By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
No matter what happens in Friday's Class 5A-1A state tournament, Seaman's Makenzie Millard has earned her spot among the top girls high school bowlers in city history.
Millard just can't believe her prep career is almost over.
"It doesn't seem real at all,'' Millard said. "It's just gone by too fast.''
Seaman senior Makenzie Millard will close out a banner high school career in Friday's Class 5A-1A state tournament in Wichita. [File photo/TSN]
After a pair of top-five finishes in the state tournament the past two seasons, including a fourth a year ago, the three-time regional champ obviously would love to end things with an individual state title, but Millard said she's more focused on what the Vikings can do as a team in Friday's 1:40 p.m. girls state tournament at Northrock Lanes in Wichita.
"I just concentrate on the team aspect,'' Millard said. "If our whole team's doing good then I'm happy with wherever I finish, whatever I do. As long as our whole team's happy, I'm happy.''
Seaman went through an unbeaten 2021 season before finishing fourth as a team at state.
The Vikings have turned in another outstanding year this season, with just one loss on their ledger as Seaman won the Centennial League title before rolling to a 5A-1A regional championship by a 3,141-2,891 margin over Augusta last Tuesday at Emporia.
And Millard, who took individual honors at regionals with a 709 series, is confident the Vikings can put themselves in position for a high state finish.
Seaman junior Katie Price finished third in the girls individual regional standings with a 630 series while the Vikings also got a 10th-place finish from sophomore Cheyenne Turkin with a 540 series.
"We've been working really hard at practice and it seems to be paying off, so I'm pretty happy about it,'' said Millard, who rolled a 279 game at regionals.
Millard also feels like she's where she needs to be for a strong individual performance Friday.
"There's still a few things I can always work on, like spares and stuff, but other than that I think I'm getting there,'' she said. "I think I'm pretty good other than that.''
Millard knows there's several bowlers capable of garnering the individual state crown, but she doesn't spend a lot of studying the competition.
"I do follow the (bowling) page on Facebook so I obviously see all the scores and stuff and I follow all their Facebook pages,'' Millard said. "So I watch (the other bowlers) here and there, but I mostly don't worry about them and I focus mostly on our team and how we're doing.''
After she ends her high school career Millard will turn her attention to getting ready for her next step, signing earlier this winter with Peru State, Neb.
"It's a small college, nice people and I know most of the bowlers there already and obviously I know the coach and they gave me a great offer,'' Millard said.
But Millard won't start thinking about college until after Friday's tournament is in the books.
"I'm not thinking about it at the moment,'' she said. "I've had a few thiings that I had to do for them, but other than that I'm just really focused on this season and finishing strong with the rest of my teammates.''
Millard knows that there will be a lot of emotion when her prep career officially comes to an end on Friday.
"It will be a bittersweet moment,''
Seaman swept the individual and team titles in the Emporia regional, with the Viking boys claiming the team championship a 3,610-3,554 margin over De Soto as senior Jack Easum claimed top individual honors with a 747 series, including a 279 game.
Centennial League champion Ethan Burns, a junior, finished fourth individually for the Vikings with a 697 series while Seaman junior Zander White also cracked the top 10, finishing ninth with a 659 series.
Shawnee Heights earned the third boys team berth for state by an eight-pin margin over Mill Valley as junior Josh Egly led Heights with a 649 series, finishing 12th individually, while senior Kaleb Rohrke was right behind Egly in 13th with a 647 and senior Aidan VanMetre took 16th with a 638.
Topeka West sophomore Cole Rodriguez finished 10th individually with a 655 series, earning an individual state berth for state.
The 5A-1A boys state tournament will get under way at 8:50 a.m. Friday.
Topeka West claimed the third team berth in the girls division as the Chargers put a pair of bowlers in the top 10, with sophomore Brenna Rutschman taking fourth with a 627 series and sophomore Megan Wood finishing sixth with a 601 series.
Shawnee Heights senior Karli Gilliland was the top individual girls qualifier, finishing fifth with a 603 series.
RURAL GIRLS, HAMMONS QUALIFY IN 6A
Washburn Rural's girls bowling team punched its ticket to Thursday's 6A state tournament with a third-place finish in last Friday's 6A regional at West Ridge Lanes while Rural junior Josh Hammons qualified for the boys state meet as an individual.
Washburn Rural’s girls placed third with a team score of 2,768, finishing behind team champion Olathe Northwest (2,829) and Junction City (2,806).
Sophomore Claire Ireland paced the Rural girls, shooting a three-game series of 539 to finish fifth individually, while junior Amaya Buchanan was a pin behind Ireland in sixth with a 538 and senior Kaitlyn Doyal and sophomore Taylin Sakers also placed in the top 15 overall.
Doyal finished 11th with a 508 series while Sakers was 13th with a 495.
Hammons earned a fifth-place finish with 664 series.
The 6A boys will begin competition at 8:50 a.m. Thursday, with the girls tourney following at 1:40 p.m.
