GARRETTSVILLE — Brooklyn freshman Alex Cowper didn’t arrive at Skylanes on Sunday expecting a conference title. He just wanted a solid series and a chance to make a tournament team.

He left with the 2026 Chagrin Valley Conference boys’ individual championship — and bragging rights at home.

Cowper rolled a three-game total of 649 pins to win the title, edging his older brother and teammate, Adam Cowper, by a single pin at the CVC Bowling Tournament. Alex opened with a 168 before catching fire with a 236 in game two and a 245 in the finale to seal the win.

“Winning the conference title was very exciting as a freshman, but beating my brother was even better,” Cowper said. “Truthfully, though, I could not have done that without him. He understood that I wasn’t throwing the right ball in the right part of the lane. I was just trying to shoot a 600 series and hoped to make a tournament team. I’m happy that I was able to bowl with my brother today. I’ve waited three years to compete with him in high school.”

The Cowpers’ one-two finish helped Brooklyn capture the boys team championship with a total score of 3,893, narrowly ahead of Lutheran West (3,880). Rootstown placed third with 3,610.

Lutheran West also put two bowlers in the top five individually, with Nathan Smeal finishing third at 621 and Zachery Smeal fourth at 608, while Lakeside’s Braylon Harris rounded out the top five with a 598 series.

Cowper said the turning point came midway through his opening game, when frustration nearly took over before a key adjustment — and a calm conversation — changed everything.

“In the first game, when I bowled a 168 game, I wasn’t throwing where I needed to throw the ball,” Cowper said. “I needed to change my mindset to bowl against some tough competition like Lutheran West, and I wasn’t keeping a calm demeanor when it came to missing some easier spares.

“In the middle of the first game, I worked with my brother, Adam, who helped me understand that I wasn’t playing the right part of the lane and that I was playing too straight of a line to the pocket. After a couple of ball changes, I landed on the Radical Breakaway, which helped me get my ball through the front of the lanes and give more backend to increase my carry.”

Once the adjustments clicked, the confidence followed.

“At the start of the second game, I changed my mentality to give myself the best possible outcome,” Cowper said. “After that, it was just a matter of me throwing the best shots I could have, even if I didn’t carry all the shots that I would have liked to. The third game, I was pretty locked in with the transition and even had the front 7 until I left a 7 pin to end the run.”

For Alex, the competition wasn’t just the field — it was the familiar presence on the next lane.

“Adam is an exceptional bowler,” Cowper said. “I’ve bowled with him my entire life, and having him on my side as a teammate and as a rival competitor, knowing he will and always has pushed me to the limit, is a good and bad feeling at the same time. Yes, we are on the same team, but ultimately, he still is a competitor to me just like everybody else, and I will do my best to try and win every single time, and I know he will try to do the same.”

As the postseason approaches, Cowper said Sunday’s win is something to appreciate — and then quickly move past.

“Even though a win today was pretty special, I have to put this win behind me and focus for the postseason,” Cowper said. “The goal, not just for me but for everyone, is to win the state tournament at the end of the month. I take one win at a time, reset, and go do it again at the next spot, whether it’s just at league or at a tournament. I want to win, and the only way to do that is to make some high-quality shots and hope for some good results.”

On the girls’ side, Rootstown claimed the team championship with a score of 3,067, finishing ahead of Wickliffe (2,810) and Lakeside (2,727).

Rootstown senior Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt led the way individually, winning the girls title with a 504 series behind games of 161, 196, and 147.

Hammerschmidt held off Wickliffe’s Abby Sulyok, who finished second at 500, while Edgewood’s Bethany Stokes placed third with 497. Rootstown’s Olivia Davies took fourth at 477, and Wickliffe’s Cadence Crowder rounded out the top five with a 461 series.

FULL RESULTS

BOYS

Team Scores

1. Brooklyn 3893
2. Lutheran West 3880
3. Rootstown 3610
4. Jefferson 3516
5. Edgewood 3475
6. Wickliffe 3445
7. Perry 3362
8. Crestwood 3159
9. Lakeside 3027
10. Berkshire 2813

