Whitehurst rolls 300 game in winning 6A Boys Bowling title

Kaden Whitehurst with the leaderboard after taking the 6A Boys State Championship (Garden City Athletics)

Sometimes, you have to be prefect to be good enough. In the case of Kaden Whitehurst, he just had to be perfect once to be good enough to take gold on the lanes in Wichita on Thursday.

At the Class KSHSAA Class 6A State Bowling Championships, Whitehurst rolled a 300 game - tossing 12 strikes in 12 shots, or a perfect game - on his way to a 759 series, which was good enough to take top individual medalist honors at the Class 6A Boys Championships at Northrock Lanes in Wichita.

Whitehurst outscored Spenser Griffin of Olathe Northwest, who was second with a 751 series, and Silas Limes of Whichia-Heights, who rolled a 720 set. Chase Clausing of Topeka-Washburn Rural rolled a 702, making four individuals who posted a 700 series or better.

Kaden Whitehurst's 300 was in his second game at the 6A Boys State Bowling Championships (@GCHSBowling)

Whitehurst shot a 235 in his opening game, then followed the 300 with a 224 to finish with the 759 set.

Garden City ended up tied for 2nd in the team race, but their lowest three-game series among their top 5 bowlers was 26 pins fewer that Derby's fifth, which gave Derby the silver. Olathe East won the team crown.

Garden City's Caleb Carr also finished in the Top 20, posting a 642 set to finish in 14th place individually.

Whitehurst and Carr were joined by teammates Justin Erwin, Jayce Farr, Dionicio Resendiz and Ty Weliert. The Buffaloes qualified out of the Liberal Regional, finishing second last week to Haysville-Campus.

Also qualifying for state on the boys side were Logan Esquibel of Dodge City, who finished 22nd with a 625 series, and Cooper Clumsky of Liberal, who rolled at 553 set.

The Girls State Championships are taking place Thursday afternoon, also in Wichita.

Garden City's team of Holly Bridges, Britney Cruz, Emilee Giger, Karly Larson, Angelina Leeper and Lily Leeper qualified for the state tournament, as did individual bowlers Camryn Lenz of Dodge City and Caitlyn Carlile of Liberal.