By JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
WICHITA — The Great Bend girls and boys bowling teams will have a lot of company Thursday at Northrock Lanes for the Class 5-1A state bowling championship.
There will be eight teams featuring girls and boys teams when girls competition starts at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
The Panthers swept the Class 5A regional titles beating Salina South on their home lanes.
“We’re tournament-tested and have competed at a high level all season,” said Great Bend coach Mike Perry. “We know what’s at stake, but we want to treat it like any other match. We want to compete against yourself, figure out the lane conditions and stay in your routine.”
The Great Bend girls return five players with state experience and two boys return to state. Defending girls champion Goddard Eisenhower returns three players from last year.
“There’s a comfort edge of competing at state in the past,” Perry said. “It will be exciting.”
• PANTHER GIRLS —Medalist Allie Brodick (635), runner-up Kylynn Keeler (604) and 10th-place medalist Jordan Vsetecka (522) led the Panthers to a 2,306 series and 790 Baker total for a winning 3,096 pins to win by 297 pins. The Panthers finished as Class 5A state runner-up last year. Brodrick (190) was WAC Bowler of the Year.
Vsetecka placed sixth (619) and Western Athletic Conference champion Brodrick placed ninth (606) at state last year.
“You know what’s going to happen. Your nerves are bad, maybe just not as bad if you’ve competed at state,” Brodrick said. “The lanes will dry out. It’s a game-by-game adjustment.”
Elsi Miller (508), Jessica Disque (498) and Lexi Fox (423) also competed.
“I usually can figure out the lanes the first couple of frames,” Keeler said.
The Panther girls receive a welcome boost when two-time state qualifier McKenzy Black was medically released to compete after missing time this season. She will replace Disque in the six-player lineup.
• PANTHER BOYS — Third-place regional finisher Jacob Holden (704) and fifth-place medalist T.J. Roberts (693) paced the Panthers to a 2,740 series and 837 Baker score for 3,577 pins. Holden rolled games of 225, 269 and 210.
The Panther boys built a 159-pin series lead and fired a 837 Baker total. Western Athletic Conference champion Jordan Black (638), two-time state qualifier Kameron Keener (634), Brodie Owens (610) and Blake Sheets (571) also competed for the Panthers.
Keener said state meet experience is valuable because you understand what the electric atmosphere will be like.
“I try and breathe and keep a slow pace,” Keener said. “We’re pretty confident the way we’ve been playing.”
Last year’s runner-up Topeka Seaman and third-place finisher Wichita Heights return five players, but the Panthers beat Wichita Heights by 230 pins last week.
“The way we’ve been playing, I have a lot of confidence in our team. We should place,” Holden said. “I perform better under pressure. It seems like the more people watching, the better I play.”
Great Bend’s boys won the WAC title and the Panther girls were runner-up to Garden City.
For the first time at state, coaches will be provdied with the lanes’ oil pattern.
“When you start everyone at the same position, it’s an even playing field,” Perry said. “The good bowlers will still be good players. The best bowlers figure out the lane conditions and adjust.”
PANTHER GIRLS AT STATE
619—Jordan Vsetecka, 6th
606—Allie Brodrick, 9th
564—Allie Brodrick, 12th
532—Kylynn Keeler, 33rd
524—Eli Miller, 36th
503—McKenzy Black, 46th
496—Kylynn Keeler, 31st
443—Elsi Miller, 59th
456—McKenzy Black, 51st
TOP 10 RETURNERS—2—Allayna Bell, Topeka Seaman, 699; 3—Madison Douglass, Eisenhower, 662; 6—Jordan Vsetecka, GB, 619; 9—Allie Brodrick, GB, 606
PANTHER BOYS AT STATE
655—Jacob Holden, 10th
633—Kameron Keener, 31st
578—Kameron Keener, 50th
TOP 10 RETURNERS—4—Korey Bice, Wichita Heights, 709; 5—Caleb Demel, Salina South, 702; 6—Kyle Miller, Salina South, 701; 8—Nathan Sevier, Wichita Heights, 695
CLASS 5-1A GIRLS
NORTHROCK LANES, WICHITA
THURSDAY, 9:30 A.M.
