Ferneau’s individual championship thanks to a 527 was just one piece of a big day for the Marshalltown boys and girls bowling teams Tuesday morning and into the afternoon — with the boys finishing first in districts and the girls coming in second and just missing out on advancing to state.

The soft-spoken Ferneau said keeping his calm when bowling is key to his success.

“I try to stay calm and be focused most of the time,” Ferneau said. “Once I do more, it kind of makes me distracted a little bit.”

The Bobcats finished as a team with a score of 3,237, enough to win by just over 100, beating out Ankeny’s score of 3,130. This is the sixth-straight year the Marshalltown boys have made the state tournament, dating back to 2015 when the Bobcats won the championship.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - Marshalltown’s Kylee Witt, celebrates her spare during Tuesday’s Class 3A District 3 bowling meet at Wayward Social. Witt led the Bobcat girls with a 391 series.

Marshalltown led from start to finish, but the gap was never big between the Bobcats, Ankeny and third-place finishers Waukee. It took four of the Bobcats’ six bowlers getting scores of 400-plus to stave off the Hawks. Heading into the bakers’ games the Bobcats held a 90-point advantage and weren’t able to build a bigger lead in their five runs.

One of the biggest surprises of the day was Kramer’s slow day at the office. The Bobcats’ leader finished fourth on his team with a score of 439 — but coach DJ Wilder pointed to this as a reason why Kramer is so important to this year’s team.

“It’s nice to have his leadership and know that he doesn’t have to do it all the time,” Wilder said. “He can count on his teammates.”

Not that Kramer didn’t have his moments, though. In the first Baker game, Kramer was part of a five-strike run and let out intense screams after each roll — firing up the Bobcats in the process on the way to a 226. After a 173 in the second game and 180 in the third, the fourth Baker game saw the Bobcats roll a 237 — the best of any team in the district. Marshalltown closed with a 176.

Dylan Cooper finished second on the team and tied for second in the district with a score of 468. Third on the team went to Logan Proffitt with a 453. Kramer was fourth and Xander Pickett fifth with a 358. Hunter Dannen had a 345.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - Demitri Ferneau shows a smile after finishing atop the boys’ field with 527 series.

The girls’ team was led by Kylee Witt, who finished second in the district with a score of 391. Witt was the emotional leader for the Bobcats throughout the meet, greeting strikes with fist pumps and cheers and getting into a groove during the second game of her individual run with a 224. The Bobcats were right in the game with third-place Waukee and district champion Cedar Rapids Kennedy, and Wilder said the team left pins out there.

“They played well,” Wilder said. “I think they were right there.”

Witt was emotional after the meet, taking on some of the frustrations of not being able to automatically qualify for state as a team. Witt has been battling through adversity the whole season after suffering an ankle injury early on. Witt said she pushed surgery on the torn tendon back so she could compete with her teammates.

She said no matter what it was worth it to be with her team all year.

“The season overall was really good,” Witt said. “There were many times I didn’t think I was going to finish. It’s been a long road.”

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

The Bobcats did not qualify as a team for state with their score of 2,573, missing out by less than 100 to the final at-large team, Cedar Rapids Prairie (2,660) and losing out to Cedar Rapids Kennedy in their district by 109 points (2,682). Emily Diggins was second on the team with a 373, followed by senior Ashly Wiegand with a 338. Senior Hannah Slifer rolled a 335, Sydney Dannen rolled a 284 and Madison Pickett rolled a 274 to round out the scoring for the Bobcats. Marshalltown scored 198, 167, 153, 182 and 152 in its Baker games, the most of the six teams competing.

The Bobcat boys will play Feb. 26 in Waterloo with the state championship on the line.

Class 3A District 3

At Marshalltown

GIRLS

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

Team Standings — 1. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 2,682, 2. Marshalltown 2,573, 3. Waukee 2,435, 4. Southeast Polk 2,391, 5. Mason City 2,379, 6. Ankeny 2,342.

