The Fairfield boys bowling team finished fourth out of six teams at the Class 1A State Qualifying District Tournament at Legacy Lanes in Monticello on Monday, February 16th, falling short of a state tournament berth despite a strong start to the competition.
Team Scores
Monticello claimed the top spot with a score of 3,050, followed by Benton at 2,915 and Washington at 2,839. Fairfield finished fourth with 2,744, ahead of Knoxville (2,244) and Pella Christian (2,242).
A Tale of Two Halves
Fairfield came out of the gates on fire, posting game scores of 189, 246, 235, 224, and 161 for a first-five-game total of 1,055—the best opening performance of any team in the tournament. The second-best five-game total belonged to Monticello at 986.
The Trojans carried that momentum into the middle portion of the competition, posting scores of 229, 184, 148, 224, and 136 in games six through ten for a running total of 1,976 through ten games, sitting in second place while Monticello held the lead at 2,001.
However, Fairfield was unable to sustain that level of play in the final stretch, posting scores of 184, 139, 131, 168, and 146 to finish at 2,744.
Individual Results
Eli Aplara led the team individually, finishing 11th overall with scores of 150, 242, and 202 for a three-game total of 594.
Dayson Workman placed 14th with games of 226, 190, and 161 for a total of 577.
Aaron Carlson finished 15th after posting games of 115, 181, and a remarkable 268 for a total of 564. His 268 game earned him a place in Fairfield bowling program history, as it ranks among the highest individual game scores ever recorded by a Fairfield bowler.
Henry Swan placed 17th with games of 209, 172, and 180 for a total of 561, while Blake Ballew finished 19th with scores of 145, 203, and 202 for a 550 total.
Corbin Starr rounded out the Fairfield lineup in 29th place with games of 148, 138, and 152 for a total of 438.
Coach’s Comments
Despite the disappointing finish, head coach Melinda Chatfield had plenty of praise for her team’s effort and character throughout the day.
“You know, you can see they started out strong. One of the other coaches even commented they had them worried—they didn’t see us coming,” Chatfield said. “Game eight was rough, and I think it got to them. A couple splits and a few open frames and everything became a challenge.”
Chatfield emphasized what made her most proud about the day, however, had nothing to do with the scores.
“Honestly, they did a great job today. I saw them working as a team, adjusting, boosting each other up, giving each other advice and guidance. It really made me proud to watch them today,” she said. “Aaron Carlson made his way into our bowling historical high games with a 268 today—there’s only a few higher. They should all be proud of their efforts today.”
With the fourth-place finish, Fairfield’s bowling season comes to a close. The Trojans will look to build on the experience gained this season and use performances like Monday’s strong start as motivation heading into next year, with the goal of punching a ticket to the state tournament.
Photography courtesy of Jeff Courtright.
