First-ever trip to State results in seventh-place finish

     While the Monticello High School boys bowling team was hoping for a finish higher than seventh in its first-ever appearance in the State Class 1A Boys Bowling Tournament, the experience the Panthers gained will no doubt be valuable should they get another chance in 2021.

     Monticello rolled a team total of 2824, finishing seventh in the individual round (with 1914), the Baker round (910) and overall. The event was held Monday, Feb. 24 at Cadillac Lanes in Waterloo.

     “You don’t want to miss the fact that, hey, we made State, and there were only seven other teams that made state with us,” Monticello coach Brian Meyer said. “So that’s cool. It’s a three-year-old program. We got to bowl with some perennial powerhouses.

     “I’m super happy we made it. I talked all year about making it. Maybe next year we need to talk all year about winning it. Hopefully we get to come back, and hopefully we’re more prepared for it next year.”

     Camanche was the team champion with a score of 3279, followed by Louisa-Muscatine with 3075 and Charles City with 3063.

     The Panthers had some bright spots, including junior Levi Temple, whose series of 210-235–445 was good for eighth place and a medal.

     “Levi Temple had a great day,” Meyer said. “He was pretty close to sixth and seventh, because it was really packed in there.”

     Easton Lee bowled 191-223–414 and was 16^th overall. Logan Farmer had a 387 series, Caleb Gillmore 358, Jacob Farmer 310, and Gary Pasker 308.

     Monticello shared lanes with Shenandoah, which had a strong first game and by the end of the individual round led the Panthers by 172 pins. Shenandoah wound up finishing fifth as a team.

     “Nobody said this, but I wonder if they were a little intimidated about the volume of people and the whole pageantry of the tournament; the meeting before, and the parade of bowlers,” Meyer said. “There were 500 to 600 people watching. It was wall-to-wall people.

     “If we’re fortunate enough to make it back, we’ll be better next year.”

     None of the six bowlers who competed at State for Monticello are seniors.

     Meyer said he hopes this trip to the state tournament will help build the program further.

     “There’s an opportunity for underclassmen to get into bowling now in sixth, seventh and eighth grade, and then there’s going to be a wide-open opportunity to come bowl varsity for a team that made it to State in three years,” the coach said.

     “Hopefully we can develop a program, like Camanche, like West Delaware, those teams that are perennially good. That’s what we want to become.”

Feb. 24

State Class 1A

Tournament

(at Cadillac Lanes,

Waterloo)

TOTAL TEAM SCORES

     1, Camanche 3279; 2, Louisa-Muscatine 3075; 3, Charles City 3063; 4, Durant 3060; 5, Shenandoah 3049; 6, Forest City 2996; 7, Monticello 2824; 8, Centerville 2436.

Individual round totals

     1, Camanche 2136; 2, Louisa-Muscatine 2124; 3, Charles City 2090; 4, Shenandoah 2086; 5, Forest City 2045; 6, Durant 2007; 7, Monticello 1914; 8, Centerville 1575.

Baker round totals

     1, Camanche 1143; 2, Durant 1053; 3, Charles City 973, 4, Shenandoah 963; 5 (tie), Louisa-Muscatine 951 and Forest City 951; 7, Monticello 910; 8, Centerille 861.

MONTICELLO SCORES

     Levi Temple 210-235–445 (eighth place), Easton Lee 191-223–414, Logan Farmer 204-183–387, Caleb Gillmore 189-169–358, Jacob Farmer 154-156–310, Gary Pasker 139-169–308.