Warriors battle to the end but come up one game short
Waldorf men’s bowling team takes second in first tournament of the year.
By: Damon Helgevold
After a tough fought last game, Waldorf fell to a close second against Morningside College in the finals of the Stout State Open.
The Warriors qualified second behind Morningside after nine individual games. During individuals, the Warriors were led by sophomore Kyle Swiderski who averaged 201 through nine games and senior Nick Heimerman who ended the weekend with an average of 197. With those averages and pin falls, both Swiderski and Heimerman were placed on the all-tournament team. Swiderski finished third and Heimerman fifth.
“Personally, this was my best tournament yet. I was really happy how I stayed in the moment day one. Day two was definitely tougher, and it affected me mentally,” Swiderski said.
“I finished fifth, which is my personal best finish. I look forward to our next tournament, where I hope to motivate and guide the team once again,” Nick Heimerman said.
Waldorf also had big averages by sophomore Damon Helgevold (186), who placed 13th, junior Michael Templin (188 in eight games), who placed 24th, and sophomore Roger Harford (185) who placed 26th. At the end of the weekend the Warriors accumulated a team average of 191.
Bowling is a team sport, and the whole team contributed in the Warriors reaching the finals of the Stout State Open two years in a row.
“It was awesome how the team picked me up amd brought me back into the game. I’m excited to see where we will go this year,” Swiderski said.
The Warriors reached the finals after defeating Minnesota State 2-1 in the semifinals. Waldorf went up against top-seed Morningside to bowl for the title. After the Warriors jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, the momentum swung. Lucky breaks went the Mustangs way, and they won three straight games to take the title 3-2 in the best of five series.
Waldorf made strides this weekend and is looking forward to the rest of the season. The young team looks to build off of the momentum created this weekend and will give them guidance down the stretch as they try to make it to their second straight postseason.
“The team performed exceptionally well for our first tournament of the season. I was very impressed by how well our young talent stepped up and made the shots. We transitioned well as a team and that is reflected by our second-place finish. I was especially impressed by the performance of Kyle Swiderski. He led the tournament after day one and in my eyes was the MVP of match play for us,” Heimerman said.
Waldorf is back in action this weekend in Cedar Rapids for a two-day tournament hosted by Mount Mercy. This will be the second tournament of the season.