April 20, 2024

Cardinal girls are Class 2A substate champions

NHS girls’ bowling team qualifies for 2A state; boys place third at district substate

By Jocelyn Sheets

Newton High’s girls capture the flag. The Cardinals won a Class 2A District Substate bowling championship Tuesday, qualifying for the Iowa High School Class 2A State Bowling Tournament. Members of the team, from left, are head coach Brett Jacobs, Courtney Tabor, Alyssa White, Mariah Gonzales, Erica Bailey, Madison Humphrey, Melanie Stice and assistant coach Seth Banwell. The substate tournament was at Plaza Lanes in Des Moines, which is also the site of the state tournament on Feb. 24. (Submitted photo)

DES MOINES — Newton High’s Cardinal girls missed out a year ago. They came up short at home in the state qualifying tournament.

Not in 2015. Led by senior Melanie Stice, the Cardinal girls won Tuesday’s Class 2A District Substate championship, qualifying for the state bowling tournament.

Newton High’s boys stumbled a bit at Plaza Lanes Tuesday in Des Moines. They were after a second straight trip to a state bowling tournament. The Cardinal boys finished third behind champion Des Moines Hoover and Norwalk.

Newton’s girls were in the lead following the individual games. The Cardinals had a 1,655 pin count to Norwalk’s 1,450. Des Moines North was in third at the time with 1,432 and Des Moines Hoover was fourth at 1,264.

The Cardinal girls did not let up, rolling up the top score in the Baker games — 820 — to secure the substate championship and a state tournament berth.

Newton’s girls won with a total of 2,475 followed by North with 2,223. Norwalk was third at 2,187 and Hoover was fourth at 1,835.

Stice rolled a team-high 403 with games of 221 and 182 for the Newton girls. That total placed her second in the individual standings.

Junior Madison Humphrey was fourth as an individual with a 346 total (188-158). Freshman Alyssa White placed sixth with a 333 (178-155).

Senior Erica Bailey finished with a 314 on games of 164 and 150. Courtney Tabor, also a senior, had a 259 (114-145).

Junior Mariah Gonzales had a 232 (127-105) which did not count in the team scoring.

Newton’s girls had scores of 148-171-179-176-146 in the Baker games.

The Cardinal girls return to Plaza Lanes Feb. 24 for the Class 2A state tournament.

Newton’s boys were sitting third after the individual games. They had a pin total of 1,708. Hoover was in the lead at 1,842 and Norwalk was second at 1,797. North had 1,700.

“The boys finished third against some tough competition of Hoover and Norwalk,” said Brett Jacobs, Newton head bowling coach. “We struggled with some splits and converting several single pin spares.”

The Cardinals had a Baker games score of 868 and it wasn’t enough to combat what Norwalk (995) and Hoover (964) put up.

Hoover won with a total of 2,806 and Norwalk took second at 2,792. Newton finished with a 2,576 and North had a 2,504.

Senior Payton Cox posted the top score for Newton. He had a 364 (180-184), which placed him sixth.

Junior Shea Carre had the lone 200 game for Newton. Carre finished at 360 with games of 158 and 202.

Sophomore Reid Miller bowled a 340 (185-155), senior Alex Bare had a 329 (183-146) and junior Bryan McMahon rolled a 315 (163-152).

Freshman Shaiden Simmons finished at 267 (106-161).

Newton’s Baker game scores were 195-174-152-181-166.

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