Ross rolls 10 in a row on way to district title

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

WATERLOO — When Madison Ross phoned her sister after the end of the Conference/District Individual High School Bowling Tournament held Saturday at Maple Lanes, she likely didn’t first mention that she took a perfect game into the 10th frame.

Macy Ross, a 2018 Charles City graduate, has done that, too. Last year, she recorded a Comet team-record 299 game.

Madison also likely didn’t first mention that she won her bracket for the girls title.

Macy has won several bowling titles herself, including a Class 1A state title in 2016 while rolling with the Comets.

“Maddie bowled a three-game series of 746 in the single-elimination bracket,” Charles City bowling coach Doug Bohlen said. “That was her first 700 series. Macy hasn’t bowled a 700 series, yet, so Maddie had to call her sister to rub it in.”

After bowling a three-game 606 series in the preliminary round to earn the tourney’s No. 2 seed in the single-elimination bracket, Madison then really got on a roll. Bowling a career-high 289 in the semifinal round, the Charles City senior then faced sophomore teammate Sarah Mitchell in the finals.

Mitchell, the No. 8 seed in the bracket, had knocked off Waverly-Shell Rock’s Marisa Schneider in the first round after Schneider’s 665 preliminary series seeded her No. 1.

“Sarah bowled pretty well, but Maddie was on fire,” Bohlen said as Ross finished her bracket series with a 257 in the championship match while runner-up Mitchell bowled a 177.

In the boys bracket, Charles City junior Noah Reams advanced from the field of 24 bowlers to get the No. 7 seed, but was eliminated by Waverly-Shell Rock’s Noah Jeppeson in the first round.

Jeppeson went on to win the boys title while matching Ross’s 746 series during bracket play that included a near-perfect 299 game.

The Comets will return to Maple Lanes on Tuesday for the Class 1A State Qualifier starting at 10 a.m.