Inver Grove Heights Adapted Bowlers Shine At State Tournament

Simley junior Abby Cochran was excited just to get a chance to compete at the 2011 Minnesota State High School League Adapted Bowling state tournament at Brunswick Zone in Eden Prairie on May 20.

She was ecstatic when she ended up winning the whole thing.

Cochran, a junior, bowled a 233 and a 227 for a two-game total of 460 to claim the girls’ PI division individual state title. Her teammate, seventh-grader Kayla Wamsted, finished second (224 - 213 - 437) giving Simley the top two finishers in the state. Another Spartan, eighth-grader China Lamar, finished fifth in the CI division. Lamar bowled a 205 and a 232 for a two-game total of 437, marking the second straight year she finished in the top 10 (she was eighth last year).

Cochran, Wamsted and Lamar were part of the 16-member Simley team that competed in the Adapted Bowling tournament, which is designed for students with disabilities. The athletes are divided into two categories: The PI division is for Physically Impaired athletes, while the CI Division is for Cognitively Impaired athletes. A PI athlete may use a ramp for placement and release of the ball, which both Cochran and Wamsted did with the aid of student helpers.  In adapted bowling, two games constitute a match. There were over 200 bowlers in both the PI and CI divisions from throughout the state.

As for Cochran, who is visually impaired, she picked a good time to put in her best performance of the season, said her coach, Jeanelle Soland.

"She bowled the best games of her life," said Soland. "We went into the tournament just hoping to perform well. They all sure picked a good time to put in their best performances. Usually when you go to a state tournament like this it’s the opposite, you sometimes struggle because there’s more pressure. But these girls went out and did it. We’re really proud of them.”

Cochran had no idea she had won when she finished her two games. Individual winners and top placers are announced at the end of the tournament after all scores are totaled. In fact, Cochran and the rest of the Simley bowlers had to wait about 45 minutes after they were done bowling to hear the final results.

"I was just really excited when I found out, I didn't expect it," said Cochran. "To hear them call my name as the winner was really a great feeling. I was very happy."

Soland said the team waited patiently to hear the final results, but erupted in joy once they found out their teammates finished first and second.

"The whole team was just so happy," said Soland. "It's an individual sport but they are really a team and always cheer for each other to do their best. It was really great to see."