The Ankeny girls’ bowling team continues to have a lot of fun.
Ankeny posted a season-high score of 2,252 to defeat host Johnston by 122 pins in a CIML Conference dual meet on Friday at Game Day Lanes. The squad improved to 4-0 in the league and overall, while Johnston’s records fell to 0-3 and 0-5.
Ankeny has already doubled its win total from last season, when it finished with a 2-9 mark.
“I am not at all surprised that we are 4-0 because we have strong chemistry, we have all grown a lot since last year, and we all have fun and enjoy ourselves at meets,” said Ankeny junior Olivia Harris.
Harris led the way for Ankeny with a 421 series. It was the highest score of her career.
“I had a really good day,” said Harris, who bowled a 309 series at the same venue in a win over Urbandale on Dec. 5. “I think it’s possible to bowl well at any lanes. It’s really just about making the right adjustments and having a positive mindset.”
Ankeny’s Johanna Shaw had a 314 series. Kali Ogg posted a 271 total, Brooklyn Dietz had a 269, Savannah Dye rolled a 238, and Ava Johnson added a 183.
The Ankeny girls’ team also defeated Valley in a conference meet on Thursday at B-Roll Bowling, winning by a score of 2,161 to 2,038. It was a season-low score for the Tigers, who dropped to 1-3 in the league and overall.
Harris paced Ankeny with a 330 series. Ogg had a season-best 313 total, Shaw bowled a 308, Dietz rolled a 267, Dye had a 241, and Johnson finished with a 206.
“The girls are continuing to make strides as a team and individually,” said Ankeny coach Nick Payton. “The boys are also continuing to identify their strengths and work on identifying the barriers this season.”
The boys’ team fell to 0-4 in the conference and overall after suffering losses to both Valley and Johnston. The Dragons won Friday’s meet by a score of 2,845 to 2,595, lifting their marks to 2-1 and 2-3.
Both squads posted a season-high score. Logan Brustkern led Johnston with a 453 series.
Ankeny surpassed its previous high of 2,376, which also came at Game Day Lanes a month ago. George Inman bowled a career-high 426 series to lead the way, raising his average by more than 34 pins in the process.
Preston Carr also posted a career-high series of 380. Sebastian Cook bowled a 337, Kolbie Backous had a career-best total of 321, Joel Hansen had a 299, and Will Krueger followed with a 272.
On Thursday, the boys’ team posted a season-low score of 2,135 while losing to Valley by 306 pins. It was also a season-low score for the Tigers, but it was good enough for them to earn their first win (1-3).
Cook bowled a 334 series to lead Ankeny, while Hansen rolled a 327, Carr had a 312, and Backous bowled a 263. Both Inman and Krueger finished with a 250.
The Ankeny teams will travel to Greene County on Thursday for a non-conference meet against the Rams at Spare Time Lanes & Lounge.
“This meet will be a test for improving and building strong scores during the bakers (team) component of bowling,” Payton said. “This is an opportunity to help us continue to get better and work on the little things that propel us for the second half of the season.”
