Boys take second place

DES MOINES — For the second straight year, the Red Oak boys' bowling team finished second at the Class 1A State Bowling Tournament at Plaza Lanes in Des Moines.

Red Oak had a score of 3,179, 30 pins less than the first place champions, Western Dubuque Epworth.

The Tigers were in third place, behind Epworth and Denison-Schleswig, going into the baker games.

Taylor Mellott, Brian Wade and Hayden Berry all all bowled a 400 series to keep the Tigers in the tournament.

Red Oak struggled in their first baker game, bowling a 183.

This gave Epworth an opportunity to build a lead as they bowled a 243 in their first game.

Denison-Schleswig and Mount Pleasant bowled a 179 and 224 respectively, placing Red Oak in fourth place for the first baker game.

“Our first couple of games, we had to make some adjustments,” Brian Wade said. “The lanes were drying out. We had to make a ball change, switch people in and out.”

The Tigers rebounded in the second game, scoring a 258 and tying them with Epworth for first place at 2,519.

Red Oak bowled a 219 in their third baker game, but Epworth responded with a 225 game to take a six-pin lead.

The Tigers picked up four pins from Epworth's lead when they bowled a 215 in the fourth game.
Mount Pleasant made a run in the fourth game when they bowled a 286.

Epworth pulled away with the final baker game, finishing with a 254, while Red Oak bowled a 226.

“I was hoping for first, but it's alright,” Wade said.

Mount Pleasant finished in third with 3,134. Denison-Schleswig was fourth with 3,092 and Camanche took fifth place with 3,089.

Creston, the third Hawkeye Ten team at state, finished 10th with 2,536

While Mellott and Wade both had top 10 finishes, Berry bowled a 400 series to take 25th.

Senior AJ Lathrop fell short of the 400 series, bowling a 391 with a 198 high game.

“The team performed really well today,” Mellott said. “We had our ups and downs. We just had to pull through and do what we could.”

Corey Marsden tied for 42nd when he bowled a 370 series with a 201 high game.

David Terry was the final finisher for Red Oak as he took  48th with a 361 series.