Perennial powers Fremont and Wayne lead the way at the fifth state championships
By Tony Chapman – For the Nebraska School Activities Association
A new made-for-television format awaits competitors at next week’s Nebraska State Bowling Championships at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln.
For the first time the championship matches in the team format will be televised live on Nebraska Public Media. Class B finals matches will be Tuesday and Class A will be on Wednesday. Girls matches will be played first each night starting at 7:00 PM.
Wayne coach Josh Johnson said the concession in format was a mostly easy decision for coaches to get their event live as opposed to previously being shown in a tape-delayed format.
“Obviously we had to go away from the traditional double elimination format to get this,” Johnson said. “But to be able to put our kids on live television and to help grow our sport was the absolute right thing to do.”
The move was a similar one that was made in softball two years ago to get a winner-take-all format that was made for television.
Four days of completion will begin on Monday with the Class B singles competition for boys and girls. Thirty qualifiers in each class will bowl four qualifying rounds with the top-8 advancing to the championship bracket.
State championship information can be found at the following links. Girls Team Bracket | Boys Team Bracket | State Finals Broadcast
Bowling 101
If you are new to bowling, here is a quick rundown on how state champions will be determined.
Singles: A singles champion will be determined in Class A and B for boys and girls. Thirty individuals in each field qualified; five from each of six districts. They will bowl four games of qualifying at state to advance to the 8-player championship bracket. In bracket play, each match is a two-game series to determine the winner.
Team: Bowling may be the ultimate team sport. Baker format matches will be played to determine the state champion. In this format, teams have five players who bowl two frames each in each game. All matches are a best-of-five format.
Class A: Top-seeded Fremont Boys Have Eyes Second Title
Fremont and Grand Island are two programs at the center of the sport since the first NSAA sanctioned championships in 2021.
The Tiger girls have topped the Islanders in both Class A title matches, while the Islander boys clipped Fremont in 2023 and the Tiger boys won the first ever state title in 2021.
On both sides it could be the same this year.
The Fremont boys are the top-seed and the Islanders sit at three with familiar foe Columbus the second seed. In the girls bracket, Fremont and GISH will square off in the opening round, while Metro teams Omaha Westside and Bellevue West are the top-two seeds.
“It feels like the boys field might be as deep as it has ever been,” said Fremont coach JJ Mastny. “We know that Columbus and Grand Island have stong, well-coached teams.
“We have to make every effort to stay focused on each opponent and not look past anyone.”
Mastny said the girls side should be up for grabs as well, with Westside and Bellevue West leading the way, but, many that could contend. He specifically pointed out fourth-seeded Norfolk.
“I think they are a team that with their depth could win it all,” he said.
Omaha North’s Isaiah Unger had the highest individual qualifying at districts with a 660 series, while on the girls side, Grand Island’s Kaylee Kuusela rolled a 608. Earlier this season, Bellevue West Carie Mascarello was the first girl in state history to roll a 700 series.
Boys District Team Champs: Omaha Westside, Omaha North, Bellevue East, Fremont, Lincoln High, Columbus.
Boys Individual District Champs: Anden Sutter (Millard West), Isaiah Hagen (Omaha North), Hayden Maline (Bellevue East), Chase Fowler (Fremont), James Craft (Lincoln East), Gavin Unger (Columbus).
Girls District Team Champs: Omaha Westside, Omaha Marian, Bellevue West, Fremont, Lincoln Northeast, Grand Island.
Girls Individual District Champs: Mae Martin (Millard South), Anna Moeller (Omaha Central), Carie Mascarello (Bellevue West), Macey Bates (Fremont), Gabbi Stoecker (Lincoln East), Kaliegh Kuusela (Grand Island).
Class B: Wayne Girls Aim For Fifth Strsight Title
In Wayne, America bowling is a big thing coach Josh Johnson says. He just loves being along for the ride.
At Wildcat Lanes, junior bowling is a staple in the community and the Blue Devils program has the hardware to show for it. On the girls side they have won every state championship — the first two with only one class and the past two in Class B over Elkhorn North and Hastings.
“It’s kind of always been cool to bowl in Wayne,” Johnson said. “We have had great people running our house with junior leagues and it’s just been one, big family.”
It’s no different this year as the Devils will bring a 23-3 record to Lincoln in search of a fifth title. But the second-seeded squad has a tough route to get there with perennial powers Northwest and Seward on their side with Humphrey-Lindsay.
Wayne’s only losses this year are to Class A Norfolk.
“Bowling just continues to get better and better in Nebraska,” Johnson said. “I feel like this year you have so many teams in both boys and girls that we have the deepest Class B fields ever.
“In these Baker games the depth of your team is going to be so important.”
Pius is also the top-seed on the boys side with Wayne, unbeaten at 26-0, the second seed. Defending champion Seward, who knocked off Wayne in last year’s title match, is the fifth-seed and will face district final opponent Northwest in the opening round.
McCook’s Isabelle Clouse rolled the best series in district play (555), with 2024 individual runner-up Faith Lahm of Northwest (522) winning the B-5 district. York’s Luke Handy had a 700 series to win the B-5 in Hastings and was the top district series on the boys side.
Boys District Team Champs: Skutt Catholic, Lincoln Pius X, Columbus Lakeview, Wayne, Seward, Lexington.
Boys Individual District Champs: Zander Limback (Elkhorn North), Hayden Brandl (Waverly), Carter Dvorak (North Bend Central), Aiden Petersen (Wayne), Logan Handy (York) Callico Thomas-Reinertson (Lexington).
Girls District Team Champs: Elkhorn, Lincoln Pius X, Humphrey-Lindsay, Wayne, Seward, Lexington.
Girls Individual District Champs: Ava Thompson (Elkhorn North), Ve’Anna Dotson (Waverly), Zoey Gronenthal (Waverly), Graycen Trautman (Wayne), Faith Lahm (Northwest), Isabelle Clouse (McCook).
Tony Chapman is a freelance writer based in Grand Island. He has written for multiple Nebraska daily and weekly newspapers. His weekly Harvest Sports Newsletter covers a wide variety of Nebraska prep sports.