Ankeny bowler Aidan Doruska will get to make another trip to Waterloo.
The senior placed third in a Class 3A substate tournament on Tuesday at Maple Lanes Bowling Center, allowing him to qualify for Monday’s individual state tournament. Maple Lanes will also host the individual meet.
Prior to Tuesday, Doruska had bowled at the Waterloo facility only one other time. That came at a substate tournament in 2019, when he struggled to a 282 total for a two-game series as a freshman.
“That was before a fire just two years ago which has essentially made the alley a new house,” Doruska said.
This year’s substate tournament featured a new format. Each of the eight schools competed in 15 baker games to determine the team qualifiers for state and then the bowlers competed for eight individual qualifying spots by bowling a three-game series.
Doruska had a 192 in his first game, then followed with back-to-back scores of 256 and 255 for a 703 total. Brady Steere (773) and Jonathan Featherston (704), both of Waterloo West, were the only bowlers to finish ahead of Doruska.
“I had done decent in the baker games,” Doruska said. “Starting the first individual was a bit rocky as everyone had to adjust to a fresh coat of oil. However, I quickly found a nice line with a slowed ball speed over near the 12th board from the right–previously around the 23rd–and a higher rev to accommodate for the slippery conditions.
“Simply put, I moved right and threw the ball slower,” he added.
Ankeny coach Lane Richtsmeier said he was proud of his entire team.
“They give it 100 percent all the time,” he said. “We had our good days and some bad days, but we never stopped fighting. I always tell the kids, ‘It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.’ And Aidan proved it, with a rocky start of three straight open (frames) and a 192 game, then he found his groove and ended up 256-255. I’m super proud of him and can’t wait until Monday.”
Ankeny’s Blake Schumacher closed out his high school career with a 619 series. He bowled a 227 in his first game, then followed with scores of 180 and 212 to place 12th overall.
Kole Jordan bowled a 486 series for the Hawks. Chase Jordan had a 482, Jay Miller rolled a 462, and Jackson Roberts added a 424.
The Ankeny boys’ squad placed seventh in the team competition with a 2,551 total. The Hawks got off to a slow start with a 123 in the first baker game, but eventually heated up and rolled a 214 in their sixth game. They later had a 231 in their eighth game, a 200 in their 11th and a 227 in their 15th and final game.
Waukee won the team title with a total of 3,164. Waterloo West was second with a 3,145 and also qualified for the state tournament, which is slated for Feb. 23 at Cadillac Lanes in Waterloo.
The Ankeny girls’ team finished eighth with a total of 1,430. The Hawkettes bowled a 120 in their fourth baker game, then matched that score in their 11th game.
“What can I say about the girls being short-handed all year?” Richtsmeier said. “They had a great attitude and made the best of it. They were always being positive and just having fun, and they improved every match this year. We would set an individual game score and a baker score for the girls to shoot at, and every time they would hit it so I would have to raise it every meet. I’m super proud of my team!”
Waterloo West claimed the girls’ crown with a score of 2,926. Dubuque Senior was the runner-up with a 2,684 and also advanced to state.
Marissa Larson-Minar posted the Hawkettes’ top individual score. She bowled games of 148, 106 and 145 for a 399 series.
Lynn Cronk bowled a 177 in her third game to finish with a 379 total. Kali Ogg bowled a 351 series, and Lilianna Sinclair had a 301.
Ainslee McConaughy of Waterloo West bowled a 264 in her final game to edge teammate Sydney Wilson for the individual title. McConaughy posted a 686 total, finishing 13 pins ahead of Wilson.