A year ago, both Marlboro boys’ and girls’ bowling teams advanced to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament.

This year, even though the teams failed to qualify, three Marlboro bowlers – Emily Tarsio, Stevie Amato and Olivia Cherubini – will highlight the Section 9 girls’ composite team with Highland’s Olivia Casabura and two bowlers from Newburgh Free Academy: Katie Bell and Gianna Alisandrella will make up the Section 9 girls’ composite team at 8 a.m. Saturday at Strike ‘N Spare Lanes in Syracuse.

“It’s different working with new girls, instead of going with the same team that you went with last year,” Marlboro’s Emily Tarsio said. “It’s changing it up with the environment you’re around and people you’re competing with.”

Last year, Tarsio was 18th overall with a 209 high game and a 966 series for a 6-game average of 161. Cherubini was 30th with a 145 high game and a 743 series, while Amato took 35th with a high game of 114 and 627 series.

Having two fellow Marlboro bowlers on the team brings a sense of familiarity and comfort after competing with the full team last year.

“It’s nice to know someone because you’re not completely alone and stranded with no one you know,” Tarsio said. “You at least know some people to work with.”

The Marlboro contingent also has some familiarity with Bell and Alisandrella, as the Dukes and Goldbacks share a home bowling alley: Pat Tarsio Lanes in Newburgh, which was founded by Emily Tarsio’s great-grandfather.

“I’m friends with most of them because I bowl here, and they bowl here as well,” Tarsio said. “I bowl in the Saturday morning leagues here so I’m good friends with most of them. We get along pretty well.”

Casabura, meanwhile, has composite team experience as she, for the second straight year, will represent Highland at the state meet. Last year, she went with teammate Izzy Gaylor, who graduated in 2022.

Casabura, a Highland High School senior, has gone to the state meet every year it has been available. She qualified as a freshman in March of 2020, but the rug was pulled out from under her when the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic canceled what would have been her first trip to states.

Even though she would have been a member of the composite team in 2020, it was made up of all Highland girls.

“I was very upset,” Casabura said. “Actually, I was like, ‘This sucks because I’m not going to get to play with my friends.’”

She took advantage of last year’s trip, finishing 41st amongst composite bowlers with a high game of 202 and a high series of 1,052. Overall, the Section 9 team finished ninth.

She’s hoping for better this year.

“I’m looking forward to bowling good,” Casabura said. “Getting some strikes, and making some spares and hopefully winning something, maybe high game or something. It definitely would be good to go out with a win, or some form of award.”