The Fairfield girls and boys bowling teams hosted Keokuk on Monday, January 5th, for a conference matchup, with both Trojan squads coming up short despite strong individual performances and noticeable improvements over season averages.
Girls Results
The Fairfield girls finished with a match total of 1,989, falling to Keokuk’s 2,182.
Emma Cass led the Trojans with a 305 series, rolling games of 178 and 127. Several Fairfield bowlers showed significant improvement from their averages in both games. Emma Forrest followed with a 300 series, posting games of 132 and 168, bowling above her average of 130. Savannah Garretson, who entered the meet with an average of 85, rolled games of 98 and 137 for a 235 series. Braezyn Stutzman, averaging 103 on the season, added games of 106 and 154 for a 260 series. Autumn Rose McBride finished with a 269 series after rolling 123 and 146, while Brooklyn Gridley posted a 188 series.
After dropping the low series, Fairfield recorded a round one team total of 1,369. In the baker portion, the Trojans rolled games of 131, 138, 110, 127, and 114, totaling 620 in round two.
Keokuk totaled 1,488 in round one and added 694 in baker games to secure the win.
Boys Results
The Fairfield boys were edged out by Keokuk, 2,640 to 2,560, in a tightly contested match.
Dayson Workman led Fairfield with a 355 series, rolling a 219 in the opening game followed by a 136 in game two. Blake Ballew followed with a 326 series after posting games of 184 and 152, while Henry Swan added a 319 series with scores of 189 and 130. Eli Aplara rolled games of 162 and 138 to finish with a 300 series, and Aaron Carlson contributed a 273 series with games of 148 and 125. Corbin Starr rounded out Fairfield’s lineup with a 262 series, bowling 136 in the first game and 126 in the second.
After dropping the low series, Fairfield posted a round one total of 1,583. The Trojans then turned in a strong baker round, rolling games of 176, 213, 229, 202, and 157 for a 977 total, keeping the match close into the final frames.
Keokuk recorded 1,762 in round one and 878 in baker games to narrowly claim the victory.
Coach’s Perspective
Head coach Melinda Chatfield was encouraged by the effort and individual progress shown by both squads.
“I think we went out and gave it our best,” Chatfield said. “We had a couple personal records today from some of our newer bowlers—that’s always so exciting. I continue to see effort to improve at every practice and personal and team gains at every meet.”
Chatfield also addressed scoring trends between games, noting a contrast between the boys’ and girls’ results. When asked about the boys’ scores dipping in the second game while most of the girls improved, Chatfield said, “I would say it’s just how it went today.” She added that lane conditions can play a major role, explaining that the boys tend to burn through the oil more quickly due to their speed and hook. “The boys burn through the oil on the lane and have to make adjustments to where they stand and where they are throwing. If they aren’t adjusting well, you’ll see the scores go down,” Chatfield said. “The girls generally don’t throw as hard or with those big hooks, so the oil lasts a bit longer for them.”
Despite the losses, Fairfield showed clear growth and multiple performances above season averages as the Trojans continue conference play on Monday, January 12th against Burlington.
Photography courtesy of Jeff Courtright.
