Experienced Independence boys’ bowling team embraces competition

Strong competition doesn’t scare the Independence boys’ bowling team.

Which is good, because the Mustangs will face plenty of it.

The Mustangs return four of their top six bowlers from a team that finished fifth in last year’s Class 2A state tournament.

Seniors Teegan Cross and Garret Niedert, along with juniors Michael Decker and Zach Brown, will anchor an Independence group that’ll have its hands full in a hotly contested Wamac Conference.

“We have a smaller conference with five schools, but with the five we have it's very competitive,” Independence Coach Todd Lamphier said. “It gets us ready for the postseason for sure.”

Independence won the 2023 Wamac tournament and qualified for state.

Wamac foes Vinton-Shellsburg and West Delaware also qualified for last year’s state tournament, in Class 1A.

The Vikings reached the championship round, while the Hawks finished fifth.

“We went up against some great teams,” Decker said. “A lot of them had great seniors as well — and they’re gone now. I am really excited for the competition this year.”

A challenging non-conference schedule also played a role in the Mustangs’ 2022-23 success, according to Lamphier.

“We don’t shy away from competition,” Lamphier said. “I try to schedule a pretty tough schedule outside of the Wamac, too.”

“We've always been driven by competition,” Decker said. “That's kind of how bowling is.”

The 2023-24 Mustangs will compete without last year’s top bowler, Ethan Gonzalez. Despite the loss, they believe they’re in good hands.

“When you have that many kids coming back, and two of them qualified for state as individuals a couple of years ago (Decker and Cross), we know we have the experience to compete at a high level,” Lamphier said.

Last season, Cross averaged 192 per game, followed by Niedert’s 186, Decker’s 182 and Brown’s 172.

Lamphier believes they all can improve.

“They have the fundamentals down,” Lamphier said. “If you have the fundamentals down, it’s really easy to grow.”

The Mustangs aim to also have more of a “mental edge” against opponents this year.

“I feel bowling is a really strong mental game,” Decker said. “If we have the mental capacity, I believe we can do just about anything.”

If the fundamentals and mindset are in sync, what’s the ceiling for Independence?

“Our goal is to put ourselves in a position to make another state run,” Lamphier said. “Get to the state tournament and knock that door down. Our kids are ready for it. They know being a state champion is hard, that there’s only one team at the end of the season that walks away happy.

“It's daunting. It's a tough challenge, but it's accepting it and knowing that we're right there.”

Decker sees it, too.

“I feel we have the competitiveness and the skill required to (make a run in the state tournament),” Decker said. “We have a pretty great team this year.”

“Being able to hang a team champion banner would mean a lot to them and a lot to the school,” Lamphier said.

Independence will open its season on Dec. 1 at Marion.