Macy Ross 1 pin from Perfection

Charles City senior sets school records with 299 game and 553 series while helping Comet girls cap undefeated season

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Even if Macy Ross were shooting free throws, it would still be an impressive percentage.

Instead, she was throwing strikes. And in the first individual game of Charles City’s final meet of the regular season Friday against North Iowa at Comet Bowl, the Comet senior had strung nine straight going into the 10th frame.

“I just tried not to let it get into my head,” Ross said of the first in her accomplished bowling career that she entered the 10th with a perfect game on the line.

Ross buried the first ball for her 10th strike, and then buried the second for her 11th. And just to show the onlookers that this was a feat of skill and not luck, the right-handed Ross buried the third ball of frame.

But in the fickle physics of bowling, the 6-pin found a way to whip itself around the wrapped the 10-pin, which stood stubbornly preventing perfection as Ross had to settle for a 299.

The 2016 Class 1A state individual champion didn’t let the disappointment dampen her roll. In the next game, Ross started with a double before being thwarted with a split. Then she strung seven more strikes before leaving a nine-count on her second ball in the 10th.

Of the 23 first balls Ross threw in the meet’s individual round, 20 of them were strikes.

Ross ended up with a 553 series. Both her game and two-game series are schools records for the Comet program for boys and girls.

Last week at The Super Bowl in an away meet against Forest City, Ross rolled a 477 series which broke the Comet girls record she originally set.

“By this part of the season, you should be bowling at your best,” said Ross, whose averaging just under 215 this season.

Currently, Ross has the second highest two-game girls series in the state. Mikayla Hite of Prairie (Cedar Rapids) has the highest at 567.

With Ross leading a one-sided victory over the Bison (2,991-1,961) the Comet girls have finished the regular season with a perfect 9-0 record.

Ross will likely be part of a select Charles City contingent to participate in next Saturday’s (Feb. 10) individual tournament at Maple Lanes in Waterloo.

Both Charles City varsity boys and girls teams will be back in action for the State Qualifier, Feb. 13 at Oneota Lanes in Decorah.

The State Bowling Tournament will take place Feb. 19-21 at Cadillac Lanes in Waterloo.

Charles City’s boys varsity team was also victorious against North Butler. Sophomore Cade Schmidt, who previously owned the school’s series record with a 526 bowled two weeks ago, led the team with a 467 series that included a 278 in the first game.

Lefty senior Kaleb Ross had a 463 series while helping the Comets to a 3,098-2,428 victory, which capped their regular season at 8-1.

Both of Charles City’s junior varsity teams ended the season with victories as the girls won, 2,500-1,217, and the boys won, 2,655-2,072, while being led by Wolfgang Baldus’s career-high 266 game and 427 series.

“It has been hard to keep Wolfgang on junior varsity with how well he has been bowling lately,” Charles City head coach Doug Bohlen said.

AT COMET BOWL

Boys Varsity

CHARLES CITY 3,089, NORTH IOWA 2,428

CHARLES CITY — Hunter Brockney 165, 171-336; Kaleb Ross 237, 226-463; Cade Schmidt 278, 189-467; Nathan Shultz 226, 176-402; Dawson Solomon 212, 158-370; Noah Reams 151, 154-305; BAKER ROTATION — 191, 269, 172, 224, 204.

NORTH IOWA — Charles Wycoff 121, 157-278; Konner Rikala 79, 180-259; William Roeder 173, 108-281; Ben Hassebrock 151, 184-335; Logan Prescott 234, 169-403; Logan Leesch 143, 200-342; BAKER ROTATION — 148, 145, 181, 130, 184.

Girls Varsity

CHARLES CITY 2,991, NORTH IOWA 1,961

CHARLES CITY — Falyn Knect 192, 196-388; Madison Ross 170, 173-343; Macy Ross 299, 254-553; Aryah Nelson 152, 143-295; Katie Sickman 175, 128-303; Baili Girkin 194, 204-398; BAKER ROTATION — 192, 188, 189, 242, 195.

NORTH IOWA — Chelsey Armstrong 98, 106-204; Nicole Kirschbaum 124, 87-211; Alexa Vrieze 125, 147-272; Jordan Ostrander 121, 144-265; Jenna Berschman 183, 122-305; BAKER ROTATION — 102, 165, 99, 193, 145.

Boys Junior Varsity

CHARLES CITY 2,655, NORTH IOWA 2,072

CHARLES CITY — Wolfgang Baldus 161, 266-427; Jordan Wulff 170, 165-335; Kale Ross 184, 208-392, Koyer Kellogg 188, 165-353; Colton Baldus 135, 154-289; Nicholas Roney 167, 190-357; BAKER ROTATION — 128, 200, 159, 143, 161.

Girls Junior Varsity

CHARLES CITY 2,500, NORTH IOWA 1,217

CHARLES CITY — Abby Hillegas 178, 128-306; Jadyn Hegtredt 185, 157-342; Faith Fannon 179, 205-384; Brianna Ross 204, 149-353; Sarah Mitchell 166, 181-347; Joslyn Cotton 162, 205-367; BAKER ROTATION — 135, 108, 166, 121, 177.