Posted on

Playing for Keeps

Press photo by John Burbridge From left, Comet bowlers Katie Sickman, Macy Ross, Baili Girkin, Mija Cotton, Falyn Knecht and Maddie Ross pose for a photo with the third-place trophy they won at the Class 1A High School Girls Bowling Tournament.
Press photo by John Burbridge
From left, Comet bowlers Katie Sickman, Macy Ross, Baili Girkin, Mija Cotton, Falyn Knecht and Maddie Ross pose for a photo with the third-place trophy they won at the Class 1A High School Girls Bowling Tournament.

Comets girls finish third; four Charles City bowlers earn individual medals at Class 1A State Bowling Tournament

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

DES MOINES — The Class 1A Iowa High School State Bowling Tournament ended pretty much the same way as it did last year for the Charles City girls team.

The Comets again were awarded the third-place trophy.

“But this one we’re keeping,” Comet leadoff bowler Mija Cotton said.

After Charles City placed third last season, a scoring error belatedly spotted by the Comets prompted them to alert officials and arrange a formal transfer of the trophy to the rightful third-place finisher, LeMars.

The initial tally for this year’s tourney, which took place Monday at Plaza Lane, again had the Charles City girls in front of LeMars, but at a safer margin for any pending error — 2,837 to 2,629.

“We made sure this time around,” said Cotton, the lone senior on Charles City girls team who plans to bowl for Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, where she will continue her education.

Charles City had two Top 10 medalists: juniors Macy Ross and Katie Sickman.

The Class 1A individual girls champion from last year, Ross placed third in a tight top-three race separated by three pins with a two-game series of 438. The Class 1A 2015 individual champion, Andrea Salow of West Delaware, won her second title with a 441 series. Freshman runner-up Shadyn Bishop of Louisa-Muscatine by shot a 439.

Ross was leading after the first round with a 227 first game before Salow and Bishop scored 249 and 255, respectively, in the second.

Sickman placed seventh with a 395 series that included a 202 second game.

“She has been coming along late in the season for us,” Charles City head bowling coach Doug Bohlen said of Sickman. “They all bowled well.

“It’s funny, we came down here early last year to practice here (at Plaza Lanes), and we bowled great but it didn’t carry over to the next day. We may have been overconfident. But last night, we had a terrible practice here. So we probably got the bad day out of the way first this time around.”

Placing first was Louisa-Muscantine with a pinfall of 2,955 ahead of runner-up Comanche whose combined score was 2,885.

“We were in second place going into the Baker rotation round,” Bohlen said, “but we ran into some bad breaks, especially in the last game with pocket splits.

“Our fourth bowler (Bailey Girkin) threw an excellent ball right in the pocket, I mean she just ripped it. But she left a 7-9 split … a left-hander’s answer to the 8-10 split. And it came after a strike. But what can you do?”

The Comet boys team placed fifth with a total pinfall of 2,891, finishing behind champion West Delaware (3,143), runner-up Maquoketa (3,091), third-place trophy winner Fairfield (3,091) and LeMars (3,009).

Charles City senior Drew Mitchell, who was the district individual champion at the state qualifier held at Comet Bowl last Tuesday, tied for fourth with a two-game series of 448. The Comet anchorman was a model of consistency with consecutive games of 224.

Comet left-handed junior Kaleb Ross placed sixth with a 445 series — not quite so consistent as he followed his 222 first game with a 223 in the second.

Champion Wes Delaware claimed the top two individual spots with junior Jeff Boeckinstedt (481) and sophomore Alex Schnieders (472).

“I guess we can’t complain,” said Bohlen, whose girls won their first state trophy — the Comet boys took third in the state in 2015.

“We leave here with a trophy and four individual medals.”

Class 1A Girls State Tournament

Team Results

1. Louisa-Muscatine 2,955, 2. Camanche 2,885, 3. Charles City 2,837, 4. LeMars 2,629, 5. Wes Delaware 2,550, 6. Vinton-Shellsburg 2,516, 7. Creston 2,225. Shenandoah 2,023.

CHARLES CITY — Mija Cotton 178, 191-369; Maddie Ross 172, 172-344; Katie Sickman 195, 202-395; Falyn Knecht 153, 158-311; Baili Girkin 171, 190-361; Macy Ross 227, 211-438 (1,907). BAKER ROTATION: 176, 216, 176, 182, 180 (930).

Top 10

1. Andrea Salow (S) 441, 2. Shadyn Bishop (LM) 439, 3. Macy Ross (CC) 438, 4. Keil Brook (Ca) 413, 5. Jordan Smith (Ca) 412), 6. Whittney Morse (LM) 405, 7. Katie Sickman (CC) 395, 8. Randyn Carter (LM) 386, 9. Sydney Landis (LM) 384, 9. Erin Wood (VS) 384.

Class 1A Boys State Tournament

Team Results

1. Wes Delaware 3,143, 2. Maquoketa 3,091, 3. Fairfield 3,067, 4. LeMars 3,009, 5. Charles City 2,891,  6. Louisa-Muscatine 2,866, 7. Knoxville 2,739, 8. Shenandoah 2,639.

CHARLES CITY — Noah Reams 154, 153-317; Jacob Greenzweig 140, 157-297; Kaleb Ross 222, 223-445; Hunter Brockney 163, 180-343, Cade Schmidt 150, 212-362; Drew Mitchell 224, 224-448 (1,915). BAKER ROTATION: 158, 256, 198, 196, 168 (976).

Top 10

1. Jeff Boeckinstedt (WD) 481, 2. Alex Schnieders (WD) 472, 3. Isaac Anderson (Ma) 452, 4. Drew Mitcher (CC) 448, 4. Jeremiah Dawson (Sh) 448, 6. Kaleb Ross (CC) 445, 7. Kody Koerselman (LM) 441, 8. Eric Swan (Fa) 438, 9. Zach Lanning (Ma) 432, 10. Brock Hahn (LM) 429.

Social Share

LATEST NEWS