The Lady Panther bowlers are headed back to state after a regional runner-up finish in Hutchinson Wednesday morning. That means Great Bend will again take a team to state after a third-place finish in 2022. Caleb McNett was the lone individual qualifier for the Panther boys.
Salina South won the girls' side with 3,105 pins, followed by Great Bend with 3,084, and Buhler in the final qualifying spot with 3,019. No other team reached 2,600 pins.
The individual competition featured a pair of top-three bowlers from state a year ago. Reigning Class 5-1A state champion Kaylin Wahlmeier opened slow at 161, but dominated the field with a 248 and 247 for a 656 series. Salina South's Aviana Ordonez shot a 609 for second. The Lady Cougars had three of the top-four series on the day.
Zoey Mayberry opened with a 226 and finished with a 575 series for seventh overall. Aliyah Fryberger placed 11th with a 202 middle game for a 546 series, just seven pins out of the top 10. Sahara Rziha was consistent for a 496 series in 16th, and Emilee Nelson finished just two pins behind her in 17th despite a 122 to open. She finished with games of 222 and 150. Paige Heine's middle game of 226 was better than her other two games combined for a 460 series in 22nd.
In boys' action, Hutchinson's Brody Ummel opened with games of 266 and 235 to win the regional title by 25 pins with a 698. Great Bend's McNett qualified for state at 11th overall, rolling games of 200, 223, and 198 for a 621 series, just three pins out of 10th.
Jalen Daniels closed out his Panther career with a 203 for a 528 series in 28th overall. Jordan Manning topped out at 191 for a 510 series in 31st. Dylan Ferguson finished with a 202 final game and 488 series in 36th. Kamron Stude rolled games of 154, 175, and 158 for a 487 series in 38th. Kolby Burnham shot a 181 in his final game to finish just four pins behind Stude in 40th with a 483.
The Class 5-1A State Bowling Championships will be held Thursday, March 2, at Wichita's Northrock Lanes.