A fall sport which began in early November for Wayne Unified Bowling concluded with more memories in postseason action.
From Sun Valley Lanes & Games in Lincoln, the team of Ben Haschke, Graycen Trautman, Brady Colfack, Lily Gubbels and Payton Junck competed at the 2025 Unified Sports Bowling State Championships on Dec. 8.
The Blue Devil Unified team earned a #6 position in bracket play following a series of six baker trio games with total pinfall of 771 to determine the seeding round in the morning.
Wayne posted an early upset by knocking out #3 Auburn (3-2). The Blue Devils fell behind 0-2 before winning thanks to a reverse sweep.
Wayne then suffered a 3-0 loss to #2 Alliance in the Class B semifinal round falling by just one pin in the third game.
Head coach Maggie Gubbels said, "this is the best Wayne has ever placed at the state tournament. This group went above and beyond, truly living out the Unified Bowling mission of inclusion, teamwork and a fierce competitive spirit. We are so proud of this team."
Overall, this season has been an incredibly successful year for the entire Blue Devil Unified Bowling team including their largest group ever. There were eight athletes and 26 partners who demonstrated the strong support and enthusiasm for the program.
"This growth reflects that Wayne Schools and our students take pride in the mission of inclusion, developing meaningful friendships, fostering teamwork and celebrating abilities alongside our students with disabilities," said Gubbels.
This year's assistant coaches were Kelsey Heath, Brady Henderson and Mike Belt.
