The Prairie baker Tournament is widely regarded as the hardest baker tournament in the state where 20 of the best teams in the state compete in a 5 hour tournament that crowns only the grittiest of teams as the winner.
The day starts off with pool play, where every team bowls a round robin gaining points off of each win. 14 games are bowled per team with a win granting two points, a tie granting one, and a loss resulting in zero. Once the 14 baker games of qualifying are over, the top 8 teams advance to bracket play. Bracket play consists of three rounds where teams face off in a best two out of three.
The Girls
December 13th had come around and the girls tournament was underway. The day did not start the way the girls had hoped. They opened the tournament against North Scott, where they dropped both games and began the day 0-2. It was a tough start, but instead of letting the frustration take over, the team regrouped and gained control, Coaches Brandon Steen and Ken Ruddy delivered an encouraging pep talk, reminding the girls that there were still 12 games left and plenty of time to turn things around. With renewed confidence and belief in one another, the team reset and moved forward.
The message from Coach Steen sparked something special, The girls caught fire, going on an incredible 12-game winning streak to close out qualifying. They finished with 24 points, earning the #1 seed heading into bracket play and proving they were far from done.
Carrying that momentum into the bracket, the girls opened against eight seeded Linn-Mar and took care of business, winning both games and extending their streak to 14 in a row. Their next match up was against fifth-seeded Cedar Rapids Jefferson, whom the girls also swept. At that point, the team had won 16 straight games and was bowling with complete confidence.
Entering the championship match, the girls were ready for whoever stood in their way. The Clinton Riverqueens were the match up the Wahawks had wanted all day. Clinton had made it into the bracket as the third seed knocking out second-seeded Cedar Rapids Kennedy to meet the Wahawks. West took the first game 196-189, putting themselves in position to win it all. The second game was also good but Clinton captured it 214 to 179. This was their first game loss since the early morning. Now in the final game of the day, with everything on the line the Waterloo West High Wahawks defeated the Clinton Riverqueens 183-152. This final game showed the grit and determination the team had throughout the 5-hour-long tournament. Seniors Macy Smedley, Maya Knight, and Addison Simon were very grateful to finally win this tournament along with their Junior teammate Natalie Brown and Sophomore teammates Megan Sommerfelt and Lexi Peverill.
The Boys
December 20th, it was time the boys got their chance to make history. The team started qualifying strong, winning their first 10 games before later dropping a pair to Vinton-Shellsburg and splitting with Louisa-Muscatine. The boys qualified as the #2 seed and finished with the highest qualifying pin total as well. The record for the 14 qualifying games was 11-3. The total pinfall only comes into play for tie-breaker purposes and as a confidence booster.
Going into the finals with the same best of the 3 matches.. In match #1, the boys had a very back-and-forth match with seventh-seeded Keokuk that went down to the third game. Finishing the third game with 204-170 to win the first round of the finals to advance on. Next up… sixth-seeded North Scott, the Wahawk boys were proficient in this semifinal round and continued to dominate with back-to-back wins 248-213 and 213-180 sweeping the second round of finals. Putting the Wahawks into the championship match.
Fourth-seeded Lousia-Muscatine was the next opponent up, and they were just coming off a big win that put them into the championship. By this time, the guys were locked in and showing their confidence in one another. Not allowing anything to derail the dominance. Before the championship match had started the boys huddled up in a circle and broke down with the word “Family”. Proving to themselves that they were not just a team but something more that day. Every single one of them had each other’s backs no matter what and were prepared to get through it together as a family.
The championship match started off hot with both teams conveying their energy and assurance as a team. As the match went on and the intensity rose after each frame, the boys kept battling and won the first game 203-174. This only boosted the energy from there. Going into the second game of the championship match, the boys put up a big number against Louisa-Muscatine 258-206 to beat them and take the title of this years prairie baker tournament champions. The team consists of Seniors Jake Melcher, Aiden Berry, and Nick Tharp, along with Juniors Rush Steen and Davin Smith, as well as the lone underclassman, Sophomore Hunter Stiemel. All six of those guys are firm believers that this tournament was no accident and they have what it takes to go all the way.
Chemistry
That is the word the bowling program has made their main value this year. The boys specifically thrive with this with their bond growing over the years into a deep relationship with one another. The girls have also made chemistry a main priority although it may be difficult when losing a chunk of their roster every year.
Coach Brandon Steen had this to say when asked about chemistry being the team’s motto this season. “Team Chemistry is really important in what we do… I felt like they went through the process of increasing belief in one another as each day went on. There were some nerves in the beginning, but as the teams realized they had the support of their teammates behind them, their confidence grew and their belief in one another picked up. By the time both teams got to their finals, their interaction with each other and their present moment focus were really strong indicators that they would be tough to beat.”
Chemistry on a team is significant because it shapes how individuals communicate, trust one another, and work towards shared goals. When team members have strong chemistry, collaboration becomes smoother, conflicts are handled more easily, and everyone feels more motivated to contribute their best efforts. Good chemistry gains mutual respect and understanding, allowing people to complement each other’s strengths. This results in a team that operates with proficiency and overcomes challenges with ease.
