Olathe North girls place third at Kansas 6A state tournament

Olathe North bowling coach Dalene Moomau didn’t know what to expect from her team Friday at the Kansas 6A girls bowling state tournament.

She knew it had potential, certainly, but the state tournament presents its own set of obstacles — top competition, heightened pressure and a full house of spectators. Last year, both the Eagles’ boys and girls teams qualified for the state tournament, and both finished ninth out of nine competing teams.

So Moomau stayed cautiously optimistic in setting goals for the team.

“I told them if we could come and represent Olathe and at least place, you know, fourth or fifth, I would be pleased,” Moomau said. “I think they had another thought in mind.”

The Olathe North girls bowled a season-best 2,382 team series and placed third at Olathe Lanes East. They finished behind state champion Maize (2,509) and defending state champ Wichita North, which took second this year with a 2,477 series.

Wichita North’s Nesa Hubbard won the individual state championship with a 753 series.

“I think they were so wrapped up in the competition that was here,” Moomau said of her bowlers. “It would have made me extremely nervous, but they took it as a challenge, and they competed with them.”

Senior Emilee Dodson led the Eagles with a 627 series and placed 10th individually. She was the top Kansas City-area individual.

“I had no pressure on me — just do what I do best,” Dodson said.

Junior teammate Kendra Marr medaled in 11th place with a 617, and junior Tina Moore took 20th with a 580. Brittany Barker rounded out the team’s scoring with a 558. To place in the top three collectively showed the progress the Eagles made during the season.

“They weren’t really a team that jelled very well at the beginning,” Moomau said. “We worked really hard on teamwork and just bonding and working together. … They all had to bowl well for us to do any good.”

The Kansas 6A boys state tournament is today at Olathe Lanes East, beginning at 10 a.m.

submitted by RYAN YOUNG - 2009-03-06 23:05:02

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