March 29, 2024

Cardinal squads bowl over Polar Bears

Image 1 of 3

Finding their groove on their home lanes Monday, Newton High’s girls and boys overpowered the visiting bowling teams from Des Moines North.

The Cardinal girls struggled on the lanes at Pella Saturday, but not on their home lanes Monday. The Cardinal boys made it two victories in two meets as they too had a strong showing at home against the Polar Bears at Cardinal Lanes.

“Coming in, I wasn’t sure about this meet because we hadn’t ever bowled against Des Moines North,” said Madison Humphrey, Newton junior, following a 2,511-1,861 win Monday. “I had mixed feelings coming into today because I didn’t know how they’d bowl, but I had confidence in our team.”

Humphrey led the Cardinal girls with a 366, bowling games of 186 and 180. Senior Erica Bailey posted a 361 with games of 178 and 183. Mariah Gonzales, a junior, rolled a 298 (156-142) and freshman Alyssa White had a 260 (129-131).

Seniors Melanie Stice and Courtney Tabor rolled a 259 (144-115) and 249 (118-131), respectively.

The Newton girls led the Polar Bear girls by 297 pins after the individual games. Then came the Baker games, where five bowlers for each team combine to bowl individual games. The Cardinals rode their momentum through the five Baker games.

In the fourth Baker game, Newton’s girls opened with five straight strikes — one each from Gonzales, Tabor, Stice, Bailey and Humphrey.

“Our goal is to have a 300 Baker game. We’ve not started a Baker game this season with five straight strikes,” Humphrey said. “It was exciting. We didn’t get the 300, but we bowled well as a team today. It’s our house and that was an advantage. It worked out well today.”

In that fourth Baker game, the Newton girls had a 227. The other Baker game scores were 183-177-206-174 for a total of 967.

“The girls’ varsity bowled awesome,” said Brett Jacobs, Newton head coach. “They bowled 400 pins higher from Saturday’s meet. The girls averaged 193 through five Baker games today. They won by a total of 650 pins.”

Newton’s boys had a 104-pin margin over Des Moines North following the individual games. The Cardinals had a tough start the Baker games, dropping the first one to the Poplar Bears, who had six strikes.

“We struggled at the beginning of the meet and at the start of the Baker games, but we got things going individually and in the Baker games,” said Payton Cox, Newton senior. “We just supported each other and stayed with our positive attitudes.”

Senior Alex Bare turned in the top individual game with a 363 (179-184) followed by freshman Shaiden Simmons, who had the top single game score of 188, with a 353. Sophomore Reid Miller threw a 333 with games of 167 and 166.

Cox, who has been the top bowler at the previous meets, finished at 317 (160-157) followed by sophomore Sam Supino with a 302 (141-161) and junior Shea Carre with a 298 (135-163).

Newton’s boys bounced back from that first sub-par Baker game to take the four next games. Their Baker games were 125-180-173-157-234 for a total of 869. They had six strikes in that final game.

The Cardinals defeated the Polar Bears, 2,537-2,254.

“The boys’ varsity bowled consistent. They had a shaky start to the Baker games, but improved after the first game,” Jacobs said.

Newton’s teams host Oskaloosa at Cardinal Lanes Saturday to conclude competition for the first semester. Action begins at 9 a.m.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com