West Delaware collects third state bowling title since 2017

It came down to an anchor match. And Ethan Sellers understood his assignment.

West Delaware and Waterloo Columbus were neck-and-neck heading into the final frame of a series-deciding fifth game in Monday’s Class 1A boys state bowling semifinal at Cadillac XBC in Waterloo.

With a championship appearance at stake, the Hawks needed an opening — and for Sellers to capitalize.

“I had to strike out, and we needed Columbus’s anchor not to,” Sellers said.

Sellers opened the frame with a strike — Columbus left a nine — and the rest is history as West Delaware secured a 210-200 victory to advance.

“Ethan striking out in the 10th to win the Columbus match was just phenomenal. He’s anchored for us a lot,” West Delaware head coach Bob Morris said. “It was so exciting. Everybody was on pins and needles.”

Everyone, except Sellers.

“I guess I didn’t feel too nervous,” the junior said. “I knew what I had to do. I’ve been in that situation before. I was up there just praying that I’d be able to do what I knew I could to send us to the state championship.”

Sellers’ strikeout set the stage for a championship matchup against Charles City, a team that had beaten West Delaware at a tournament earlier this season.

This time, momentum was on the Hawks’ side.

West Delaware took games 1, 2 and 4, earning the program’s first state title since it went back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.

“It’s always everybody’s goal at the beginning of the season, as well as the eight teams that were down there,” Morris said. “You have that same dream and same aspirations to get a state championship.”

In addition to Sellers, senior Travyn Robbins-Sullivan, juniors Hayden Tucker and John Wickman, and freshmen Bradley Schiess and Cash Meyer were key contributors in West Delaware’s title run.

The Hawks qualified for the championship bracket and entered play as the No. 3 seed after posting a 3,245 in the 15-game Baker preliminaries on Monday.

“I thought we would have to bowl close to 3,200 to have a chance at that,” Morris said. “The kids did a good job of understanding lane conditions because when there are so many guys playing on the same track, that shot breaks down and you have to be willing to make some adjustments.

“We threw some bad shots like everyone else, but we were able to stay calm and come back and throw enough good ones to be competitive and come out on top.”

A few members of the 2017 and 2018 state title teams were in attendance to cheer on the Hawks in Waterloo, amplifying the atmosphere.

“We had the support of alumni who were on the championship teams,” Sellers said. “It was very special.”

West Delaware was making its ninth appearance at state and first since 2023. It ranked fifth in 1A in both team average (3,089) and Baker average (199).

On Feb. 6, the Hawks broke a school record, shooting a 3,475 in a triangular against Waterloo Columbus and Decorah.

“All of us together as a team really just put in the work this year,” Sellers said. “I’m just really happy with the overall group effort. I mean, none of us could have done it without each other.”