The Newton girls bowling team will compete in the Class 2A Girls State Bowling Tournament in Waterloo starting at 3 p.m. today. The Cardinals are one of eight teams that advanced from the four state qualifying meets that were held Monday, February 2nd. They placed second at the eight-team State Qualifying Tournament in Clinton with a score of 2,553, which was the fourth-highest pin total of the eight qualifying schools. The Newton girls put a winning streak together to start the season, and coach Christie Lester says they’ve been peaking after some mid-season setbacks.

“They ran into a rough patch for a couple of meets and then skyrocketed right back out of it. It’s been great watching them come together as a team, and they seem to work really well under pressure.”

Newton bowler Gabbie Humphrey will also make her second-straight appearance in the Individual Girls State Bowling Tournament at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Her qualifying score of 598 was the 4th highest in Clinton, and the 12th highest of the 32 individual qualifiers. 

The 2026 Class 2A Iowa High School State Bowling Tournament takes place at Cadillac XBC in Waterloo.