BY RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Not everything went Hayden's way in the hours leading up to Thursday's Class 4A-1A state bowling tournament, with the Wildcats forced to switch hotels late in the night due to a bed bug infestation.
Hayden's boys celebrate after being announced as the Class 4A-1A state bowling champion. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Hayden's boys bowling team poses for a picture after winning the Class 4A state championship Thursday in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
But once the Wildcats got on the lanes at Bowlero Northrock, a nightmare of a night transformed into a dream day, with Hayden's boys claiming the school's first state bowling championship by a 95-pin margin (3,666-,3571) over Mulvane as four Wildcats earned individual state medals.
Hayden, which had finished fifth as a team in the 2024 state event, got their state bid off to a good start with a solid 931 opening game, taking a three-pin lead over Mulvane and then followed that up with a school-record 1,026 second game, including a 279 from sophomore Reece Renyer and a 277 from senior John Strickland, stretching its advantage to 181 pins.
"The momentum in the first game was just absolutely just monumental for us,'' said Hayden senior Trevor Christy, who led the Wildcats with a third-place individual finish. "Having the energy going the first game and bowling those high 200s (four games between 203 and 258) it just kept us alive.
"Without the energy today I don't think we would have won.''
Mulvane cut 88 pins off its deficit in the final game of American 10-pin and cut another 27 pins through the first three games of Baker before Hayden closed out its title with a spectacular 276 game in the fourth and final Baker game.
Senior Trevor Christy paced state-champion Hayden with a third-place individual finish Thursday in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
"We didn't think we had the win (going into Baker), we were scared out of our minds,'' Christy said. "We knew Mulvane was right there on us and we knew that if we kept slipping up it was over for us. So that final game we just had to focus in and just really bowl the best we've ever bowled.''
"When we put it together as a team it all comes together, and it all clicked today,'' Strickland said. "Whoever thought that we would put this all together in our last year? Hayden had never had a team go to state and we went to state last year, then it was incredible this year to take (the title) home.''
Mulvane senior Joseph Cervantes earned the individual title with a 713 series while Andale's Konnor Bretthauer was second with a 704, but Hayden claimed three of the next five individual spots.
Christy finished third with a 698 (244-239-215) while Strickland was fifth at 685 (226-277-182) and senior Chase Blaser seventh with a 676 (258-222-196).
"Fifth place last year definitely drove our energy this year because we brought everyone back,'' Blaser said. "We were I think one of two teams in the field to return all six members from last year's state team and that experience really gave us the edge.''
Renyer finished 16th with a 636 series while sophomore Kelton Meier narrowly missed an individual medal with a 21st-place finish (604) while senior Caston Meier placed 32nd (565) to round out the Hayden lineup.
Hayden's girls finished sixth as a team with a 2,454 team score while Wildcat senior twin sisters Emily and Ashley Lee earned individual state medals.
Senior Emily Lee posted a fourth-place individual finish in Thursday's Class 4A state bowling tournament in Wichita. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Regional champion Emily Lee paced Hayden with a fourth-place individual finish, recording a 551 series (188-203-160).
"I thought I could have done better,'' said Lee, a two-time state medalist. "It all came down to picking up spares. I felt like my strike number was what it normally is, it just came down to picking up spares. But my goal was to go top 10 and I did.
''I was actually really proud of our team. We had a rough night last night (with the hotel switch), so we were all pretty tired -- we got like four hours of sleep -- so I was proud of what we did.''
Ashley Lee had a 509 series to finish 11th, with a high game of 181.
CLASS 4A-1A STATE BOWLING
At Bowlero Northrock
GIRLS
Team scores
Andale 2,786, Chanute 2,707, Buhler 2,655, Central Christian Academy 2,649, Ottawa 2,557, Hayden 2,454, Augusta 2,292, McPherson 2,043.
Individual results
1. Lovie Cosby, Chanute, 628; 2. Kathy Gillett, Ottawa, 597; 3. Calee Waters, Andale, 579; 4. Emily Lee, Hayden, 551; 5. Kara Hornbaker, Central Christian, 541; 6. Macy Miller, Buhler, 533; 7. Riley Stoll, Andale, 522; 8. Izabella Cunningham, Central Christian, 514; 9. Madison Busby, El Dorado, 509; 10. Kylee Trego, Cheney, 509; 11. Ashley Lee, Hayden, 509; 12. Mattison Morgan, Chanute, 504; 13. Kendra Gresham, Augusta, 502; 14. Brooke Henry, McPherson, 495; 15. Kinsey Neely, Andale, 494; 16. Emily Cunningham, Chanute, 494; 17. Aubrey Ewing, Buhler, 494; 18. Billie Jo Chaffin, Andale, 491; 19. Brayla Johnson, Buhler, 490; 20. Kira Taskinen, Smoky Valley, 489.
Other Hayden -- 39. Jenna Henkensiefken, 428; 48. Emily Peterson, 382; 49. Maura Valdivia, 379; 65. Viola Geminiani, 295.
BOYS
Team scores
Hayden 3,666, Mulvane 3,571, Andale 3,415, Buhler 3,203, Wichita Trinity Academy 3,171, Ottawa 3,058, McPherson 2,939, Circle 2,933.
Individual results
1. Joseph Cervantes, Mulvane, 713; 2. Konnor Bretthauer, Andale, 704; 3. Trevor Christy, Hayden, 698; 4. Tanner McAllister, Hesston, 693; 5. John Strickland, Hayden, 685; 6. Jaxon Hornecker, Mulvane, 677; 7. Chase Blaser, Hayden, 676; 8. Andrew Nelson, Wichita Independent, 668; 9. Shane Circle, Ottawa, 663; 10. Cameron Eastman, Cheney, 662; 11. Mario Murillo, Hesston, 660; 12. Dugan Trempe, Andale, 649; 13. Blake Dryden, Holcomb, 645; 14. Tucker Huband, Washington County, 639; 15. Austin Winter, Augusta, 637; 16. Reece Renyer, Hayden, 636; 17. Jett Cosby, Chanute, 633; 18. Julian Morrison, Buhler, 620; 19. Dagan Dannels, Mulvane, 610; 20. Jackson Sopinski, Bishop Miege, 605.
Other Hayden -- 21. Kelton Meier, 604; 32. Caston Meier, 565.
