Charles City bowlers compete at individual district meet

Press Staff Report

The Charles City Comets sent their top four bowlers on the season into an individual district meet at Comet Bowl on Saturday.

Twelve teams participated and the Comets fared well as all four bowlers reached the finals.

Each squad brought its top two bowlers from the girls and boys teams to battle it out for district championships.

Cade Schmidt rolled games of 246, 264 and 245 for a 755 series. That earned him the top seed for the finals. His teammate Cael Bohlen managed a four seed in the finals with 225, 226 and 208 scores that added up to a 659 series.

In the first round of the finals, Bohlen squared off against Schmidt. Bohlen would win the head-to-head matchup and advance to the finals where he lost the district title to Oelwein’s Austin Espe, 210-192.

Sarah Mitchell earned a two-seed for the Comets with games of 204, 209 and 174 for a 587 series. The Comets’ Brianna Ross shot a 203, 148 and 159 to net a 510 series. That earned her a seven seed.

The two Comets squared off in the first round of finals round, with Ross defeating Mitchell. Ross bowled her best game of the day, notching a 245 to earn her spot in the semifinal round. Ross was defeated by Emma Pitz of Sumner-Fredericksburg. Lauren Funk of Tripoli topped Pitz for the girls district title.

“It was a very successful day, not only for our bowlers, but for the Comet Bowl. Hosting an event like this is a big undertaking,” said Charles City head bowling coach Doug Bohlen. “Thanks to Mark and Peggy for their support, and thanks to the many volunteers who helped to make this event run smoothly.

“It was also fun to watch the interaction between the athletes. The sportsmanship at this tournament was a highlight for me. It was common to see competitors fist bump and high five, especially in the finals where it happened every frame,” Bohlen said.

The Comet boys and girls bowlers will bowl today at 1 p.m. in their state qualifying meet at Cadillac Lanes in Waterloo. The top overall team for both the boys and the girls will qualify for the state meet, which will be held back at Cadillac Lanes on Feb. 24.