Buffs’ bowlers qualify for 6A state with regional runner-up finishes

BUFFS ROUNDUP: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020

BOWLING

After claiming Western Athletic Conference titles for both teams, the Garden City Buffaloes girls and boys bowling teams set their sights on their next goal on Monday, Feb. 24.

That was the Class 6A regional tournament in Liberal on Monday, Feb. 24, and both teams came home with runner-up finishes to qualify for the state tournament, which will be contested at North Rock Lanes in Wichita on March 5.

While the Buffalo boys team made a late run in the 4-Game Baker format, they came up just 10 pins shy of champion Campus in the combined American 10-Pin Series and Baker, finishing at 3,325 to the Colts’ 3,335. The Buffs had trailed Campus by 176 pins after the 10-Pin Series and closed the Baker format with a 279 game, making up 87 pins on the eventual champions.

“We just had one bad game in the 10-Pins,” head coach Kip Nichols said. “After that, we pretty much bowled well. Campus was really good in the 10-Pin Series, but we certainly made them take notice in the Baker format.”

Kaden Whitehurst paced the boys in the individual series portion, rolling a 718 series on games of 201-259-258 and finished just one pin behind Derby’s Jason Miller (719=205-258-256) for medalist honors. Ty Weilert rolled 607 series to place seventh individually and was the only other Buff to make the top 10.

It was a different story for the Lady Buffs, who couldn’t get things going on the Liberal lanes while Campus’ girls were nothing short of red-hot.

Holly Bridges was the top Lady Buff bowler, finishing in third with a 580 series, but that was well behind champion Casey Feast (718=218-244-256) and runner-up Rebecca Herd (629), both of Campus.

The Lady Colts had a pin total of 3,302 for the combined American 10-Pin 3-Game series and the 4 games of Baker format. The Lady Buffs were well back at 2,864.

“We just couldn’t get any momentum built and give Campus credit, they really bowled well,” Nichols said.

Those same two teams have been 1-2 in each of the last three state tournaments, with the Lady Buffs claiming the 2017 title and Campus winning championships in 2018 and 2019, with the Garden girls placing second.

Emilee Giger’s 519 series enabled her to place ninth overall and Angelina Leeper was in 10^th with a 517 series. Karly Larson (505), Britney Cruz (492) and Lily Leeper (461) rounded out the Lady Buffs individual series totals.

 

The Tenpins total for each of the three games for the Lady Buffs were 723-724-702. Their Baker scores were 200-194-184-137.

On the boys side, the Buffs got off to a rocky start with a 745 total compared to Campus’ 810. And while games 2 and 3 were much improved (846-843), Campus was better at 856-944. That gave the Colts a 176-pin lead headed to the Baker format.

The Buffs, though, got red-hot themselves, rolling games of 202-193-217 and 279 to Campus’ 173-183-177-192. Also having trailed Derby after the Tenpins portion, the Buffs overtook the Panthers who had Baker scores of 161-168-181-171.

Jayce Farr (569), Caleb Carr (532), Justin Erwin (468) and Dionicio Resendiz (437) rounded out the individual scoring for the Buffs in the Tenpin portion of the event.

When the teams head to the state tournament next week, the boys will bowl in the morning session and the girls in the afternoon on Thursday, March 5. It will be the same format as regionals with the 3-Game American Tenpins (also to determine individual medalists) and then the 4-Game Baker format. Scores from both formats are added together to complete the team scoring.

GIRLS

(Total of American 10-Pin 3-Game Seriess & 4 Baker Games)

Team Scores: 1. Campus, 3302; 2. Garden City, 2864; 3. Wichita South, 2669; 4. Dodge City, 2569; 5. Wichita East, 2524; 6. Hutchinson, 2454; 7. Liberal, 2288; 8. Derby, 2251; 9. Wichita North, 2249; 10. Wichita West, 1421.

Garden City Team Scores

American 10-Pin 3-Game Series: 723-724-702=2149.

Baker (4 Games): 200-194-184-137=715.

Garden City Individuals (American 10-Pin 3-Game Series)

3. Holly Bridges, 580 (200-189-191); 9. Emilee Giger, 519 (158-129-174); 10. Angelina Leeper, 517 (180-179-158); 12. Karly Larson, 505 (167-167-171); 15. Britney Cruz, 492 (176-158-158); Lily Leeper, 461 (158-129-174).

BOYS

Team Scores: 1. Campus, 3335; 2. Garden City, 3325; 3. Derby, 3233; 4. Hutchinson, 3182; 5. Wichita South, 2980; 6. Liberal, 2910; 7. Wichita East, 2772; 8. Dodge City, 2735; 9. Wichita North, 2402; 10. Wichita West, 2103.

Garden City Team Scores:

American 10-Pin (Best 4 of 6 scores count each game) – 745-846-843=2434.

Baker Scores: 202-193-217-279=891.

Garden City Individuals (American 10-Pin 3-Game Series Totals)

2. Kaden Whitehurst, 718 (201-259-258); 7. Ty Weilert, 607 (190-216-201); 16. Jayce Farr, 569 (179-198-192); Caleb Carr, 532 (175-165-192); Justin Erwin, 468 (132-173-163); Dionicio Resendiz, 437 (148-128-161).