After a rocky start due to weather the Manhattan High school boys and girls bowling teams have had a crazy season with tournaments every week and a school record shattered.

The team competed at the Little Apple Lanes bowling alley on Feb. 5 where the Varsity girls put up a strong second place finish, and the Varsity boys snagged first place with their excellent bowling. However, one great round from one of their medalists really sealed the deal.

Senior Landon Ott pulled all the stops and bowled a spectacular 299 his first game, one away from a perfect score. In the process, Ott broke the school record for highest bowled game in Manhattan High history.

“My first game I had 12 strikes in a row, and on the very last strike I did not strike and I only knocked down nine pins,” Ott said. “I was frustrated at the fact that I did so well for so long just for right at the end not quite finishing it out.”

Despite missing out on the last pin, Ott was ecstatic to start off the tournament so well.

“Each frame my heart rate was beating so hard,” Ott said. “Let’s see if I can beat my record.”

The teams had another meet that week at the West Ridge Bowling Alley in Topeka on Feb. 7, followed by the Centennial League tournament at the Gage Bowl Alley, also in Topeka.

The most recent meet was Regionals also at the West Ridge bowling alley in Topeka where the Varsity boys picked up seventh place and the girls took home eighth. Junior Grace Radi was the only Manhattan bowler to make it to the State tournament this Thursday in Wichita.

“It is a team sport, but it is also an individual sport,” junior Elizabeth Loveless said. “There is a lot of cheering people on and positivity, because if you aren’t positive then the whole team is going to start suffering so we all try to be as positive as we can. Staying positive is one of the hardest parts.”

Senior Eli Kunz led the boys team with a 625, followed by senior Kyle Klym with a 611, junior Jayden Moreno Torres with a 577, Bridges with a 563, Ott with a 533 and senior Nick Murph with a 515. On the girls side, Radi led the team with a 541, followed by junior Abby Kenney, junior Bridget McCoy with a 430, Loveless with a 423, sophomore Peyton Berry with a 363 and freshman Marquieta Trapp with a 296.

“While we as a team did not make it to State, one of our girls made it and we are all going to travel with [Radi] for support,” Loveless said.

Loveless, who plans to graduate early next December, has some important advice for the team next year.

“It is important to stay positive and if you don’t think you are going to do good just keep on trying,” Loveless said.