WICHITA – After spending most of Thursday afternoon building a sizable cushion, the Hayden boys bowling team had to survive a gut-check moment before the Wildcats could call themselves state champions. 

Hayden put itself in good shape heading into the Baker format of the Class 4-1A tournament at Bowlero Northrock, leading by 93 pins (2,755-2662) after tenpin.

Things got interesting after Mulvane made up 39 pins during the third Baker game. Mulvane then really put pressure on Hayden by finishing its day with a 247 in the last Baker game, forcing Hayden to answer.

“We were scared out of our minds. We knew Mulvane was right there on us,” Hayden senior Trevor Christy said. “We knew that if we slipped up, it was over for us. That final game we just really had to focus and bowl the best we’ve ever bowled.”

Hayden delivered in a big way, unleashing a 276 in the final Baker game to wrap up its first bowling championship. The Wildcats struck out all the way until the 10th frame of their last game. 

“Baker was do or die,” Hayden senior John Strickland said. “We had two team huddles. We had two good games and then we started struggling and we got really nervous about Mulvane. 

“After the last huddle, we brought it. It was just all celebration from there. Everything felt good.”
 

Hayden opened the tournament with a 931, three pins better better than Mulvane, before exploding with a 1,026 in the second game to take a 181-pin advantage. 

“The momentum in the first game was monumental for us,” Christy said. “Having the energy after the first game, it just kept us alive. Without the energy today, I don’t think we would have won.”

The Wildcats finished with a 3,666 total to top runner-up Mulvane by 95 pins. 

“I told the boys (before the tournament): ‘You throw 3,500, you’ve got a good chance at winning state,’” Hayden coach Brian Hackett said. “We wouldn’t have won with 3,500. 

“It got real scary. The boys said: ‘We’ve got this.’ ”

Christy paced the Wildcats with a 698 series to take third place individually, recording his personal-best series by nearly 20 pins. 

“My goal for the year was each meet to get better and better,” Christy said. “I knew I had the potential to shoot high-600s or 700, but I’ve gotten tired. My arm has not been built up and my wrist would fall apart. Today, I focused in and made sure every shot was what I wanted.”

Strickland cracked the top five with a 685 series while Chase Blaser took seventh with a 676.

Strickland prides himself on being the emotional leader for the Wildcats. 

“It’s always been my role,” he said. “I’m the loud one. I just love these guys. They really lift you up.”

“These guys are like brothers,” Hackett said. “They’re awesome. They’re probably the best group I’ve had so far.”

Reece Renyer added a 16th-place showing for Hayden with a 636 while Kelton Meier (604) and Caston Meier (565) finished 21st and 32nd, respectively. 

Hayden's championship comes after the Wildcats placed fifth a year ago, which marked the first season Class 5A was separated from 4-1A. 

“It’s amazing,” Blaser said of the championship. “The whole season has been about: ‘We are good enough to win state, let’s improve and let’s go win it.’

“The feeling when we had it was surreal.”

Individual champion Joseph Cervantes anchored Mulvane's second-place team showing with a 713, nine pins ahead of individual runner-up Konnor Bretthauer from Andale. 

Andale took third place, followed by Buhler and Wichita Trinity Academy. 

TEAM SCORES 

Hayden 3,666, Mulvane 3,571, Andale 3,415, Buhler 3,203, Wichita Trinity Academy 3,171, Ottawa 3,058, McPherson 2,939, Circle 2,933.