Wichita’s City League dominates the Kansas high school state bowling tournament
Finishing runner-up at the state bowling tournament three times could be viewed two different ways.
On one hand, it’s a remarkable achievement of consistency to bowl that well at the most important tournament of the season three times. But on the other, it was agonizing for Wichita Northwest’s Brandon Bonta to come that close that many times.
“Being second three times in a row is great, but ultimately you want to win one,” Bonta said.
On Friday, the best bowler in Kansas finally was crowned champion — and in emphatic fashion. Not only did Bonta roll his season-best series of 788 pins to win the Kansas Class 6A individual title by 75 pins, but he led Northwest to the team title in a dramatic come-from-behind rally to take the trophy by 33 pins over Heights at Northrock Lanes in Wichita.
“To finally get over that hump means a lot,” said Bonta, who led Kansas in scoring average for the third time in his four-year career this season. “It was a big relief and a big satisfaction knowing that I was a state champion walking out of here today.”
It was a dominant two-day stretch at the state tournament for the City League, which also won the individual and team state titles at the Class 5A tournament on Thursday.
Kapaun Mt. Carmel continued its hot streak with a team score of 3,769 pins to win its first boys team title by a 355-pin margin, while junior Cole Munley bowled his season-best series of 781 to win the individual title. On the girls side, Carroll won the team title with a score of 3,347 — 159 pins better than the field — led by junior Kaylee Back, who won her second individual title.
But a title meant the most to Bonta, who Northwest coach Brian Latta said was the most locked in on Friday Latta ever seen him during his four-year run with the Grizzlies. Bonta rolled games of 268, 263 and 257, three of the eight-best games of the entire tournament.
“In his first game, he missed a 10 pin and came back and said, ‘That’s not happening again,’” Latta said. “He said he was going to carry us, and that’s exactly what he did.
“He eats, breathes, sleeps bowling, so this is pretty special for him to get a win like this going out.”
Northwest was in third place and 69 pins behind the leader entering the baker portion of the tournament. That’s where the Grizzlies saved their best, as they delivered a baker total of 854, the best in the field, to surge for the win. Northwest did not have a single medalist behind Bonta, but Cameron Nelson, Ayden Charlier, Tyler Smalley, Layken Clark and Ethan Dingus all stepped up when they needed to.
The Grizzlies topped City League rival Heights, which finished second by 33 pins and had medalists in Jy’Vaughn Martin (third, 686), Silas Limes (fifth, 677) and Dylan Depperschmidt (15th, 626). Other 6A boys area medalists were Campus’ V’Thoon Thanasouk (second, 713), Derby’s Jason Miller (13th, 631), South’s Tyler Newell (624, 16th) and Campus’ Nathan Klein-Schrodt (616, 17th).
“Obviously winning (individual) state meant a lot, but winning a team championship meant the most,” Bonta said. “Winning it with my guys the last year being here is special. We won it my freshman year, so to end like this is great. I love and support my guys, and I hope they can keep winning even more state titles when I leave.”
For Carroll junior Kaylee Back, she’ll have one more year to add to her resume as the most accomplished high school girls bowler in Kansas history. After winning the individual title as a freshman, Back won her second title on Thursday with a series of 734 — just nine pins ahead of Great Bend’s Paige Wagner, who nearly caught her with a perfect game held until the 10th frame.
As it was for Bonta, Back said her individual title took the back seat to winning a team title. Teammates Lacey Wise (sixth, 606) and Hong Nguyen (seventh, 604) both rolled a season-best series for top-10 finishes, while Bailey Wise (13th, 569) was also a medalist. Carroll had three seniors in Bailey Wise, Nguyen and Jade Pham.
“It was so special to win it, especially with our seniors,” Back said. “It was really cool to be able to come together like that and see all of the hard work we put in come together with a state title.”
“They’ve just been a really good group all year,” Carroll coach Ron Horsch said. “They’ve been a real close team and there has just been a lot of support from all sides this year. If somebody is down, the other one is up. It’s been a fun year.”
In 5A girls, Eisenhower notched a third-place finish as a team behind medalist performances from Kensley Morris (third, 619), Darby Guinn (eighth, 601) and Ellie Warden (11th, 588). Other area medalists were Augusta’s Kassidy Miller (fifth, 612), Augusta’s Sarai Alvarado (10th, 590), McPherson’s Kylee Busch (12th, 574), Buhler’s Adria Huiett (15th, 560) and Trinity’s Adrienne Pamatmat (19th, 542).
Kapaun put the finishing touches on a dominant season with its 5A boys title behind four top-10 finishes from Munley (first, 781), Samuel Calderon (second, 747), Kyle Ultzsch (fifth, 675) and Tanner Becker (10th, 649). Eisenhower finished runner-up as a team behind medalists in Andrew Merrell (sixth, 675), Cale McConnell (ninth, 650), Jack Barnes (12th, 643) and Kyler Stockstill (15th, 628). Other area medalists included Carroll’s Lawton Simons (seventh, 669), Carroll’s Blake Albers (14th, 642), Central Christian’s Wesley Cunningham (16th, 620) and Andover’s Carter Champlin (17th, 620).
Campus girls wins a fourth straight title
There’s no argument: The Campus girls have the most dominant bowling dynasty in Kansas history.
The Colts have won six of the last seven 6A titles and four in a row after Friday’s triumph, shaking off a slow start and winning the team title with a score of 3,347 pins by a closer-than-usual 60-pin margin over Garden City. Campus senior Piper Reams, a Wichita State signee, wrapped up one of the most spectacular careers in Kansas history with her second individual title with a 715 series.
“The last four years have been a lot of hard work and dedication, and it’s all come together with our teamwork,” Reams said. “To a certain point, we all expected this because we are a good team that works really hard.”
During the current four-year title run, Campus has lost just one tournament with three perfect seasons — one of them capped off on Friday. The team had four seniors this year in Reams, Dakota Lennen (third, 666), Casey Feast (11th, 600) and Ella Adkins (587, 14th). The other team bowlers were Savannah Hsu (19th, 564) and Kenzie Kling (546).
Other area 6A girls medalists were Northwest’s Kaylie Nelson (fifth, 642), Heights’ Shaniah Moore (10th, 602) and East’s Victoria Cocannouer (18th, 571).
“It was tense today because it was a lot closer than I thought it would be,” Campus coach Kenny Fulkerson said. “We gave up a lot in the first game, but the girls bowled well after that and they lit it up again. It’s pretty easy group where I just sit back and let them do what they do.”
The Olathe South boys headlined the best team performance from the KC area, as the Falcons rallied in the baker portion of the 6A tournament to finish third as a team with a score of 3,330 pins with Peter Dokolas (seventh, 670) and Eddie Shipley (18th, 616) as medalists. Other area individual medalists were Lawrence’s Carson Toews (fourth, 680), Lawrence’s Joshua Q. King (eighth, 668), Olathe East’s Logan Bennett (10th, 653), Lawrence Free State’s Aidan Baker (11th, 653) and Lawrence’s Maison Albadaro (20th, 604).
Olathe North senior Skylar Valdez rolled her season-best series of 694 to finish runner-up in the 6A girls field. Teammate Audrey Valdez (13th, 587) and Shawnee Mission North’s Alyssa Williams (20th, 560) were the only other area medalists.
This story was originally published March 5, 2021 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Wichita’s City League dominates the Kansas high school state bowling tournament."
.jpg)