OLATHE – The Chanute Blue Comets continued a busy bowling season this weekend, taking on a fixture at Olathe Lanes East. The varsity boys finished third, tallying a season-high pin total.
“We are a very young team and different lane conditions will always make a difference,” said Chanute coach Roy McCoy. “With heavier oil models and the equipment we have to work with, we have to go down lanes more instead of crossing planks, making it critical to hit your mark. Washburn Rural and Olathe East are powerful sides and they really showed it.
Trenton Allen led the boys with a 612, barely outlasting Jett Cosby’s 612 games. After a tough 168 match to open the day, Cosby rallied in the last two games to go neck and neck with Allen.
“The bowlers who are the best fit will make all the difference,” McCoy said. “It’s all about listening to the coaches and making the changes.”
Jacob Pierce finished with a streak score of 420, followed by a varsity debut by Dylan Aday with 413, Noah Frey with 408, and Tucker McKinsey with 385.
Zoey Turner steered Chanute to the girls’ side, posting a streak of 414.
“Zoey continues to lead the team in scoring and we need her to focus on adapting to what the lanes give her,” McCoy said. “We need her and Taya to really find their chance early.”
Taya McKinsey made a score of 386, surpassed by the team’s new bowler; Emily Cunningham.
With just two weeks of experience under his belt, Cunningham posted a 403 series.
“These girls are hard at work with just a couple weeks of bowling under their belts,” McCoy said.
Katelynn Kennedy had a 240 and Liz Thompson posted a streak of 238.
“Katelynn is my biggest worker among the varsity girls. She’s working very hard on the mechanics and when the light comes on, she’s going to do very well,” McCoy said.
Malachi Wood led the young varsity boys with a personal best of 381, followed by Noah Gawlas with 312, Skyler Newman with 278 and Harrison Vaughan with 262.
“Skyler and Harrison are working on a new version, but it will take some time for it to be effective,” McCoy said.