By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Like all bowlers, Shawnee Heights senior Karli Gilliland is always looking for higher scores.
But Gilliland was happy about Monday's girls individual and team championships in Shawnee Heights' Senior Day quadrangular at Gage Bowl and now will focus on trying to build off that performance over the final month of the 2022 season.
Gilliland rolled a three-game series of 554 to win the girls individual title while teammate Samara Colon finished second with a 518 series as the T-Birds won the team title by 119 pins over runner-up Lawrence (1,961-1,842).
Shawnee Heights bowlng coach Scott Mercer talks to his T-Birds earlier this season. Heights won the girls title in Monday's Senior Day quadrangular at Gage Bowl while the boys finished fourth. [File photo/TSN]
Gilliland got off to a slow start Monday, but was pleased with her day overall.
"I think I definitely could have done better my first game -- it was like 155 I think -- but after that I got pretty good so I'm pretty proud,'' Gilliland said.
Now Gilliland wants to continue to improve, with the United Kansas Conference and postseason tournaments coming up in the near future.
"My goal is to make it state,'' Gilliland said. "I just want to improve my game.''
Lawrence's Karla Tyler finished third with a 489 series while Free State's Kaitlynn Sedich (484) and Ottawa's Kiara Rockhold (478) rounded out the girls top five.
Lawrence's Josh King (682), Remy Fowler (622) and Maison Albarado (617) swept the top three placers in the boys division as the Lions won the team title by a 2,557-2,233 margin over Free State. Short-handed Shawnee Heights finished fourth with a 2,117 series.
Shawnee Heights' Joshua Egly won the boys junior varsity title with a 628 series.
Like Gilliland, T-Bird coach Scott Mercer will be looking for Shawnee Heights to end the season with a bang.
"They are bowling their hearts out and doing anything and everything they can,'' Mercer said. "I couldn't be prouder of this group.
:"Regionals is Feb. 22nd and I saw a lot of good things today, but I saw some things we can work on, too. That's all you do is keeping building.''
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS QUADRANGULAR
BOYS
Team scores
Lawrence 2,557, Free State 2,233, Ottawa 2,161, Shawnee Heights 2,117.
Individual results
1. Josh King, Lawrence, 682; 2. Remy Fowler, Lawrence, 622; 3. Maison Albarado, Lawrence, 617; 4. Mike Tennyson, Free State, 610; 5. Sebastian Daniel, Lawrence, 582.
GIRLS
Team scores
Shawnee Heights 1,961, Lawence 1,842, Ottawa 1,732, Free State 1,521.
Individual results
1. Karli Gilliland, Shawnee Heights, 554; 2. Samara Colon, Shawnee Heights, 518; 3. Karla Tyler, Lawrence, 489; 4. Kaitlynn Sedich, Free State 484; 5. Kiara Rockhold, Ottawa, 478.
