CLASS 4-1A BOYS BOWLERS TO WATCH IN 2026
 

KONNOR BRETTHAUER, ANDALE

Bretthauer helped Andale collect its first state boys bowling trophy last season, leading the Indians to a third-place finish in Class 4-1A as he finished runner-up to Mulvane’s Joseph Cervantes in the individual competition. Bretthauer rolled a season-best 256 in the second game of state individual qualifying, then closed with a 233 to vault from seventh to second behind Cervantes with a season-best 704 series. Bretthauer’s showing came two weeks after he won the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail III-IV individual title with a 677 series. Bretthauer, an All-4-1A second-team selection, was the lone underclassman on Andale’s state roster and led the Indians with a 197 average.
 

SHANE CIRCLE, OTTAWA

Circle is no stranger to the state bowling tournament. The Ottawa senior will try for his fourth consecutive trip to state this season. As a sophomore, Circle won the Class 4-1A inaugural state tournament for the Cyclones and was poised for a repeat performance last season. However, he suffered a separated shoulder during his junior football season, which put him behind the rest of the pack. After recovering from the injury, Circle battled to take ninth overall last year with a 663. His high mark came on Jan. 24 at Fusion Alley when he rolled a 299, and his best high-series was also at that event with a 734. He is also a 3-sport athlete for the Cyclones as he participates in football and baseball.  
 

BLAKE DRYDEN, HOLCOMB

Dryden posted two series in the 600s last season as a sophomore, including a career-best 645 that earned him a 13th-place state medal. Dryden will look to build off a sophomore season that saw him produce a 174.04 average in eight meets. His high game was a 237 he shot at Northrock Lanes Feb. 1. At state, he rolled an opening 235 and followed it up with two straight 205 games.
 

JAXON HORNECKER, MULVANE
 
Hornecker earned All-Class 4-1A second-team honors after helping the Wildcats post a runner-up team finish to Hayden at state. Now a senior, Hornecker finished sixth individually at state with a season-best 677 series that included his high game of the season (248) to kick off the tournament. Hornecker’s 199 season average was second on the team to now-graduated Joseph Cervantes, who won the 4-1A individual title. Hornecker, who posted five top-5 individual finishes last season, is one of three returnees from Mulvane’s state team. 
 

TUCKER HUBAND, WASHINGTON COUNTY

Huband was Washington County’s lone state qualifier last year, earning his second straight state appearance. He also earned his second straight state medal with a strong showing at the Class 4-1A state meet. After placing 14th at state as a sophomore, Huband duplicated that showing with a 14th-place finish again last year. He rolled a 639 series at state – 57 pins shy of his season-best of 696 – but 43 pins better than his 2024 state performance. Huband finished last season with a 199 average, which ranked among the tops in Class 4-1A. He’ll look to become Washington County’s second state champion in his final season with Cody Metz claiming the 5-1A crown in 2022.
 

TANNER MCALLISTER, HESSTON
 
McAllister enters his junior season as one of the state’s top returning bowlers. He posted a 221 average last winter – good for 10^th on the state honor roll. After competing with Newton during the regular season as part of a co-op the past two years, McAllister, an All-Class 4-1A first-team selection, will lead a Hesston team that has formed a new co-op with Moundridge. McAllister, who rolled a pair of 700 series last season, won a regional title before finishing fourth at the Class 4-1A state meet. He rolled a 693 for his second individual state medal after taking 13^th as a freshman with a 610. McAllister’s high series last season was a 754 at one of Newton’s home meets. 
 

KELTON MEIER, HAYDEN
 
It was a tad bit of a bittersweet state meet for Meier a year ago. Clearly the high for Meier was helping Hayden capture the first team state championship in program history as the Wildcats posted a team total of 3,666 to win by nearly 100 pins over Mulvane. But while four of his teammates finished with individual medals as well as top-20 finishers, Meier fell agonizingly short of making it five individual placers as his 604 series left him 21st, one pin away from a tie for 20th. Meier had been Hayden’s leader throughout the season, carrying a team-high 213 average while also posting the Wildcats’ only 700 series with a 706. Meier will look for a bit of individual state redemption this year as a junior and teams with returning placer and classmate Reece Renyer to give Hayden a strong duo after graduation claimed the rest of last year’s state championship team.

 

MARIO MURILLO, HESSTON
 
Murillo, a junior, will team with classmate Tanner McAllister to give Hesston one of the state’ top 1-2 punches as it forms a new co-op program with Moundridge. Murillo finished 11^th at the Class 4-1A state meet last season with a 660 series after a fourth-place regional finish. Competing with Newton as part of a regular-season co-op the last two seasons, Murillo closed his series at the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail II league meet with a 300 game last February, finishing fifth individually with a 693 series, just off his season-best 705. Murillo finished the 2025 season with a 218 average, among the top 20 for all classes. 
 

REECE RENYER, HAYDEN

Hayden captured the first state championship in program history last year and Renyer played a key role in that breakthrough performance. Renyer was one of four individual placers for the Wildcats, finishing 16th with a 636 series at the state meet. That was his high series for the season, a series highlighted by a career-best 279 game in his second game. Renyer finished with a 192 average that ranked third on the team. With Hayden graduating its other three state placers and four overall, Renyer and fellow junior Kelton Meier, who led the Wildcats with a 213 average, will be the foundation blocks as the Wildcats reload to go after another state title.
 


 

JACKSON SNOWDEN, ATCHISON

Snowden has done nothing but improve for the Atchison High bowling team as he enters with fourth season. The Phoenix senior took a big step forward last season as he helped them to a Meadowlark Conference championship and won a regional title with his best performance of the season. Snowden recorded a high series of 638 during the regional tournament at Gage Center as he bowled over a 200 in all three games. At state he rolled a 517 and had an average of 193 on the year, which was up from 170 the year before. His high game came last February at KC Bowl where he tallied a 266.