Newton bowlers dominate weekend competition at Osky
After a close call at its season-opening meet last week, the Newton boys bowling team wanted to make a statement in its second meet.
That statement was heard loud and clear.
The Cardinal boys finished more than 400 pins ahead of second-place Pella Christian and topped a five-team field to earn a victory at Oskaloosa on Saturday. The Cardinal girls also had an impressive showing, winning their second meet in a row.
Sophomore Andrew Lammey paced the boys with a first-round score of 447 (258 first game, 189 second) that included a run of eight strikes in a row. Finishing second on the team was sophomore Payton Cox with a 415 (193, 222), while senior Dylan Van Sickle was third with a 401 (203, 198), freshman Jake Karlzen was fourth with a 380 (177, 203) and freshman Bryan McMahon was fifth with a 371 (168, 203). Sophomore Alex Bare just missed out on the top five with a non-scoring round of 370 (204, 166).
In the second-round Baker games, the Cards managed scores of 192, 203, 181, 222 and 192, which equaled out to a 990. The Cardinals reached 3,004 for their overall score, accomplishing a feat that only three teams reached at the state tournament last year.
“With the scores being so close at last week’s tournament, we knew we had to step it up. All six of the boys shot a 200 game, making it an unbelievable day,” Newton coach Seth Banwell said. “I’ve never seen them throw so many strikes and convert so many spares. Not very many mistakes happen with a team score of over 3000.”
The Cardinal girls were no slouches on the night, either, taking first with an overall score of 2575 despite missing their top two bowlers.
Freshman Madison Humphrey led the Cards in first-round scores for the second meet in a row, finishing with a 382 (169, 227). Sophomore Erica Bailey finished with a 365 (174, 191), senior Mackenzie Malloy had a 308 (163, 145), sophomore Courtney Tabor rolled a 304 (156, 148) and senior Ella Daft had a 291 (166, 125) for the Cards’ fifth score. Junior Makayla Tabor rolled a non-scoring first-round total of 260 (105, 155).
The Newton girls also had improved Baker game scores, grabbing a 199, 179, 202, 160 and 171 for a total of 911. The Cards bested second-place Knoxville by 234 pins. Tabor and Malloy were the team’s replacement bowlers for the meet, and Banwell was more than pleased with their performances.
“Makayla Tabor and Mackenzie Malloy played a huge role in the win,” Banwell said. “We have a lot of depth in this team. It’s incredible to have JV bowlers that can bowl so well and fill in when needed.”
The Cardinals will continue their seasons at home on Saturday when they host a meet at Cardinal Lanes.
