Newton bowlers split dual with Pella

The Newton girls bowling team posted five individual scores of 168 or better to overcome a slow start against Pella on Monday, and then a dominant effort in the Baker games pushed the Cardinals to a 2,509 to 2,151 home win over the Lady Dutch.

Gabbie Humphrey finished the individual round with a 215 at Cardinal Lanes and that was good enough to secure the overall win.

Aeris Archer, Mackenna Burns and Braleigh Slings totaled career-best series to help complete the game-two rally during the Little Hawkeye Conference matchup.

The Pella boys though prevented the Cardinals from a varsity sweep as three varsity Dutch players turned in 200-plus games and their fast start led to a 2,747 to 2,541 win.

Humphrey opened with a 169 and that trailed teammates Kelly Holmes (171) and Archer (170) by a small margin, but the 2025 state qualifier’s 215 in the final game pushed her to a 384 series.

Holmes was the overall runner-up as she followed her 171 up with a 178 and turned in a 349 series, which was eight pins better than Pella’s McKenna Salvador.

Archer’s 168 in the second game gave her a 338 series and a fourth-place finish. Burns rolled a career-best 202 after a 113 in the opening game and her 315 series was fifth.

The Cardinals (2-0, 1-0 in the conference) had five of the top six individual scores as Slings posted a career-best 170 after a 132 and her career-best 302 series put her sixth.

Lili Baxin rolled a career-best 121 and a 105 for a 226 series to round out the Cardinals’ varsity scores.

Jalyssa Neer led the junior varsity girls with a 285 series. She put together single games of 147 and 138.

Salvador’s third-place finish included a 189 in the opening game.

Newton led 1,688 to 1,430 after the individual round then outscored the Lady Dutch 821-721 in the Baker games.

The Cardinals opened the Baker round with a 178 and finished it with a 175. They averaged 170 over the five games, while Pella (1-2, 0-1) averaged 144.2.

The Pella boys led 1,816 to 1,640 after the individual round and then edged the Cardinals 931-901 in the Baker games during the season opener for both teams.

The top two overall scores came from the Dutch (1-0, 1-0) as Alex Bishara posted a 401 series after individual games of 201 and 200. Carter Failor was the runner-up with a 387 series.

He rallied past Newton’s Jeremiah Killmer and teammate Zander Beckey with a 227 in the second game.

Killmer placed third overall with a 374 series. He had single games of 190 and 184. That was two pins in front of Beckey’s 372. He rolled a 213 in the opening game.

Braden Baskerville was next for Newton (0-1, 0-1) but sixth overall with a 352 series in his varsity debut. He had single games of 163 and 189.

Jarret Sweeney finished seventh with a 319 series after single games of 182 and 137. Brandon Holmes made his varsity debut and placed eighth with a 307 series and single games of 135 and 172.

Thaddeus Lewis (288) and Ascher Austin (263) also made their varsity debuts and posted single games of 168 and 120 and 103 and 160, respectively.

Newton’s boys got off to a fast start in the Baker games with a 211 and 197 but averaged 180.2 over the five games.

Pella averaged 186.2 in its five Baker games, which included a 202 in the opener and 240 in Game 3.

Four Newton JV boys posted scores better or near a few varsity players.

Carter Maki led that group with a 305 series, but Bentley Heck posted a 292, Will Buren had a 291 and Hudson Swarts tallied a 286. Maki ended his individual round with a 178 and Swarts started his with a 183.