Individual (top 10) — 1. Michaela Beckmann, CRK, 450; 2. Kylee Witt, MHS, 391; T-3. Isabel Tetmeyer, ANK, 389; T-3. Kiara Briggs, WAU, 389; 5. Erin Lacy, MC, 378; 6. Tristan Robinson, CRK, 377; 7. Ariana Chesmore, CRK, 374; 8. Emily Diggins, MHS, 373; 9. Lisa Messer, SEP, 370; 10. Katelynn Edmundson, SEP, 362.

CR KENNEDY (2,682) — Beckmann 214-236-450, Robinson 205-172 377, Chesmore 190-184-374, Bailey Schlake 146-189-335, Abby Hume 165-130-295, Taylor Schlake 124-148-272. Baker total: 851

MARSHALLTOWN (2,573) — Witt 167-224-391, Diggins 162-211-373, Ashly Wiegand 167-171-338, Hannah Slifer 188-147-335, Sydney Dannen 135-149-284, Madison Pickett 137-137-274. Baker total: 852

WAUKEE (2,435) — Briggs 201-188-389, Lauren Daley 181-148-329, Morgan Marean 157-170-327, Kyla Slauson 144-160-304, Cora Ostrem 133-161-294, Adria Steinmetz 127-154-281. Baker total: 792

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

SE POLK (2,391) — Messer 180-190-370, Edmundson 204-158-362, Jasmine Hill 181-166-347, Dezi Jones 127-147-274, Kendra Huitt 137-124-261, Sydney Dickey 143-105-248. Baker total: 777

MASON CITY (2,379) — Lacy 165-213-378, Hailee Wendel 204-123-327, Adrianne Ott 128-185-313, Maggie Arickx 140-160-300, Nathalie Angel 128-147-275, Lilly Meyer 120-102-222. Baker total: 786

ANKENY (2,342) — Tetmeyer 175-214-389, Alexa Bowers 169-175-344, Emma Harris 148-152-300, Beth Scoular 119-136-255, Cynthia Angran 126-127-253, Lynn Cronk 71-114-185. Baker total: 801

——

BOYS

Team Standings — 1. Marshalltown 3,237, 2. Ankeny 3,130, 3. Waukee 3,012, 4. Southeast Polk 2,892, 5. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 2,748, 6. Mason City 2,726.

Individual (top 10) — 1. Demitri Ferneau, MHS, 527; 2. (tie) Dylan Cooper, MHS, 468; Jensen Birdwell, SEP, 468; 4. Cameron Borst, WAU, 467; 5. Gage Payton, ANK, 458; 6. Logan Proffitt, MHS, 453; 7. Chris Winters, ANK, 447; 8. Lucas Kramer, MHS, 439; 9. Brandon Schumacher, ANK, 432; 10. Charlie Titus, WAU, 427.

MARSHALLTOWN (3,237) — Ferneau 269-258-527, Cooper 253-215-468, Proffitt 244-209-453, Kramer 224-215-439, Xander Pickett 179-179-358, Hunter Dannen 191-154-345. Baker total: 992

ANKENY (3,130) — Payton 244-214-458, Winters 214-233-447, Schumacher 238-194-432, Jeff Carothers 169-257-426, Blake Schumacher 193-199-392, Aidan Doruska 140-209-349. Baker total: 975

WAUKEE (3,012) — Borst 212-255-467, Titus 234-193-427, Tate Marsh 146-275-421, Joseph Barnes III 223-141-364, Seth Walter 210-150-360, Luke Adams 147-204-351. Baker total: 973

SE POLK (2,892) — Birdwell 268-200-468, Brandon Gregory 210-189-399, Zach Bianchi 236-149-385, Jacob Hedgecock 141-226-367, Jacob Bianchi 187-148-335, Alex Briggs 123-150-273. Baker total: 938

CR KENNEDY (2,748) — Dakota Harris 172-238-410, Jaxon Robinso 194-213-407, Lucas Dolphin 185-173-358, Dominic Foye 161-167-328, Hunter Leaven 152-176-328, Carson Musil 138-168-306. Baker total: 917

MASON CITY (2,726) — Andrew White 199-193-392, Aaron Pope 212-165-377, Nathan Frescaz 200-173-373, Ian Helin Frank 202-167-369, Iversen Quade 144-207-351, Joe Uker 156-160-316. Baker total: 864

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