The Le Mars boys bowling team qualified three bowlers to the state tournament following Monday’s state qualifying meet.
One of those qualifiers was senior Taylor Lindner who bowled a tournament-best 716 series to return to state. Last year, Lindner finished fourth in the state at the tournament. He says that weighed on him early in the season, but he pushed through to bowl his best when it mattered most.
Lindner had impressive games of 234, 266, and 216, but he says those could have been better. He says he had to make a brief adjustment to get down to business and throw strikes.
While Le Mars qualified three individuals, they were unable to qualify as a team for the state tournament. They missed out on qualifying finishing third by just 12 pins to Lewis Central. Head coach Travis Jones says the Bulldogs did not quite take advantage of filling frames throughout the games.
Regrouping following that disappointment was something that Le Mars had to do to perform well individually. Coach Jones says taking their minds off things in the break helped calm the nerves heading into the individual games.
The competition in Le Mars was tough both on the individual and the team side. Many good bowlers and teams could have ended up going to Waterloo instead. Lindner says that made it extra special that he was able to qualify.
The other two bowlers that are heading to Waterloo are underclassmen for Le Mars. Slayton Schroeder and Drake Gill each solidified their spots with top-five finishes on Monday. Coach Jones says they both have made strides in getting better this season.
With Lindner having competed at state before, he is a good resource for Schroeder and Gill who will be experiencing state for the first time. Lindner says taking your time will be critical to making sure you throw your best ball.
Schroeder, Gill, and Lindner will compete in Waterloo at the state tournament on Wednesday, February 25.
