Newton girls win home invitational at Cardinal Lanes

Gabbie Humphrey won the Newton Invitational for the second straight season.

But this time, the Cardinals climbed to the top of the standings after posting a season-best pin total.

Humphrey posted two single games of 200 pins or more for the first time this season and her 426 was the overall winner at Cardinal Lanes.

Three Cardinals were in the top seven, too, as Kelly Holmes (369) tied for fifth and Aeris Archer (career-best 359) placed seventh.

Newton won its home tournament with a season-best score of 2,524. The Cardinals were 327 pins better than last year at this event, and that squad placed fourth in the final standings.

Mason City was second at 2,443, and the rest of the eight-team field included Waukee (2,388), Pella (2,203), Oskaloosa (2,030), Sigourney/Keota (1,947), Gilbert (1,866) and Knoxville (1,683).

On the boys’ side, Newton took fourth despite a season-best pin total. The Cardinals posted a 2,746, but trailed Oskaloosa (3,156), Waukee (3,116) and Sigourney/Keota (2,979) at the top of the standings.

Gilbert (2,604), Mason City (2,576), Pella (2,551) and Knoxville (2,159) completed the field. Newton avenged a loss to the Dutch from earlier this season.

Humphrey’s single games were 222 and 204. She edged Oskaloosa’s Reagan Abrahamson (423) by three pins and Sigourney/Keota’s Sophie Young (408) was third. Abrahamson’s best single game was 238 and Young went 203 and 205.

Holmes’ fifth-place finish included a 148 and a career-best 221. Archer started with a career-best 187 and ended with a 172.

Mackenna Burns (297), Braleigh Slings (229) and Lili Baxin (219) completed the Cardinals’ lineup. Burns went 150-147, Slings rolled a 111 and a 118 and Baxin turned in single games of 101 and 118.

Newton opened the Baker round with a 202 and finished with a 172, 157, 156 and 157.

Jeremiah Killmer led the Cardinals in 11th with a 409 series. He started with a 216 and ended with a 193.

Braden Baskerville posted a career-best series of 401 in 15th. Both of his single games (200-201) would have been career bests.

Ascher Austin was next for Newton. He turned in a career-best 343 series after single games of a career-best 201 and a 142.

Jarret Sweeney (333) opened with a career-best 187 and finished with a 146. Carter Maki (309) rolled single games of 158 and 149 and Owen Kearse (300) had individual games of 165 and 135 in his season debut on the varsity.

The Cardinals, who were second in this event last season, had Baker scores of 168, 195, 197, 219 and 174.

Oskaloosa had the top three individual scores. Colton Parks was the overall winner with a 501 series, and Marshal Siebert (442) and Cole Vander Wal (434) finished second and third, respectively.

Five of the six bowlers from Oskaloosa and Waukee posted series of 400 or better.