March 28, 2024

Price sets new high marks as Newton bowlers crush Pella Christian

Cardinal girls record season-best score in win over Eagles

Abby Price found a mark and stuck with it. And the mark led her to a new career-high game and career-high series during Newton’s bowling team’s sweep of Pella Christian on Saturday during Senior Day.

Price opened with a 225 then rolled a career-best 258 as her career-best 483 series led the Cardinals to an 864-pin win over the Eagles at Cardinal Lanes. The Newton boys also beat Pella Christian by 599 pins.

“I just reminded myself that I needed to let the ball do the work for me,” Price said. “It was great to bowl well at our last home meet and very special that it was on Senior Day.”

Newton’s girls defeated Pella Christian 2,544 to 1,680. The Cardinals rolled a 1,741 in the two games and then tallied an 803 in the Baker games. The Eagles had a 1,119 followed by a 561.

Newton came into the day with a team series average of 2,270.86.

“The girls were on fire today,” Newton bowling coach Christie Hughes said. “They have their sights set on getting a spot in state. With a team event score of 2,500 pins, they are definitely headed in the right direction.”

The Cardinal boys tallied a 1,731 and claimed a 758 in the Bakers for a total score of 2,489. Pella Christian finished with a 1,284 and a 606 for a total score of 1,890.

Before the meet, the Cardinals recognized their eight seniors. That group includes Price, Jenna Miller, Abby Hobbs, Sara Sopher, Sydni Followill and Shya Hartman on the girls’ side and Ben Zeien and Thomas Hodnett on the boys’ side.

“It was great getting to celebrate our seniors,” Hughes said. “They have all worked hard to make the best of a year that has not been kind in so many ways. They deserve to be celebrated.”

Price won the girls’ competition and the Cardinals also finished 2-3-4, tied for fifth and eighth individually.

Price’s first game included seven strikes and one spare. Her second game featured eight strikes and three spares, including six straight strikes to end the game.

Bailey Hansen rolled a 351 series for second as she started with a season-best 205 and finished with a 148. Her first game included six strikes and three spares.

Libbie Keith was next with a season-best 316 series after single games of 159 and 157. The 159 was her season high for an individual game.

Genessa Slings had a season-best 310 series with games of 163 and 147 and finished fourth. Beka Weithers tied for fifth with a season-best 281 series with games of 155 and 126. Miller finished eighth with a 264 series and single games of 143 and 121. Weithers’ 155 was a season high.

Alexa Klaasen led Pella Christian with a 281 series, tying for fifth, and Ella Vander Hart was seventh with a 279 series.

The JV girls defeated Pella Christian 2,054 to 1,412. Followill led the way with a season-best 317 series.

Highlighting the Cardinal boys was Zeien, who won the meet with a 383 series. Zeien rolled games of 161 and 221. His second game included eight strikes.

Dallas King finished second with a 374 series. He rolled single games of 213 and 161. King’s first game included four strikes and five spares and it was a season-best score.

Owen Guldberg took third with a season-best 365 series after single games of 137 and a season-high 228. His second game featured six straight strikes and three spares.

Pella Christian’s Ian Stravers led the Eagles, finishing fourth with a 331 series.

Newton’s Evan Benac finished fifth with a season-best 315 series. He had single games of a season-best 180 and 135. Benac filled in on the varsity for Logan Bown, who missed the meet due to an illness.

Sebastian King and Hodnett were sixth and seventh, respectively. Sebastian King had a 294 series with single games of 148 and 146 and Hodnett had a 293 with games of 147 and 146.

The Newton JV boys defeated Pella Christian 2,048 to 1,726. Tyler Padgett led the way with a 265 series.

“We are going into this week focused on bowling our best and bringing home one last win for our regular season and then working on conference meets for both the JV and varsity teams,” Hughes said. “Staying focused and picking up spares is the goal.”