By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls bowling team took control in the four Baker Format games to successfully defend their Centennial League team championship while Washburn Rural's Kaitlyn Doyal broke out of a recent slump to take the individual league title by a 32-pin margin Wednesday at West Ridge Lanes.
Seaman won the team title by a 3,096-3,026 margin over Washburn Rural while Doyal bowled a 668 three-game series to take individual honors.
Washburn Rural's Kaitlyn Doyal bounced back from recent struggles on Wednesday to win the Centennial League girls individual title with a 668 series. [Submitted]
Individual runner-up Makenzie Millard, who rolled a 636 series, led the way as all six Seaman bowlers earned spots in the top 20 individually.
The Vikings also got a fifth-place finish from Katie Price (576), while Kayla Mize (550) took ninth, Kaitlyn Evans 10th (523), Cheyenne Turkin 11th (518) and JaeLynn Thetford 19th (471).
Seaman's girls bowling team poses for a team picture after winning the Centennial League team title Wednesday at West Ridge Lanes. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman coach Bob Benoit feels like the Vikings, fourth at state a year ago, still have work to do with regional and state meets coming up the next two weeks, but he thought his team made progress in the league meet.
"I think we got a little bit better, but we're still having trouble with our spares,'' Benoit said. "It's something that we've got to work at pretty quick because we only have two more meets and it's coming down to crunch time.
"Friday (at practice) we're going to be all over the spare game.''
The team race was still very much in doubt entering the Baker Format games, but Seaman steadily lengthened its lead en route to the 70-pin victory.
"We work very hard on the Baker on the boys side and the girls side,'' Benoit said. "I try to break it down for them that we have two tournaments. We have the three games and then we have the Baker and if we're not doing good in the three games and we're within 100 pins I fully believe we can run them down with the talent we have, but we have to make the spares and that's what I keep preaching to them.''
Doyal was back on her game Wednesday after fighting through some problems earlier in the 2022 season.
"I honestly was not expecting to go and shoot as well because this season has been kind of rough to start,'' Doyal said. "But figuring out my problem recently was amazing and it's nice to be back on the lanes.
"It was driving me crazy and I was like, 'Oh, I've got to figure this out because we've got regionals and state and Centennial League coming up and that's really important.' ''
Doyal said she watched a lot of video from past tournaments and once she diagnosed the problem, worked on the solution at practice.
Doyal started off Wednesday with a season-best 244 game and now is eager for postseason.
"I can't wait for what happens at regionals and see how the rest of the season goes,'' Doyal said.
Doyal was one of four Junior Blues to finish in the top 16 individually, with Amaya Buchanan placing seventh (568), Claire Ireland eighth (564) and Callie Hart 16th (491).
Topeka West's Megan Wood placed third individually with a 590 series while the Chargers also got a 17th-place finish from Brenna Rutschman (487).
Topeka High's Gabbi McCarthy placed 14th (500) while Majayla Boyd took 20th (471) for the Trojans.
Hayden, Highland Park, Seaman and Topeka West will compete in a Class 5A-1A regional tournament next Tuesday at Emporia's Flint Hills Lanes while Washburn Rural and Topeka High will compete in a 6A regional on Friday, Feb. 25, at West Ridge.
Participants in both tournaments will be vying for berths in the state tournaments at Wichita's Northrock Lanes on March 3 (6A) and 4 (5A-1A).
CENTENNIAL LEAGUE GIRLS BOWLING
Team scores
Seaman 3,096, Washburn Rural 3,026, Junction City 2,809, Topeka West 2,612, Emporia 2,436, Topeka High 2,321, Hayden 2,234, Manhattan 2,227, Highland Park 2,072.
Individual results
1. Kaitlyn Doyal, Washburn Rural, 668; 2. Makenzie Millard, Seaman, 636; 3. Megan Wood, Topeka West, 590; 4. Brooke Swango, Junction City, 584; 5. Katie Price, Seaman, 576; 6. Allyson Heidenrich, Junction City, 568 (204); 7. Amaya Buchanan, Washburn Rural, 568 (203); 8. Claire Ireland, Washburn Rural, 564; 9. Kayla Mize, Seaman, 550; 10. Kaitlyn Evans, Seaman, 523; 11. Cheyenne Turkin, Seaman, 518; 12. Alexis Wareman, Junction City, 504; 13. Jasmine Bridges, Manhattan, 501; 14. Gabbi McCarthy, Topeka High, 500; 15. Brittany Mohling, Emporia, 498; 16. Callie Hart, Washburn Rural, 491; 17. Brenna Rutschman, Topeka West, 487; 18. Cassidy Eschliman, Junction City, 477; 19. JaeLynn Thetford, Seaman, 471 (176); 20. Majayla Boyd, Topeka High, 471 (175).
