April 19, 2024

NHS bowling teams are substate runner-ups

By Jocelyn Sheets
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Shaiden Simmons, a Newton High junior, bowls in Saturday’s Little Hawkeye Conference meet at Newton’s Cardinal Lanes. On Tuesday, Simmons rolled a team-high 442 series to lead the Cardinal boys to the runner-up spot in a Class 2A state qualifying meet at Ottumwa. (Jocelyn Sheets)

OTTUMWA — Seniors Lizzy Coyle and Reid Miller said the Newton High bowling teams were ready to roll into Tuesday’s Class 2A substate tournament. Coyle and Miller said the Cardinal teams would use the momentum from Saturday’s Little Hawkeye Conference meet championships to boost confidence taking on tough Ottumwa.

Newton had just beaten the other two teams in the substate tournament — Norwalk and Pella — at the LHC meet. Substate host Ottumwa’s bowling teams presented a challenge, coming into the postseason ranked No. 6 in Class 2A.

“The outcome of the meet is what I predicted,” Newton head coach Seth Banwell said. “We bowled our hearts out and left everything on the lanes. Both teams were runners up to the sixth-ranked team in the state. We were dealt a tough draw for our substate match.”

In the boys’ division, Ottumwa took the substate title with a 3,002 pin count to Newton’s 2,843, which was the Cardinal boys’ season high score. Pella was third with 2,788 and Norwalk was fourth at 2,418.

Banwell said according to the quikstatsiowa website, Ottumwa averages over 500 pins higher than the Newton boys. Newton’s margin of loss to the Bulldogs on Tuesday was 159 pins.

Ottumwa girls rolled up a 2,454 final score on their home lanes at Champion Bowl. Newton claimed second with a 2,180 pin count followed by Norwalk at 1,879 and Pella at 1,765.

Tyler Crabit of Ottumwa was the boys’ substate individual champion with a 489 followed by Jaden Ruth of Pella at 480. Newton junior Shaiden Simmons finished third with a 442 series. Ottumwa placed five bowlers in the top 10.

Ottumwa girls had six individuals place in their division’s top 10 led by Kayla Davidson with 358 as the substate champion. Newton junior Taylor Johnson and Coyle were sixth and seventh and sophomore Alicia Miller ended in a three-way tie for eighth.

Johnson led the Cardinal girls with a 317 on games of 160 and 157 followed by Coyle’s 302 (146-156). Miller opened with a 120 game then rolled a team-high 175 in the second game to finish with a 295 series.

Juniors Alyssa White and Kaytie Hughes finished at 269 (134-135) AND 254 (114-140), respectively. Sophomore Keely Birkenholtz had a 245 (120-125). Newton’s Baker Games round scores were 129, 157, 174, 140, 143.

Simmons began the tournament with a 248 game and rolled a 194 for his 442 series for Newton’s boys. Junior Reece Thurmond had a 198 game to open and bowled a 217 in the second for a 415 series.

Freshman Alex Frymoyer also put up a 200-pin second game to go with his 196 for a 396. Miller had a 345 (146-199) for the Cardinal boys and junior Austin Johansen had a 325 (131-194). Senior Sam Supino had a 326 (166-160). Newton’s Baker Games round scores were 190, 186, 202, 183, 158.

“This was a great season with many ups and downs,” Banwell said. “The depth and strength of the bowling teams are solid in the underclassman. I’m excited to see what they can do in the years to come.”

Newton’s team each had a 5-4 duals record for the 2016-17 season. The two Cardinal squads won the Little Hawkeye Conference bowling meet for the third straight year.

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