Girls Bowling Team claims second consecutive State Championship

The Merrill-Tomahawk Girls Bowling Team captured their second straight State Championship at the Division 2 Girls Bowling Tournament held March 8-9, 2025.
“The girls bowled 15 baker-style games, rolling a total of 2,820 pins during the tournament,” said Head Coach Melissa Wilke. “That is an average of 188 a game.”
In baker-style bowling, five or six team members collaborate on a single game. For the Merrill-Tomahawk squad, four girls bowled two frames each and two girls bowled one frame each per game, Wilke explained.
The Championship team is a cooperative effort between schools, featuring five Merrill-area students (Peyton Smith, Marley Krueger, Avery Frisch, Bella Kottke, and Izzy Scheffler) and one Tomahawk-area student (Jayden Dellinger). They faced off against 11 other teams to claim the title.
After completing their qualifying rounds, the Merrill-Tomahawk team was in the lead. “When all was said and done, Saturday evening the girls were seated in first place by 60 pins over the second place seat,” Wilke said.

While the Merrill-Tomahawk team awaited Sunday’s Championship match, teams placed second through fifth competed in roll-offs to determine who would face the top-seeded squad. Watertown’s Girls Team emerged as the finalist.
In Sunday’s Championship round, “the girls bowled two games against Watertown’s Girls Team. For finals; it is two games in baker style and total pin fall wins,” Wilke explained. The Merrill-Tomahawk team posted scores of 184 and 171 for a combined 355, enough to secure their second straight Division 2 State Championship.
“I am beyond proud of these girls,” Wilke said. “They have grown in skill and camaraderie. It has been my honor to coach these girls through another Championship.”
Wilke acknowledged the crucial role of parental support in the team’s success and shared how the community rallied around the champions upon their return home. Les ‘n Jim’s Lincoln Lanes changed their sign to celebrate the team’s success and “When we got to town, the Merrill Fire Department, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, and the Merrill Police Department honored the girls with a parade/escort from McDonald’s to Lincoln Lanes. That was so nice of them.”
Other local businesses joined in celebrating the team’s achievement. “A&W gave our girls root beer floats as a gift and their show of support for our girls!” Wilke said. After team photos, “Humphrey’s Gin Mill in town showed their support by throwing a welcome back and congratulations get-together, giving the girls ‘Bluejay Tails,’ a twist on the kiddie cocktail, only blue for Bluejays, and they ordered in pizzas for us! A huge thank you to them for their support!”
Looking ahead, Coach Wilke is optimistic: “The future for all these girls is bright, and I look forward to seeing what it holds for all of them!”