Seaman girls take second after scoring appeal

WICHITA — For several hours Thursday afternoon, Seaman's girls bowling team thought it had finished third in Thursday’s Class 5A-1A state tournament at Northrock Lanes, and the Vikings were OK with that.

But things got better for the Vikings long after the competition ended, with Seaman ending up second after a rare turn of events.

Some four hours after the girls event has ended, it was discovered that Seaman's team score should have been two pins higher, leaving Seaman and Wichita Northwest tied for second with a score of 2,828 pins.

After multiple meetings among tournament officials, it was determined that the two-pin discrepancy was a correctable error according to United States Bowling Congress rules, and Seaman was declared second by basis of a higher fifth-score total over the three American Tenpin games.

Both teams had earlier received their team trophies and individual medals and will now switch awards.

"It is a really weird day," Seaman senior standout Brianna Evans said. "It's been filled with a lot of emotions. Everybody's sad one minute, and then happy the next."

Led by Evans, fifth with a 562 series, and freshman Kaitlyn Evans, eighth with a 547, Seaman, when everything was finally decided, finished second behind Buhler, which won with a score of 2,889.

"I feel like we worked hard as a team and that’s what we’ve been working for all year," Brianna Evans said. “We finally came out and showed everyone what we can do.

“I’m really proud of the team and happy and sad that it’s all coming to an end, just because they’ve been my family for four years."

Evans, who tied for fourth and finished fifth in a tiebreaker, said she would have liked to have bowled a higher individual series, but accepted the result.

“Individually I struggled a bit, but it’s OK, just because I had my team and today was about a team effort," she said. “Today was all about team."

Viking senior Brooke Prescott bowled a 507 series, finishing 21st on a tiebreaker, while Seaman also got a 472 series from Makenzie Millard, a 464 from Brooklyn McCracken and a 458 from Valory Palmer.

“I really believe we could have won," Seaman coach Bob Benoit said. “We didn’t make our spares like we have all year long, and that’s what cost us.

“But the girls bowled well. They hung in there today and had good chemistry, but they just missed too many spares. It happens, but I’m happy for them."

Shawnee Heights finished sixth as a team, 14 pins out of third, with senior Madison Liby leading the T-Birds with a ninth-place finish on a 545 series.

“She had a great series and stepped it up," Heights coach Scott Mercer said. “The last couple of weeks she’s been bowling really, really well."

Senior Cayla Bortz, a three-time state medalist and two-time state runner-up, was next in line for the T-Birds with a 504 series, but struggled throughout the individual competition.

“It was (a struggle) right off the bat," Bortz said. “I knew the pattern was going to be a little difficult to begin with, but I couldn’t have predicted that it was going to be like this."

Highland Park’s Kaci Vinsonhaler bowled as an individual, finishing with a 420 series.

Emporia finished eighth as a team, led by Kinsey Miller’s 12th-place finish (535).

Maur Hill-Mt. Academy’s Nicole Miele took 16th with a 522 series.

TEAM SCORES

Buhler 2,889, Seaman 2,828 (won tiebreaker), Wichita Northwest 2,828, Salina South 2,744, Carroll 2,669, Shawnee Heights 2,655, Great Bend 2,521, Emporia 2,466, Lansing 2,432, Kapaun 2,317, DeSoto 2,206, KC-Turner 2,086.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

1. Back, Carroll, 662; 2. Berner, KC-Piper, 611; 3. Schiffelbein, Mulvane, 578; 4. Montandon, Buhler, 562 (202); 5. B. Evans, Seaman, 562 (195); 6. Alvarez, Wichita Northwest, 558; 7. Lust, Salina South, 551; 8. K. Evans, Seaman, 547; 9. Liby, Shawnee Heights, 545; 10. Barr, Andover Central, 542; 11. Kennedy, Wichita Northwest, 539; 12. Miller, Emporia, 535; 13. O’Connor, Salina Central, 534; 14. Herl, Buhler, 532; 15. Wagner, Great Bend, 529; 16. Miele, Maur Hill-Mt. Academy, 522; 17. Tabor, Circle, 520; 18. Cross, Buhler, 514; 19. Womack, Wichita Northwest, 512; 20. Chambers, Buhler, 507.

Other Seaman – Prescott 507, Millard 472, McCracken 464, Palmer 458.

Other Shawnee Heights – Bortz 504, Huntley 502, Mayfield 453, Stretton 433, Prockish 332.

Highland Park – Vinsonhaler 420.