The varsity Amherst bowling team tied with Antigo as co-conference champs after going frame to frame with each other in the regular season finale held at Dale’s Western Lanes on February 1. In addition, two Amherst bowlers qualified to compete at state as individuals.
Senior Maddox Brown finished fourth in the District and Junior Ian Dudley finished sixth in the district. Both will represent Amherst at the state finals March 6-8, also at Dale’s Weston Lanes.
Amherst finished 9-1 with the lone loss coming against Antigo. It was a hard-fought match that had the entire bowling center on the edge of their seats, as both teams were 8-0 heading into the match. The Falcons wanted to go undefeated, but Antigo brought all the fight they could, winning 6-3. Team morale took a hit after this match, but Amherst picked up where they left off by defeating Lakeland and bringing the team record to 9-1. It wasn’t exactly what the team was looking for to end the season, but in the end, Amherst tied for the top spot in the district with an opportunity to win a state title.
Brown and Dudley are two of the best bowlers in the district, and both have great chances of winning state singles, but it will be a tough challenge against the state’s best bowlers. On the opening night of the state tournament, both will bowl in singles and team play, a challenge that will require intense focus.
Brown said, “My game plan leading up to state is to stay relaxed. At the highest state level, a majority have the physical game to win; therefore, it’s very important to try to get a mental advantage over the other competitors. Pete Weber would always say that when he is off the lanes, bowling is the last thing he wants to think about, and while on the approach, bowling is the only thing he will think about. That’s not a direct quote; I paraphrased. I also plan on rigorously practicing the singles pattern to form the best plan of attack.
“My advice for a bowler who is aiming for state singles next year is to stay in the moment, one frame at a time,” added Brown. “Furthermore, at a meet, make sure to communicate with the coaches about what is happening on the lanes. BER focuses on strike percentage, so it’s vital to stay ahead of the transition to strike while the majority of the field is still adjusting. It is also very important to consistently practice and build team camaraderie.”
Dudley’s advice for the younger bowlers aiming for state singles differs slightly from that of Brown.
“The advice I have for a bowler aiming for state singles next year is to keep grinding. It is most definitely a hard thing to do especially if you can’t figure out the pattern or any of your equipment. But you have to keep yourself ready and in the match the whole time. The moment you lose your cool and start to spiral out of control is the hardest time for me. But if you can keep your cool and you can grind through the rough time of losing your cool, you can make it anywhere.
“And don’t forget about practice,” Dudley added. “It is truly one of the most important things you need to do to keep working on your game and fine tuning all of it.”
Dudley, who is making his second trip to state, comes in highly confident.
“My game plan leading up to state singles is to be smart and use the lane and my equipment to my advantage. I believe in myself 100 percent and I believe I will be in the high singles turn out this year. I think I will most likely be playing straighter and trying to use the oil that people haven’t used to my advantage to truly run down the competition. And just like I said before, I have to keep my cool because if I lose it even one bit, I am going to be screwed and that is going to plummet my scores and give me no chance of making it to Saturday.”
The last time the boys won a state bowling title was 2018.
