Girls Prairie Invitational tournament rolls around Saturday

Jeff Hare, Correspondent

The high school bowling season heats up this weekend with the first of two Prairie Invitational tournaments.

The girls start things Saturday at Lancer Lanes, with the boys rolling on Dec. 17. The action starts at 1 p.m. both days. The 13-team events promise to be competitive, Prairie Coach Don Wilfong said.

“It'll be tough.” he said. “I don't like to make predictions in bowling as there are a lot of variables involved. The top four baker averages for the girls are Linn-Mar, Jefferson, Prairie and Xavier. For the boys, they are Waterloo East, Washington, Louisa-Muscatine and Prairie.

“They will all be here, ready to go.”

There aren't many tournaments during the season, so this is a special event, Wilfong said.

“We are allowed by the state federation to play in 12 matches during the season,” he said. “With the MVC, we are scheduled for 11, so we can pick up a tournament along the way. For many of us, this is it.”

He promised some changes to the tournament this year that could make it even more competitive.

“We are going to a seeded format this year, which should make for excitement the whole way,” he said. “The Baker (bowler A frame 1, bowler B frame 2, etc.) matches are always tight, as they can make or break a team. It also shows how kids can get up for a competition. They get so excited, you would think they could bring the ceiling down.”

Strikes

• West Delaware's A.J. Chapman is the state's leading boy bowler. In four games, Chapman has an average of 259, with a high game of 300. Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Kyle Custer is the Metro's leading bowler with an average of 225. In girls' action, Tara Trcka of Cedar Rapids Xavier is second in the state at 230 with a high game of 243.

• In boys' Mississippi Valley Conference team standings, Linn-Mar is 2-0, tied with Dubuque Senior atop the Mississippi Division, although Senior has the edge in total pins. In the Valley Division, Prairie is 2-0 with Waterloo East and Dubuque Hempstead, which holds the pins lead.

• In girls' play, Kennedy and Waterloo West are 2-0 in the Mississippi Division but the Cougars hold a total pins lead. Prairie and Hempstead are 2-0 in the Valley Division, with Hempstead having the edge in pins.