BY BRETT MARSHALL
Great Bend has consistently featured one of the state’s powerhouse bowling programs in 5-1A, battling each year with 6A power Garden City.
Garden City swept the boys and girls WAC titles. But Great Bend’s Bryce Moore and Paige Wagner dominated individual honors to sweep WAC Bowler of the Year honors. Garden City’s Kip Nichols was voted Coach of the Year for both the girls and boys divisions.
Moore averaged a staggering 221.9 during 18 regular season games and followed with a 610 series at the WAC Championship to finish with a 219.2 average over 21 games. Garden City runner-up Kaden Whitehurst averaged 20 for 21 games.
“It felt great to earn the WAC Bowler of the Year,” said Moore, who also last year with a 216 average. “I enjoyed the bowling more this year and was able to step it up. I’ve been more consistent with my series and my attitude has been better.”
Moore said confidence was the No. 1 factor in his success.
“You can’t bowl if you get down on yourself,” he said. “You have to stay composed, and if you’re having an off day you just have to find a way to cheer on your teammates.”
Moore said he had improved his ability to pick up easy spares (7 or 10-pins) and that also has helped the team.
“When you get your game going, you get fired up and usually bowl better,” Moore said. His season best series was a 781 and a single-game high of 286 came close to rolling a perfect 300.
“WAC prepares you a lot for regionals and state with all the good bowlers we have to compete with,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of good bowlers, especially in Garden City.”
Garden City owned third, fourth and sixth positions in the league individual race with Moore’s teammate, Evan Shell, placing fifth. The Buffs were represented on the All-WAC team by Caleb Carr, Ty Weilert and Dionicio Resendiz.
Honorable mention honors went to Logan Esquibel of Dodge City, Corbin Stanley of Great Bend, Jayce Farr and Justin Erwin of Garden City, Dalton Murphy of Great Bend and Josh King of Liberal.
Wagner finished well ahead of runner-up Camryn Lenz of Dodge City, averaging 197.1 for her 21 games in league matches and Lenz averaged 190.
Wagner (645) led the Panthers to a Class 5A regional title in Hutchinson to advance to the March 6 state tournament in Wichita.
“I’ve done well this season,” Wagner said of her having earned a medal at each tournament this season. “I’ve been working on quite a few things and just wanting to improve.”
Wagner, a sophomore, improved from her third-place WAC finish a year ago by upping her average from 189 to 197.
“You’ve got to have confidence and it’s important to have fun,” Wagner said. “You just have to learn how to do your own thing. But the main thing is to have a lot of confidence.”
Her season best 3-game Tenpin series has been a 649 with an individual game high of 255.
“Being WAC Bowler of the Year means a lot because there’s a lot of good bowlers in the league,” Wagner said. “I was very excited when I realized I had won.”
Team champion Garden City garnered the third through sixth spots on the All-WAC team – led by Holly Bridges and followed by Angelina Leeper, Karly Larson and Emilee Giger.
Honorable mention honors were taken by Lexi Fox of Great Bend, Britney Cruz and Lily Leeper of Garden City, Sara Ramarez of Dodge City, Aliyah Fryberger of Great Bend and Kasie Threatt of Great Bend.
Garden City coach Nichols said winning the WAC is the first step toward three main goals each season.
“First, we want to win the WAC to help the school in our Champions Cup competition,” Nichols said. “Second, we want to do well at regionals and qualify for state. And finally we want to compete to be top three, and if we’re fortunate, to win a state championship.”
WAC GIRLS—1—Garden City 78; 2—Great Bend 57; 3—Dodge City 36; 4—Liberal 3
ALL WAC FIRST TEAM—Paige Wagner, Great Bend, Bowler of the Year; Camryn Lenz, Dodge City; Holly Bridges, Angelina Leeper, Karly Larson, Emilee Giger, Garden City
Coach of the Year—Kip Nichols, Garden City
HONORABLE MENTION—Lexi Fox, Aliyah Fryberger, Great Bend; Britney Cruz, Lily Leeper, Garden City; Sara Ramarez, Kasie Threatt, Dodge City
WAC BOYS—1—Garden City 68; 2—Great Bend 63; 3—Liberal 26; 4—Dodge City 17
ALL-WAC FIRST TEAM—Bryce Moore, Great Bend, Bowler of the Year; Evan Shell, Great Bend; Kaden Whitehurst, Caleb Carr, Ty Weilert, Dionicio Resendiz, Garden City
Coach of the Year—Kip Nichols
HONORABLE MENTION—Corbin Stanley, Dalton Murphy, Great Bend; Jayce Farr, Justin Erwin, Garden City; Logan Esquibel, Dodge City; Josh King, Liberal
