Oilar qualifies for state

CEDAR RAPIDS - It's not easy getting to the state bowling tournament, and that was apparent on Tuesday as the vast majority of Union Area bowlers saw their seasons come to an end at districts. The area still has one left on the lanes, however, as Mt. Pleasant senior Ethan Oilar qualified for the Class 2A state tournament as an at-large qualifier.

Oilar and the Panthers bowled at the Class 2A District 5 tournament hosted by Cedar Rapids Xavier. Oilar finished third in the boys standings with a score of 459.

Oilar rolled a 202 in his first game, putting him in dire straits for a qualification. He improved his next game by 55 pins, however, rolling a 257 to finish right on the bubble, with a 459.

When the at-large qualifier list came out after all district meets were finished, Oilar was one of the last two Class 2A boys to make the list. He and Xavier's Dale Weaver, who tied for third in the district, also tied for 11th overall in the class. The top 12 advanced.

The Fairfield girls nearly had a qualifier in their Class 1A district at Louisa-Muscatine. Trojan junior McKayla Taylor bowled a personal best of 362, which would have qualified her in a different district, as the last district champion in Class 1A also bowled a 362. She finished 36 pins short of an at-large berth.

Oilar will represent the area at the Class 2A state meet in Waterloo on Tuesday, February 25.