Eisenhower wins boys bowling regional

BY TAYLOR ELDRIDGE/Eagle correspondent

Published Feb. 22 at 10:43 p.m. | Last updated Feb. 22 at 10:44 p.m.

The Goddard Eisenhower boys peaked with a season-best bowling score of 2,757 to win the Class 5-1A Regionals at The Alley on Wednesday, yet their coach spoke afterward like it was a foregone conclusion.

“It’s exactly what I expected,” Brian Adelgren said frankly. “It’s no surprise.”

With a pedigree to prove it, Adelgren has the right to be confident in his system. After he took over the Goddard program in 2008, his boys teams won a state championship and finished second twice.

The program has changed, as Adelgren took over for Eisenhower this season, but expectations haven’t. That inspires confidence in his boys.

“We’ve been preparing for this day since the first day in practice,” said junior Dallas Jayne, rolled a 747 series – 114 pins over his previous high – to win individual honors. “When we got here, we were ready to perform. We knew we could do better than what we were doing, and we proved that today.”

Teammates Drew Belanger (688) and Zach Bohanan (687) were near their best, forming a three-headed attack that bested Bishop Carroll by seven pins. Carroll, which qualified for the ninth straight season, was led by Calvin Pascal’s 715 series for second place.

“It’s just a product of our preparation,” Adelgren said. “At this point, it’s more mental than physical. I’d say 90 percent of it is mental, as far as being in the right zone, being focused at the right time, and being on top of ball reaction and making adjustments.”

In the girls field, Andover Central sophomore Keri Ladigo mastered all of those traits. After placing second last season at the same meet, Ladigo broke through to win individual honors with a 653 series.

This season Ladigo has a 213 average, and last week bowled an 801 series to win league. After not winning any postseason honors last season, she has added league champion and regional champion to her resume.

“That was my goal coming into the season and I thought it was a good goal for me,” she said. “Today I felt like I could get strikes when I was rolling it where I wanted to. But when I did leave my spares, I was picking them up. I feel like I’m in my zone right now.”

While Ladigo was the best individual, Carroll was dominant as a team in winning its ninth straight regional title behind steady performances of Kaitlin Johnson (637), Maggie Wiggins (597), Hollyann Johansen (555) and Anna Bohr (552).

Mulvane snagged the second team slot to go to state, mostly thanks to freshman Larissa Ester’s third game of 236 to bolster her 617 series to capture fourth place. The Wildcats edged Augusta by 73 pins.

Class 5-1A Regional

At The Alley

Girls

Team scores — 1. Bishop Carroll 2,389; 2. Mulvane 2,254; 3. Augusta 2,181; 4. Kapaun Mount Carmel 2,070; 5. Andover Central 2,066; 6. Goddard Eisenhower 2,013; 7. West 1,906; 8. Goddard 1,719; 9. Andover 1,705; 10. Collegiate 1,658; 11. Trinity Academy 1,506.

Individuals — 1. Ladigo, A. Central, 653; 2. Johnson, Carroll, 637; 3. Jackson, Goddard, 622; 4. Ester, Mulvane 617; 5. Watson, Augusta 599; 6. Wiggins, Carroll, 597; 7. Gile, Eisenhower, 566; 8. Lagana, Eisenhower, 563; 9. Johansen, Carroll, 555; 10. Bohr, Carroll, 552; 11. Rayl, Mulvane, 544; 12. Meitzner, Kapaun, 537; 13. Arma, West, 532; 14. Brunhoeber, Augusta, 531; 15. White, Mulvane, 530; 16. Norman, Kapaun, 529; 17. Wallingford, Augusta, 526; 18. Somerville, West, 513; 19. Nordman, Augusta, 505; 20. Relph, Kapaun, 503.

Boys

Team scores — 1. Goddard Eisenhower 2,757; 2. Bishop Carroll 2,750; 3. Trinity Academy 2,554; 4. Maize South 2,542; 5. Andover Central 2,471; 6. Mulvane 2,440; 7. West 2,387; 8. Collegiate 2,324; 9. Kapaun Mount Carmel 2,309; 10. Andover 2,264; 11. Goddard 2,213.

Individuals — 1. D. Jayne, Eisenhower, 747; 2. Pascal, Carroll, 715; 3. Harrison, Maize South, 711; 4. Patterson, Maize South, 693; 5. Stewart, Collegiate, 692; 6. Bohanan, Eisenhower, 687; 7. DeGrado, Trinity, 678; 8. Morgan, Carroll, 673; 9. Belanger, Eisenhower 668; 10. Burris, Trinity, 660; 11. Wilson, A. Central, 659; 12. Morgan, Carroll, 658; 13. McKenzie, A. Central, 651; 14. Klitzke, Kapaun, 645; 15. McGill, Carroll, 641; 16. Simmons, Carroll, 641; 17. James, Mulvane, 626; 18. Z. Jayne, Eisenhower, 622; 19. Daignault, West, 619; 20. Longpine, West, 613.