WICHITA – Great Bend’s Bryce Moore has earned a 5A state runner-up trophy and competed with a 5A state runner-up bowling team. Four-time Great Bend state qualifier Lexi Fox competed with the 2017 Great Bend state bowling champions.
The Great Bend teams compete Friday in the 5A state tournament at Wichita’s North Rock Lanes. The boys start at 8:50 a.m. and the girls start at 1:40 p.m.
Moore finished as state runner-up in 2018 (643) when the Panthers finished as the 5A state runner-up to Topeka West. Moore (687), Corbin Stanley (664) and Dalton Murphy (625) are individual state qualifiers.
Moore is a two-time Western Athletic Conference Bowler of the Year after averaging 221 this season.
“I’ve been more consistent with my series and my attitude has been better,” Moore said. “The state scores will be higher than last year. I have good confidence. We just want to make sure we pick our spares. We can all earn top 20 spots. We should do really good.”
Fox has placed 15th (510); 20th (490); and 28th (459) individually. Paige Wagner was 15th medalist (529) last year. Kristy Wittig, 78th (364) and Nichole Griffin, 82nd (357) also competed for last year’s seventh-place 5A state finisher. At regionals, Wagner (645) placed first followed by Zues Garcia (531), Aliyah Fryberger (528), Fox (524), Griffin (516) and Wittig (417).
“We’ve placed better at some of the tournaments than the year we won state,” Fox said. “We work well as a team. We get along really well. We get support from everyone. For our team, we just want to have fun. For myself, I want to take home a medal.”
Great Bend coach David Feldbauer believes staying even keeled is important.
“You’ve got to maintain that mental focus and think right,” Feldbauer said. “The players with state experience will feel more comfortable with the environment. They know how loud it can get. The lane conditions will be different that day.”
Feldbauer believes both boys and girls have a decent chance of competing for state bowling medals.
“The boys have a good chance to compete inside the top 20,” he said. “We’ll see big scores. The girls have a good chance to compete. They’ve competed really well down the stretch.”
FRIDAY, WICHITA NORTH LANES
5A BOYS STATE—DeSoto, Goddard Eisenhower, KC Piper, Lansing, Leavenworth, Maize High, Salina Central, Salina South, Shawnee Heights, Topeka Seaman, Wichita Carroll, Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel
INDIVIDUALS—Bryce Moore, 41st (505); 2nd (643), Corbin Stanley, 31st (534); Dalton Murphy, Great Bend; Jared Cromly, Andover Central; Zach Reno, Bonner Springs; Trent Sheridan, Buhler; Conner Eastman, Cheney; Mahlon Hart, El Dorado; Tanner McGuire, Emporia; Ryan Bailes, Cody Grasmick, KC Turner; Mekhi Brening, KC Washington; J.D. Titus, Mulvane; Dallas Bishop, Goddard; Jared Armstrong, McPherson; Tony Aquino, SM Miege; Brennan Schroeder, St. Thomas Aquinas; Aaron Thomas, Topeka Hayden; Preston Millard, Zach Phillips, Justin Brookens, Topeka West; Emilio Deloera, Wichita Northwest; Brady Longnecker, Wichita Trinity
5A GIRLS STATE—Augusta, Buhler, Goddard Eisenhower, Great Bend (Paige Wagner, 15th, (529); Lexy Fox, 28th (459); 20th (490); 15th (510); Nichole Griffin, 82nd (357); Kristy Wittig, 78th (364); Aliyah Fryberger; Zues Garcia, Lansing, Lenexa St. James, Salina South, Shawnee Heights, SM Miege, Topeka Seaman, Topeka West, Wichita Carroll
INDIVIDUALS—Olivia Brosch, Andover High; Jadyn Barr, Andover Central; Madison Servaes, Atchison; Courtney Kitchen, Cheney; Alexis Lasiter, Circle; Ella Fixsen, Mason Johannes, DeSoto; Kinsey Miller, Maddie Munoz, Emporia; Morgan Cly, Goddard; Marissa Warrell, KC Piper; Toi Guliford, Ann Willis, KC Turner; Breanna Comer, Chloe Herring, Leavenworth; Mary Rozner, Maize High; Kadee Martinez, Maize South; Heidi Allen, Naomy Aguilar, McPherson; Cindy Hou, Shawnee Maranatha; Chloe Ciecko, Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel; Kenzie Womack, Kaylie Nelson, Wichita Northwest
