Fairfield’s boys and girls bowling teams traveled to Keokuk on Tuesday, January 27th, to compete in the Southeast Conference Tournament, with both squads earning multiple all-conference honors despite challenging lane conditions.
Boys Bowling: Fourth Place Finish with Individual Champion
The Fairfield boys finished fourth in the conference tournament with a grand total of 2,602 points. Keokuk claimed the conference championship with 2,933 points, followed by Washington (2,697), Burlington (2,621), Fairfield (2,602), and Mount Pleasant (2,365).
Individual Performances
Senior Dayson Workman dominated the individual competition, capturing first place with a series score of 458—the highest score among all boys and girls competitors at the tournament. Workman posted games of 247 and 211 to earn All-Conference First Team honors in his final conference tournament.
Blake Ballew turned in an impressive performance with a 363 series, posting games of 159 and 204 to earn All-Conference Second Team recognition. Henry Swan contributed a solid 349 series with games of 184 and 165, while Corbin Starr added 315 with rounds of 173 and 142. Aaron Carlson bowled 283 with games of 136 and 147, and Eli Aplara posted 294 with games of 120 and 174.
After dropping the lowest series, Fairfield’s round one total reached 1,779. The Trojans added 823 points in Baker games with scores of 183, 145, 182, 137, and 176 for their grand total of 2,602.
Girls Bowling: Fourth Place with Two All-Conference Selections
The Fairfield girls placed fourth in the conference tournament with a grand total of 1,888 points. Keokuk won the conference title with 2,516 points, followed by Mount Pleasant (2,287), Burlington (1,996), and Fairfield (1,888). Washington does not field a girl’s bowling team.
Individual Performances
Autumn Rose McBride and Emma Cass both earned All-Conference Second Team honors for their performances. McBride posted a 283 series with games of 147 and 136, while Cass contributed 273 with games of 139 and 134.
Emma Forrest added a 255 series with games of 130 and 125, and Braezyn Stutzman bowled 239 with rounds of 133 and 106. Savannah Garretson posted 186 with games of 88 and 98, while Brooklyn Gridley contributed 183 with games of 99 and 94.
After dropping the lowest series of 183, Fairfield’s round one total stood at 1,236. The Trojans added 652 points in Baker games with scores of 98, 119, 143, 152, and 140 for their grand total of 1,888.
Coach’s Comments
Fairfield Bowling Head Coach Melinda Chatfield said she was proud of her teams’ efforts. “We did some great things today,” Chatfield said. “Dayson finishing in the number one spot was huge—we’re incredibly proud of him and the way he’s making the most of his senior year. Blake also had another great series and earned All-Conference honors. I was really impressed with how they competed.”
Chatfield noted the boys narrowly missed moving up in the standings. “The boys bowled well and were right there with Burlington and Washington,” she said.
On the girls’ side, Chatfield acknowledged the difficulty of the venue while highlighting individual success. “The girls struggled at times, but this is a tough alley,” she explained. “Seeing Autumn and Emma earn All-Conference recognition made me very proud and shows that their hard work is paying off.”
Looking ahead, Chatfield expressed confidence in her teams as postseason play approaches. “I’m proud of the effort they gave today. We’ll regroup and be ready to give it everything we have at state qualifying next week.”
Photography courtesy of Melinda Chatfield.
