10 BOYS BOWLERS TO WATCH: CLASS 6A
 

MIKE ANDERSON, OLATHE WEST

The Class 6A state champion as a freshman when he rolled a 660 series at state to win by 37 pins, Anderson hasn't quite been able to duplicate that performance despite improving his season average each of the last two seasons. Anderson posted a 223 average last year that ranked sixth in the state and had a high series of 724 that just missed being in the top 25 for the season. Anderson, who also plays basketball for the Owls, missed out on placing at state the past two seasons after his state title as a freshman, but was first-team All-Class 6A.


PJ DOKOLAS, OLATHE SOUTH

Dokolos finished seventh at last year's Class 6A state meet as a freshman, rolling a 670 series that had him just 16 pins from a top-three finish. He is the lone returner from a Falcon team that placed third at state last year.
 

MATTHEW HARTTER, WASHBURN RURAL

On a balanced Rural team that was led by different bowlers throughout the season, Hartter delivered his best at the Class 6A state tournament. Rolling a second-game 258, Hartter led the Junior Blues to a fourth-place team finish with a 675 series that placed him sixth individually, just 11 pins away from a third-place finish. Hartter finished 13th at regionals.
 

COLBY HOVERMALE, SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST

Hovermale showed flashes of being one of the top bowlers in Class 6A. He narrowly missed rolling one of the few boys' 300 games in the state last year, finishing with a 299 game. That led to a 748 series that ranked tied for 11th in the state overall. He finished the season with a 208 average and was a Class 6A regional and the Shawnee Mission School District champion. An 18th-place finisher at the state meet as a freshman in 2019 with a 548 series, Hovermale is looking to get back into medal contention this season after missing out the past two years and last year was a second-team All-Class 6A pick and first-team All-Sunflower League pick.
 

JASON MILLER, DERBY

Miller is one of the leaders on a Derby team that is eager to return to state after the Panthers came up one place short at regionals last season. Still, he advanced individually by winning the Topeka regional with a 668 series. Miller then took 13^th at state and finished the season with a 208 average that ranked 25th in the state, as did his season-best 725 series. Two seasons ago as a sophomore, he was a member of Derby's team that finished second to Olathe East in the 6A team race.

 

TYLER SMALLEY, WICHITA NORTHWEST

Smalley, a junior, was one of four underclassmen on Northwest's team that rallied during the Baker portion of the state tournament to win the 6A title last season. While the now-graduated Brandon Bonta was the individual champion and lone state medalist for the Grizzlies, Smalley helped Northwest reach state by finishing second at the West Acres regional with a 697 pinfall and and had a season-high series of 740 that tied for 14th-best in the state overall. He also won the Great Plains Bowling Tournament with a 740 series.
 

 
KADEN STRASSER, GARDEN CITY

Strasser delivered a solid freshman campaign for the Buffaloes last year. He enjoyed a late-season surge that was highlighted by the regional championship he claimed after bowling a 711 series. He was a second-team selection on the All-WAC bowling team, finishing ninth in the WAC individual standings. Strasser placed 31st in the Class 6A tournament at Wichita's North Rock Lanes with a 574 series.  

 

V-THOON THANASOUK, CAMPUS

Thanasouk, a senior, rolled games of 223, 235 and 255 to post a 713 series and finish second in last season's Class 6A state tournament behind Wichita Northwest's Brandon Bonta. The All-Class 6A first-team bowler led the Colts to a fifth-place team finish, matching its 2020 showing. Thanasouk improved his state pinfall total from his sophomore to junior seasons by 213 pins and finished with a season average of 213 that ranked 12th overall in the state.
 

CARSON TOEWS, LAWRENCE

Toews finished last season with a 198 average, posting a high game of 267 and high series of 718. He capped a strong season with a 680 series at the state meet that placed him fourth in Class 6A, just six pins away from third and 33 from second.

 

KADEN WHITEHURST, GARDEN CITY

Whitehurst, who has signed to bowl at Ottawa, was the Class 6A state champion in 2020, bowling a perfect game on the way to a 759 series. He was the Western Athletic Conference bowler of the year last year as a junior after finishing runner-up for that honor in his sophomore season. Whitehurst took ninth place at state last year with a 663 series. He has bowled 10 perfect games during his high school career.