Clarinda, Shenandoah bowling teams continue to impress
A runner-up finish by Shenandoah junior Clay Foutch at the state tournament was a great final piece of another successful bowling season for the Shenandoah and Clarinda teams.
Foutch took second at the Boys Individual State Tournament while the Clarinda girls brought home eighth place at their fifth straight trip to the Team State Tournament. Clarinda senior Rylee Pulliam placed seventh individually.
This is the second in a series of three winter sports recap stories being published this month. The wrestling story ran last week while a basketball season recap is scheduled for next week. These stories will be followed by the release of the Winter Sports All-Area Team and then stories on the season’s top male and female athlete.
A group of six seniors took the Clarinda girls to their fifth straight state team tournament and while the goals were much higher than their eighth-place finish in Waterloo, it was quite the season.
Clarinda senior Cailyn Meyers competes Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Class 1A State Team Bowling Championships in Waterloo. The Cardinals finished eighth in the state field.
The Cardinal girls won the regional state qualifying tournament, at home, and won Bakers Tournaments in Council Bluffs and Denison during the season. The Cardinals finished second at the Hawkeye 10 Conference Tournament and 7-2 in regular season duals.
Clarinda senior Sara Chartier competes at the Team State Bowling Championships Thursday, Feb. 12, in Waterloo. After a fifth-place mark in 15 baker games, the Cardinals finished eighth overall.
Pulliam led the Cardinals all season and finished seventh at the individual state tournament while teammate Gabby Derry missed the top eight, and a place in the bracketed tournament, at individual state by a single pin. Teammates Cailyn Meyers and Sara Chartier just missed a spot in the individual state tournament. Lexi Clark and Mataya Eighmy were the other members of the state team, all six of which are seniors.
Interviews and highlights from Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the individual state bowling tournament
Shenandoah’s Jaylan Gray and Essex’s Ryann Welchans, who competed for Red Oak for a second straight season, also qualified for the individual tournament.
Welchans was one of the top athletes for the Tigers while Gray led a Shenandoah team that finished second to Clarinda at the regional tournament.
The Fillies finished 7-2 in dual play and were second at the Red Oak Tournament, third in two separate tournaments in Council Bluffs and fourth at the Hawkeye 10 Conference Tournament.
Shenandoah junior Ali Hansen sets the ball on the lane Monday, Feb. 2, at the state qualifying regional tournament in Clarinda. Hansen achieved Shenandoah's second best individual score but it wasn't enough for a place in the individual state tournament.
Gray, Sparrow Hummel and Nora Martin are the varsity athletes that exit the Shenandoah program. The team’s second and third top scorers this season, juniors Ali Hansen and Tori Pease, are set to lead next year’s group.
Foutch led a Shenandoah boys team that was one of the better ones in southwest Iowa all season.
Shenandoah’s Clay Foutch on winning a district bowling championship to qualify for state.
Foutch had a big final game, both in the state qualifying district tournament and in the qualifying tournament at state to get into the bracketed top eight. His state runner-up finish was the best of his three individual state tournament appearances.
Matt Holmes was the top scorer of the season for the Shenandoah boys and won the Hawkeye 10 Conference Tournament while teammate Teagan Brunk finished third at the conference tournament.
The Mustangs finished second at the conference tournament and third at the state qualifying district tournament. They won a Bakers tournament in Council Bluffs late in the season and were also second at Red Oak and third at Council Bluffs. They finished with a 7-2 dual record.
Shenandoah senior Owen Nokes follows through with his ball on the lane Tuesday, Jan. 13, at the Red Oak Tournament. The Mustangs finished second in the six-team field.
There was a big battle all season for the final couple varsity spots and the Mustangs ended up with nine different athletes seeing varsity time. Of those nine, Brunk, Owen Nokes and Jacob Dunkeson exit the program.
The Clarinda boys had a strong finish to the season, placing second at the state qualifying district tournament to Clarke, while Ryder Pullen just missed the fourth and final qualifying spot for the individual state tournament.
The Cardinals finished 5-4 on the dual season and placed third at a tournament in Denison, fourth in Council Bluffs and sixth at the Hawkeye 10 Conference Tournament.
Clarinda senior Ian Reyna-Willms makes his approach during a Cardinal win Thursday, Jan. 8, over Lenox.
Eight different Cardinals saw varsity action during the season with junior Carson Sunderman edging classmate T.J. Sickler for the team lead in total pins. Senior Ian Reyna-Willms exits the program. The other five that saw time are sophomores.
The best of the area bowlers will be featured again when the Winter Sports All-Area Team is released later this month.
Related
Clarinda girls state bowling interviews and highlights from Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Class 1A State Team Tournament.
