By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
It wasn't the day Topeka West bowling coach Alyx Nash expected, but Nash was pleased with the overall outcome of the Chargers' performance in its home quadrangular at West Ridge Lanes on Wednesday afternoon.
The Topeka West boys' took a runner-up finish with a 2,290 team score, while the girls also finished in second place with a 1,842 score.
In the three-game series, Topeka West couldn't overcome Emporia, which took first-place finishes in both the boys and girls divisions.
"I don't believe we showed our full performance as a team," Nash said. "I'm super proud of some girls that stepped up for Megan Wood, who's been dealing with an injury. We are really used to the pins that Megan brings to the team. We had to decide whether Megan should keep performing or for her to rest her body tonight. Taking her off didn't help the girls' team score. Every single one of them had their moments tonight.
"On the boys' side, I'm proud of the bowlers. They did what they were supposed to do and stepped up in the lanes and really took care of business. Individually, we had Dason (Tidwell) last week at the Free State Invitational bowl a 299, which is always super exciting to see for the team. The team chemistry that we have brought this year has stood out to me."
Two Topeka West girls' bowlers were able to take top-five individual finishes. Reagan Kell took a third-place finish with a final series score of 498. Hannah Allen finished right behind Kell in fourth place with a 492 series score.
Allen bowled a 187 in the third game, boosting her to a top-five finish. Kell also finished strong in the third game with a 179 score.
Tidwell fell four pins behind fifth place with a three-game series score of 595 while Alec Rutschmann (562), Richard Haug (554) and Cole Rodriguez (550) all bowled 550 or above series to give Topeka West a chance of winning the quad.
"The pins don't always fall the way we want them to, but we don't let that frustration take over our game," Nash said. "We come back, we bounce back, and we are getting after the next frame or next game. If one of our players isn't knocking down pins, we have others who can step up and take over."
The other city school that participated in the Topeka West quadrangular was Shawnee Heights. The Shawnee Heights boys finished in third place with a 2,279 series score, while the girls also finished in third place with a 1,582 series score.
Thunderbird bowler Henry Schattilly came off a superb 604 series on Tuesday at the Seaman Quadrangular. Schattilly rolled a 599 series, earning him a fifth-place individual finish to lead the Shawnee Heights boys.
Rachel Donaldson led the girls' team with a 429 series. Donaldson improved from Tuesday's performance at the Seaman Quadrangular, where Donaldson bowled a 380 series.
Manhattan also participated in the quadrangular, finishing in fourth place for both boys' and girls' teams.
TOPEKA WEST QUADRANGULAR
BOYS
Team scores
Emporia 2,524, Topeka West 2,290, Shawnee Heights 2,279, Manhattan 2,222.
Individual results
1. Khalil Sanchez, Emporia, 666; 2. Colton Swift, Emporia, 652; 3. Morgan Liggett, Emporia, 606; 4. Devin Mohling, Emporia, 600; 5. Henry Schattilly, Shawnee Heights, 599.
Topeka West – Dason Tidwell 595, Alec Rutschmann 562, Richard Haug 554, Cole Rodriguez 550, Casey Ard 454, Josh Allen 427.
Shawnee Heights – Josh Egly 563, Austin Cochrane 545, Kaden Evans 511, Caden Cochrane 504, Cooper Brown 478.
GIRLS
Team scores
Emporia 2,148, Topeka West 1,842, Shawnee Heights 1,582, Manhattan 1,523.
Individual results
1. Brittany Mohling, Emporia, 564; 2. Darby Hauff, Emporia, 560; 3. Reagan Kell, Topeka West, 498; 4. Hannah Allen, Topeka West, 492; 5. Olivia Boettcher, Emporia, 487.
Topeka West – Brenna Rutschmann 465, Karlee Gilbreath 387, Jordyn Felsburg 305, Megan Wood 111.
Shawnee Heights – Rachel Donaldson 429, Jasmine Villalobos 384, Alicia Anderson 370, Keira Scott 340, Kaydence Barnes 324, Reese Bell 304.
