By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
In 2021, the Kansas State High School Activities Association agreed to partner with Special Olympics Kansas to encourage and develop unified bowling in the state. In September 2023, the USD 428 Board of Education approved the sport at Great Bend High School. Tuesday in Topeka, the Panther bowlers collected their first state title.
Unified bowling combines athletes with and without intellectual disabilities. Athletes must have a recognized intellectual disability, and they are paired with partners who are classmates at the school. Teams have have up to five members with three designated as competitors and two substitutes. The three competing students must include two athletes and one partner. Competitions follow the Baker format with four frames, including the 10th, bowled by the partner, and six frames bowled by the two athletes.
Twenty teams competed in Tuesday's state championships at West Ridge Lanes in Topeka. Great Bend's team of Payton Edwards, Keaton Wahlmeier, Kanyen Parr, Zoey Mayberry, and Xander Orth was the only squad to break 1,000 pins with a total of 1,110. Hays finished second with 945 pins, Liberal placed third with 936 pins, and Garden City completed the top-four sweep with 857 pins. Most of the other schools in competition hailed from the northeast corner of the state.
The Panthers are coached by David Feldbauer, who has led the Lady Panthers to back-to-back Class 5A state championships.