GREAT BEND (McKenzy Black, Allie Brodrick, Alexis Fox, Kylynn Keeler, Elsi Miller, Jordan Vsetecka)
AUGUSTA (Sidnee Carter, Abby Emmitt, Ashtyn Flower, Darienne Roberts, Rebecca Spyres, Kelli Stewart)
ANDOVER CENTRAL (Miranda Ballowe, Jadyn Barr, Alesia Lenzi, Angelynn Ng, Emma Schuman, Morgan Singletary)
GODDARD EISENHOWER (Madison Douglas, Rachel Duckett, Sarah Moore, Halee Murphy, Jade Wedel, Riley Wedel)
LANSING (Lacey Angello, Breanna Coffer, Karlee Coffer, Ashley Glenn, Jenna Hagan, Rae Holden)
LEAVENWORTH (Lena Humble, Leilani Murawski, Alyssa Seichepine, Leah Seichepine, Alison Sullivan, Kylie West)
SALINA SOUTH (Kaitlynne Baker, Isabella Cazahous, Lauren Luste, Kinsey Miller, Mikayla Talbott, Shelby Wood)
SHAWNEE-MILL VALLEY (Abby Berner, Meghan Clark, Emily Jackson, Bri Laluk, Raya Lehan, Lauren Tracht)
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (Cayla Bortz, Elizabeth Donaldson, Abby Duensing, Madison Elskamp, Callie Holthaus, Kaisha Wells)
TOPEKA SEAMAN (Kishno Bell, Sydney Bouton, Caitlin Charity, Shyanne Osterhaus, Valory Palmer, Brooke Prescott)
WICHITA CARROLL (Ryleigh Chaffin, Cassi Honas, Allie Maddox, Laura Moreno, Clare Morgan, Katie Smith)
WICHITA-KAPAUN MT. CARMEL—(Paige Birmingham, Virginia Holzman, Claire Korroch, Regan Lipphardt, Erin Renollet, Breanna Zarchan)
INDIVIDUALS—Kayleigh Cuiksa, Addy Schiffelbein, Katie Gile, Mulvane; Emily Ryno, Maize; Colbie Harper, Cheney; Kacey Collins, Goddard; Megan Fabac, KC Turner; De’anne Donnell, KC Sumner; Jessica Hutchings, KC Piper; Bea Lacy, SM Miege; Brooke Ritter, St. Thomas Aquinas; Madison Servaes, Atchison; Melanie Darrow, Desirae Corey, Wichita Heights; Tiana Hipp, Christina Kendall, Holcomb; Alexis Kieffer, McPherson; McKinley Cross, Buhler
CLASS 5-1A BOYS
NORTHROCK LANES, WICHITA
THURSDAY, 2:45 P.M.
GREAT BEND (Jordan Black, Jacob Holden, Kameron Keener, Brodie Owens, A.J. Roberts, Blake Sheets)
GODDARD-(Griffin Bryant, Brandon Collins, Logan Dryden, Troy Freeman, Trevor Reed, Edward Taylor)
LANSING (Tyler Arnold, Jonathan Coats, Dante Hernandez, Hayden Hurley, Dakota Sill, Cody Vander Staay)
LEAVENWORTH (Jesse Babcock, Samuel Corona, Billy O’Donnell, Preston Pfannenstiel, D’Marco Rabe, Dalton Watkins
MULVANE (Ryan Dixson, Gauge Harness, Garett Moon, Austin O’Daniel, J.D. Titus, Kael Titus)
SALINA SOUTH (Kadin Berry, Indy Boland, Caleb Demel, Dustin Lauffer, Kyle Miller, Dane VanAtta
SHAWNEE-MILL VALLEY (Jesse Bowden, Marc Hinnen, Grant Moberly, Jayden Moore, Austin Snyder, Hunter Turpin)
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (Spencer Harrington, Keiton Kirkegard, Nathan Mercer, Alex Pheigaru, Brayden Prockish, Jared Sands)
TOPEKA SEAMAN (John Baeten, Noah Belt, Ethan Cowen, Brendyn Eigenman, Clayton Mumford, Cody Mzhickteno)
TOPEKA WEST (Jared Freed, Jordan Freed, Dom Phillips, Britton Thompson, Dylan Tidwell, Adam Wood)
WICHITA CARROLL (Stephen Farley, Dalton Fox, Sam Goebel, Andrew Link, Dillon Malone, Parker Tippin)
WICHITA HEIGHTS (Korey Bice, Ryan George, Caleb Limes, Chris Marcum, Mack Protheroe, Nate Sevier)
INDIVIDUALS—Brandon Grosch, Andale; Kevin Eyster, Mitch Squires, Wichita Collegiate; Matthew Geisler, Maize South; Austin Steuber, Maize; Bryce Runyan, Goddard-Eisenhower; Cody Davis, Matthew Romero, KC Piper; Blake Hess, Kevin Scott, Atchison; Andrew Fonseca, St. Thomas Aquinas; Cole Burton, KC Turner; Jake Lindenmeyer, Newton; Colton MacArthur, Buhler; Jon Loon, Wichita-Trinity; Jeff Reed, McPherson; Caleb James, Zach McGill, Andover Central; Tyler Lovegren, Danny Erickson, Sean Cauthron, De Soto; Eddie Sack, Emporia; Kamron Newman, Tyler Fieser, Augusta
