March 2, 2022 at 3:34 p.m.
Litzen gears up for final run at high school bowling state tournament
Litzen gears up for final run at high school bowling state tournament
Two years ago he was on a Rhinelander area club boys' team that made it all the way to the stepladder finals of the event, eventually placing fifth. Last year, Litzen struggled individually, finishing well down in the rankings.
The senior has one more crack at the state tournament this weekend in the Fox Cities, and while he said he has some lofty goals for this weekend, there's also less pressure than previous trips.
"I'm excited to be able to do it again, being able to experience it again and having fun," Litzen told the River News. "That's the big thing, do be able to do it again. Maybe last year wasn't the best of showings, but this year maybe we can make it to the next round or to the finals this year."
Litzen made those comments last week at practice prior to averaging more than 250 pins per game Sunday to win the top division of the WiHSBC District 9 singles tournament at Nick's Hodag Lanes (see story at right) . Repeating that performance this weekend could put Litzen well on his way to making a deep run at state.
"His confidence level is even higher going into Friday for state competition here," coach Mike Bourcier said. "He changed a couple of little things in practice, came out in youth league Saturday and bowled well, shot 730. It kind of got him in the groove. He got his form back a little bit. He relaxed and it carried over."
After being part of a state qualifying team two years again, Litzen made it for the first time individually last year. Things didn't go as planned, however, at Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley. He shot 143 in his opening game and things did not pick up much from there as he shot a 495 series and finished 77th.
"It's hard. You go against the top bowlers in the state of Wisconsin," Litzen said. "You don't get the easiest of (oil) patterns. You don't get the easiest of lane conditions. Mental game is a big swing just because it's state. Nerves get into effect, but I guess this year, I'm just hoping to have a good weekend."
Litzen made it to state last year by finishing fourth in the D9 standings with a season-long fill percentage of .8623. Litzen improved this year - his fill percentage rising to .8754 - but so did the rest of the district. He was relatively safe to be among the 10 D9 boys who qualified for state heading into the final conference match Feb. 20 in Rothschild, but he needed a strong 17-of-18 fill day to vault into fifth in the final standings, which earned him a repeat trip to represent D9 at the Wisconsin All-Star Team Challenge next weekend in Fond du Lac.
The state tournament gets underway this evening at Sabre Lanes in Menasha where Litzen will be joined by roughly 100 of the other top boys' bowlers in the state. The top 25% of the field, based on tonight's three-game series, will move over to Super Bowl in Appleton for Saturday night's semifinals. After another three-game series the bowlers with the five best combined totals will make it to Sunday morning's stepladder finals. There the fifth seed will bowl the fourth seed, with the winner advancing to face the third seed, and so on until someone earns the right to take on the No. 1 seed in the state championship match.
Four years ago Litzen watched as another Hodag bowler, Darin Bloomquist, parlayed the No. 1 seed into a state title. Rhinelander has not had another bowler make the stepladder finals since - something Litzen hopes to change.
"His first goal is to make Saturday, which he can do," Bourcier said. "He wants to do what Darin did. He wants to be the second bowler Rhinelander to win state. He has all he capabilities. (Last) weekend showed it here."
Litzen added it's been strange seeing things come full circle as he's now the elder statesman on the team.
"It's always been being able to look up at the high schools and just see, 'Wow, these guys are striking every time,'" he said. "Seeing them go to state and Darin Bloomquist winning state, that was a big (moment) for me because I was good friends with Darin at the time. Seeing that and being part of that and now seeing the younger kids look up to me and me helping them, it's really cool to see that."
Bourcier said he will not be able to be with Litzen this weekend due to a scheduling conflict. However, Litzen will have a very familiar voice in his corner this weekend as with his father - Rhinelander assistant coach Kevin Litzen - calling the shots.
"There's the ups and downs, the arguments even here at the bowling alley or at home, but it's really cool to be able to have a dad as a coach, and Mike," Kody Litzen said. "Mike's been there since I was a little kid as well. Just having those two coaches who are willing to help and spend hours volunteering their time for us bowlers to get better, it's really cool."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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