Individual Results

1. Alex Cowper, Brooklyn 649
2. Adam Cowper, Brooklyn 648
3. Nathan Smeal, Lutheran West 621
4. Zachery Smeal, Lutheran West 608
5. Braylon Harris, Lakeside 598
6. Alex Roland, Lutheran West 592
7. RJ Cotton, Jefferson 586
8. Isaac Simkanin, Rootstown 583
9. Paulie Lumadue, Wickliffe 575
10. Tycho Smolk, Rootstown 566
11. Niko Garrison, Wickliffe 554
12. Carter Howard, Edgewood 550
13. Drew Meitzner, Wickliffe 547
14. Taeyvin Chamrouen, Lutheran West 541
15. Thomas Jeffers, Edgewood 539
16. Owen Gyure, Perry 536
17. Bryce Harless, Rootstown 535
18. Ben Brand, Jefferson 533
19. Evan Waddell, Perry 525
20. Wyatt Furman, Jefferson 524
21. Caleb Stevens, Rootstown 521
22. Ricky Roth, Lakeside 510
23. Chase Thompson, Crestwood 508
24. Ryan Hilcu, Brooklyn 507
25. Carter Desatnik, Crestwood 505
26. Jakob Taylor, Crestwood 504
27. Jaylen Martin, Lakeside 503
28. Amara Beasley, Brooklyn 491
29. Brock Fultz, Edgewood 470
30. Dominik Green, Jefferson 464
31. William Kananen, Perry 462
32. Kayden Johnson, Perry 458
33. Ethan Miller, Berkshire 428
34. PJ Conrad, Berkshire 427
35. Nathan Cameron, Edgewood 416
36. Carson Jones, Berkshire 408
37. Matt Wright, Crestwood 399
38. Mitzi Houchen, Crestwood 382
39. Caleb Burns, Perry 382
40. Harley Beasley, Brooklyn 330
41. Hunter Stewart, Lakeside 310
42. Fisher Snyder, Wickliffe 301
43. Jacob Blakely, Rootstown 300
44. Bobby Szeliga, Wickliffe 291
45. Gavin Furman, Jefferson 267
46. Jackson Helfer, Edgewood 262
47. Steven Slatter, Lakeside 258
48. Jaxon Zarzour, Berkshire 254
49. Ray Pavlick, Lutheran West 248
50. Korbin DeMarco, Berkshire 243
51. Camden Dwyer, Jefferson 243
52. Tommy Boyce, Wickliffe 184
53. Will Slattery, Berkshire 166
54. Camden Morris, Rootstown 163
55. Joey Verciglio, Lutheran West 152
56. Jax Stantle, Edgewood 132
57. Collin Kish, Wickliffe 126
58. Jacob Barrett, Brooklyn 110
59. Zach Bartholomew, Berkshire 90

GIRLS

Team Scores

1. Rootstown 3067
2. Wickliffe 2810
3. Lakeside 2727
4. Jefferson 2565
5. Edgewood 2457
6. Berkshire 2202

Individual Results

1. Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt, Rootstown 504
2. Abby Sulyok, Wickliffe 500
3. Bethany Stokes, Edgewood 497
4. Olivia Davies, Rootstown 477
5. Cadence Crowder, Wickliffe 461
6. Lily Meadows, Wickliffe 443
7. Asa Enos, Lakeside 441
8. Baileigh Wimer, Lakeside 434
8. Delaney Staten, Lakeside 434
10. Lilly Perry, Jefferson 428
11. Valeri Derteen, Rootstown 427
12. Samantha Snow, Berkshire 407
13. Kacie Cooper, Jefferson 389
14. Kathryn Arcaro, Jefferson 374
15. Addison Jones, Berkshire 367
16. Bridge Miller, Berkshire 366
17. Destiny Cameron, Edgewood 358
18. Aubrey Moore, Edgewood 350
19. Haylee Frahm, Lakeside 343
20. Charlotte Simkanin, Rootstown 342
21. September McKeller, Wickliffe 333
22. Layla Willhoite, Jefferson 314
23. Stella Morgan, Berkshire 292
24. Natalee Reynolds, Jefferson 281
25. Addison Heilman, Berkshire 252
26. Nina Gill, Rootstown 218
27. Sophia Larow, Wickliffe 214
28. Mayan Stone, Edgewood 179
29. Brielle Rivera, Edgewood 172
30. Ana Drago, Rootstown 135
31. Hailie Furry, Rootstown 116
32. Scarlette Thompson, Lakeside 97
33. Malayna Perez, Edgewood 78
33. Nijah Baker, Wickliffe 78
35. Kaydence Kennedy, Edgewood 75
35. Ella Cheich, Lakeside 75
37. Abby Waldron, Lakeside 74