District Four Bowlers Prepare for State Tournament

The District Four High School Bowling season came to an end at Prairie Lanes in Sun Prairie on Monday February 19th. It was all Sun Prairie, as the Cardinals did the season sweep - winning the Varsity Boys, Varsity Girls, and Junior Varsity divisions. This marks the first time that any school has swept the districts' three divisions.

This does not bring the season to a close. The Cardinals of Sun Prairie will lead a talented field of area schools to Wausau for the Wisconsin High School State Championships March 2, 3 and 4. Also competing in the boys division will be Madison La Follette, Verona, Monona Grove, Waunakee, Cambridge/Deerfield, Madison East and DeForest. In the girls division, a young Sun Prairie team with five sophomores and a freshman will lead Deforest and an experienced Verona team to state.

All teams will be competing for that coveted State title starting Saturday March 3rd by bowling fifteen baker games - with the top five qualifying teams bowling Sunday, March 4th in the televised step ladder finals.

The districts best individuals will be vying for their shot at a Singles title. Madison LaFollette qualified four bowlers, led by brothers Corey and Kyle Schmidt, Corey Crose and Tad Scharnke. They will lead a strong contingent of bowlers including Luke Anderson, Ryan Steele and Drew Latch from Verona, Kevin Morrical and Justin Faltersack from Sun Prairie, Cody Schwitchenberg and Luke Hoppe of Madison East, Mason Zimmer from DeForest, Toby Probst from Cambridge/Deerfield and Sauk Prairies' Shannon Udelhofen. Brooke Raimond will set the stage for the girls. Accompanying her to state will be Steph Coren and Melanie Darga of Verona, Jessica Sempf and April Kaczar of Sun Prairie and Tiffany Kroon of Deforest.

The individual competition begins Friday March 2nd . Bowlers will bowl three games, with the top 16 girls and 32 boys advancing. The second round of three games will be bowled Saturday evening with the top five competing Sunday morning in the televised step ladder final.

This field of teams and individuals bring high expectations for the district at the 2007 Championships, as it's been four years (2003) since the Sun Prairie High School brought home the only State team championship and three years (2004) since Bobbi Breunig of Sun Prairie won the only individual title for District Four.

- John Breunig