed ninth overall in the state with a three-game total of 421 pins.
As a team, the Lady Raiders took second overall in their first ever appearance in the state championship roll-off. After clinching the No. 1 seed with a qualifying score of 536 pins, the Lady Raiders defeated No. 4 Scotland 125-124 in the state semifinals match.
Thompson secured the win with a strike in the 10th frame and picked up nine more pins. She had three pins standing on her final roll, needing two to win, and got both.
In the state championship contest, the Lady Raiders fell to Jack Britt 145-11, and Thompson had a strike and a spare in the anchor spot.
Cadence Thompson bowls during a conference match earlier this season. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
RAPID RESPONSES WITH CADENCE THOMPSON
ROSports: What was the experience like of winning the SAC singles and team championship, followed by a state runner-up performance all in the same week?
Thompson: “Winning the singles championship was really cool. When we did the roll-off, I didn’t think my three games were in the top. But when I came in second, I was really surprised. I was nervous I had to bowl again, but I had the turkey in the seventh frame and I think there was a little bit of intimidation that may have thrown (Vierwinden) off.
“After I won, I thought ‘that’s it, I literally just won it.’ It was so crazy. The team taking second at states was also cool. We were doing so good prior to playing against Jack Britt. We felt like we could beat them, so we hope to do it again next year.”
ROSports: Break down the final roll against Scotland in the state semifinals. And what do you think fueled the team’s performances down the stretch of the season?
Thompson: “We were losing, but I got my first strike in the 10th frame and looked up at the scores and saw Scotland was winning by one pin. I only had three pins and needed two, so I bowled and knew I had to get the two pins. I don’t normally bowl the 10th frame, so when I got it I was relieved.
“I think what helped us was that we did a lot of practice to prepare. We got everyone out at practice and we were really motivated to do well. We wanted to qualify for singles and as a team, so we made practicing a priority.”
ROSports: The Lady Raiders are made up of all underclassmen. How bright is the future for next season and what makes the team so competitive?
Thompson: “This year we proved we can be good, but we also know we can continue to improve. When you have a certain group that can work together constantly with good chemistry, good things will happen. We have a lot of high expectations for next season.”
The Richmond Observer will publish its Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week soon.
