Pictured, Columbia High School sophomore Justin Budde bowls on Friday in the IHSA state bowling tournament at St. Clair Bowl in Fairview Heights. He advanced to Saturday’s final as an individual, placing 24th overall. For more photos from the state tourney, visit www.republictimes.net/photo-store. (John Spytek photo)

The Columbia High School boys bowling team placed 15th out of 24 teams with a six-game score of 5,951 at the IHSA state tournament held Friday at St. Clair Bowl in Fairview Heights.

Only the top 12 teams advanced to the finals on Saturday.

Leading the way for the Eagles on Friday was sophomore Justin Budde, who rolled a 1,311 (218.5 average). He was followed by fellow sophomore Jacob Amos, who rolled a 1,219 (203 average).

Senior Cade Stein rolled a six-game score of 1,211 on Friday, good for a 202 average.

Sophomore Seth Harris rolled a five-game score of 886. Fellow sophomore Nathan Bostick rolled a 607 over three games (202 average).

Junior Sean Jerome rolled a three-game score of 532. Senior Hayden

Erpenbach rolled a 185 in his only game at state.

Columbia boys bowling last advanced to the state tourney as a team in 2003.
“The team fought hard all day on Friday, knocking down 5,951 total pins for the day on a modified lane condition — a first for state competition,” Columbia head bowling coach Keith Jeffrey said. “The team fought to the end — even to the point of Justin Budde and Cade Stein closing Friday’s match with six final strike.”

Columbia actually fell just 53 pins short of advancing as a team to Saturday’s finals.

“(It was) a fitting end for senior Cade Stein to conclude his high school career with the final three strikes in a row.  The pin fall earned the Eagles a 15th place finish,” Jeffrey said.

By virtue of Budde’s strong performance on Friday, he earned the right to advance to Saturday’s final as an individual.

Budde managed to continue to climb up the leader board on Saturday, finishing with a 24th place finish out of 150 total who started at state.

He finished his state performance with an overall per game average of 215.

“Congratulations to the boys on a great year,” Jeffrey said.

Budde — who rolled a perfect 300 game earlier this season — will return next season to anchor a promising Columbia bowling squad, along with Amos, Harris, Bostick and Jerome.

The Eagles placed second at the Collinsville Sectional at Camelot Bowl on Jan. 21 to advance to state. The Eagles finished with a total team score of 6,449, just 70 pins behind first place Belleville East.

Columbia was led at the sectional by Amos, who finished eighth overall with a 1,339. His per game average over those six games was 223.