Notre Dame’s CJ Petrin wins bowling state championship

CJ Petrin of Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga has had his eye on the bowling individual state champion title since he was a freshman.

In his sophomore and junior years, he earned runner-up honors, falling just three pins short both years. After rolling an 832 four-game series in the semifinals, CJ went on to beat Briarcrest’s Brendan Donlevy 224-189 for the state crown Jan. 20-23 at Smyrna Bowling Center.

CJ rolled three 200 games in the semifinals, posting scores of 234, 225, 200, and 173 to best Brendan by 66 pins and earn a spot in the finals. Boston Eberly, Griffin Lee, and Carson Barasha also competed in the semifinals for Notre Dame.

As a team, the Fighting Irish reached the semifinals this year, falling to Pope John Paul II by a score of 19-8 and by a total pinfall of 3,066-3,000 in three games. CJ won all three of his games against Pope John Paul II.

The Irish defeated Briarcrest 14.5- 12.5 in the quarterfinals, with a total pinfall of 3,021-3,013. CJ won all three of his matches, rolling a 234 and a 233 in two of them. Carson won a match and tied one, and Griffin, Boston, and Adam Desai won one match apiece. In addition to this year’s individual championship, CJ and the team earned the team state championship in 2020. CJ was also named TSSAA’s “Mr. Bowling” in 2020.

“CJ is not just a great bowler but also a great teammate,” said Fighting Irish bowling head coach Chuck Newell. “With his leadership, the team was able to win the state title last year and reach the semifinals this year. Winning the individual title this year was well deserved. He came so close the last two years, losing in the final game twice just by a few pins each time. Over the years, he has put in the time and effort to be at the top of his sport.”

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