By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman, which won Centennial League and Class 5A-1A regional championships before posting a third-place state finish, earned three spots on the 2021 All-City boys bowling team, selected by city coaches.
The Vikings are represented on the All-City team by senior DJ Birkenbaugh, junior Jack Easum and sophomore Ethan Burns while Shawnee Heights junior Aidan VanMetre, Washburn Rural senior Jacob Morgan and Topeka West senior Zach Phillips also earned first-team spots.
Ethan Burns capped a strong sophomore season with a 13th-place finish in the 5A-1A state bowling meet. [File photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Ethan Burns capped a strong sophomore season with a 13th-place finish in the 5A-1A state bowling meet. [File photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Jack Easum, a junior for Seaman, placed 21st in the 5A-1A state meet. [File photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Jacob Morgan placed 12th in the 6A state meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural's Morgan and Seaman's Burns were state medalists this past season while Easum missed a medal by one pin and VanMetre was an individual regional winner.
DJ Birkenbaugh
Zach Phillips
The All-City second team includes Topeka West senior Justin Brookens and sophomore Austin McIntosh, Topeka High senior Cody Sullivan and junior Alec Granger, Hayden senior Aaron Thomas and Seaman sophomore Zander White.
White placed eighth in the state tournament with a 665 series.
All-City capsules:
DJ BIRKENBAUGH, Seaman -- A senior, Birkenbaugh capped his high school career with a 35th-place finish in the 5A-1A state tournament at Wichita, bowling a 564 series with a high game of 215 as the Vikings finished third as a team. Birkenbaugh placed sixth in the Centennial League tournament with a 632 series and placed 17th in 5A-1A regional competition (571), with Seaman placing first as a team in both meets.
ETHAN BURNS, Seaman -- Burns finished off his sophomore season with a 13th-place finish in the 5A-1A state tournament, bowling a 643 series with games of 214, 213 and 216 to help Seaman win the third-place team trophy. Burns finished third individually in the Centennial League meet with a 660 series for the team-champion Vikings and was seventh at regionals with a 616 series as Seaman won the team championship.
JACK EASUM, Seaman -- Easum, a junior, placed 21st in the 5A-1A state tournament with a 615 series and a high game of 242 as the Vikings finished third as a team. Easum took 14th in 5A-1A regional competition with a 594 series as Seaman won the regional team title and he bowled a 591 series in the Centennial League tournament as the Vikings claimed the league championship.
JACOB MORGAN, Washburn Rural -- Morgan capped his senior season with a 12th-place state medal in the 6A state tournament, bowling a 633 series with games of 233 and 202 as the Junior Blues finished fourth as a team. Morgan bowled a 648 series in the Centennial League tourney to finish fifth individually as Rural took second as a team and he placed 12th at regionals with a 582 series as the Junior Blues finished first as a team.
ZACH PHILLIPS, Topeka West -- Phillips was a senior leader for Topeka West after bowling a pair of 300 games as a junior. Phillips placed 11th in 5A-1A regional competition with a 609 series and he shot a 543 series in the Centennial League tournament. Phillips has signed a college letter of intent with Peru State.
AIDAN VanMETRE, Shawnee Heights -- A junior, VanMetre was a 5A-1A regional individual champion with a 681 series as Shawnee Heights finished second as a team. VanMetre posted a fifth-place finish in the United Kansas Conference tournament with a 592 series as the T-Birds finished as the league runner-up. He finished his season with a 55th-place finish in the 5A-1A state tournament.
2021 ALL-CITY BOYS BOWLING
First team
DJ Birkenbaugh, sr., Seaman; Ethan Burns, so, Seaman; Jack Easum, jr., Seaman; Jacob Morgan, sr., Washburn Rural; Zach Phillips, sr., Topeka West; Aidan VanMetre, jr., Shawnee Heights.
Second team
Justin Brookens, sr., Topeka West; Alec Granger, jr., Topeka High; Austin McIntosh, so., Topeka West; Cody Sullivan, sr., Topeka High; Aaron Thomas, sr., Hayden; Zander White, so., Seaman.
