Great Bend Post Sports
Not one but two perfect 300 games were rolled last Saturday at the Great Plains Invitational at Bowlero Northrock in Wichita. Then there were the near misses, including a 274 by Great Bend's Xander Orth. Both Panther teams placed in the top eight teams to make the bracket competition but exited that part of the tournament early.
Thirty-two boys' teams bowled on Saturday. The top five series on each team plus 12 Baker games determined the eight finalists. The Panthers rolled a 5,402 to miss sixth-place Junction City by just 41 pins and avoid the No. 9 seed by 25 pins.
Garden City's Bo Roth had a huge day with games of 249, 225, and 300 for a 774 series. Derby's Cash Carns opened with a 300 game, and his teammate Tyler Huffman rolled a 288 middle game. Newton's Tanner McAlister and Emporia's Colton Swift each had high-games of 289.
Great Bend's Orth finished in a three-way tie with a 713 series. He finished second in the tie-break to drop to seventh overall. Besides his 274 to open competition, he also rolled games of 204 and 235.
All six Panther bowlers had at least one game over 200. Brantley Vsetecka shot a 232 middle game to finish with a 595 series in 56th place. Kanyen Parr rolled a 236 final game to finish at 585 in 66th place. Tyler Pelster had a 245 middle game for a 573 series, Josh Manning had a 223 middle game for a 550 series, and Quinten Miller finished strong with a 236 for a 545 series.
Great Bend entered bracket competition as the No. 7 seed opposite Campus. The Panthers rolled a 216 in the best-of-three Baker format but the Campus rolled a 234. The Colts took game two 222-171. Garden City won the overall title by defeating Derby in three games.
Lady Panthers finish seventh
Thirty-two girls' teams were in action at Bowlero on Friday. Great Bend finished seventh with 4,475 pins, just 16 pins out of sixth place and 123 pins out of ninth place.
Megan Glinka of Topeka's Washburn Rural was the lone bowler to surpass 700 pins with a 713 series on games of 234, 203, and 276.
Great Bend junior Zoey Mayberry finished second with a 661 series. She also finished strong with games of 206, 218, and 237. Kacey Schroeder finished with games of 195 and 197 to move into 23rd with a 543 series. Emery Meza rolled games of 176, 173, and 170 for 32nd with a 519 series. Brooklynn Mayberry shot a 454, Abigail Alvarez finished with a 405 series, and Layne Soukup rolled a 359.
The Lady Panthers entered bracket competition against Washburn Rural, dropping the first game 196-153. Game two came down to the final ball with Rural advancing 148-145. Wichita Northwest defeated Campus in three games to win the title.