Tea Area boys varsity bowling team finishes fifth at State Tournament
The Tea Area High School Boys Varsity Bowling team secured a commendable fifth place finish at the 2025 South Dakota High School Bowling Association (SDHSBA) State Bowling Tournament, held on Friday, February 21, in Yankton.
The SDHSBA’s mission is to provide high school students with the opportunity to experience the spirit of team competition and community pride while participating in a sport they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.
The Tea Area bowling program is led by coaches Chris Abbas, Kisha Abbas, Joe Melin and Patrick Staples.
The Boys Junior Varsity (JV) team competed on Thursday, February 13, while the Girls JV and Varsity teams took to the lanes on Thursday, February 20. The Boys Varsity team wrapped up the season with their end-of-year competition on Friday, February 21.
Reflecting on the season, Coach Kisha Abbas shared her pride and appreciation for the team.
“I cannot even begin to express what an honor it is to coach alongside three other coaches—Chris Abbas, Joe Melin, and Patrick Staples—these amazing kids. The thing I love most about the end-of-year tournament is seeing the kids come together to bowl in the Baker format and truly function as a team,” she said.
The JV teams combined forces with other schools to compete this season. The Boys JV team partnered with Sioux Falls Christian, while the Girls JV team joined Harrisburg.
According to Kisha, the athletes quickly bonded and celebrated each other as if they had bowled together all season.
“I loved witnessing this,” she added.
The Tea Area Varsity Girls team delivered a strong performance on Feb. 20. They won their first match and narrowly lost their second match to the top-ranked team in the conference by just a few pins.
“The words from the other team’s coach was….’That was a little too close for comfort’,” Kisha said. “I love that our girls made them work for it....unfortunately, they lost their third match and were done. I would take these girls, their attitudes, and sportsmanship over winning any day. I’m proud of how they have risen above this year!”
Girls team members for Tea Area included: Gracie Abbas, Phoebe Andersen, Claire Arnebeck, Alexis Escobedo, Sage Fanning, Caydence Fields, Malia Lydic, Madison Olese, Kiarra Osterman, Myranda Schnasa, and Jocelyn VanWestern.
The Boys Varsity team provided thrilling moments throughout the tournament. After the qualifying round, they were in tenth place. Despite a heartbreaking loss by just one pin in their first match, they rallied to win their next two matches before falling to Harrisburg in their final match. Their efforts earned them an impressive fifth place finish overall.
Boys team members included Landen Madsen, Dominic Bartscher, Joey Andersen, Aiden Johnsen, Jadon Johanneson, and Ashton Hoover, under the guidance of Coaches Joe Melin and Chris Abbas.
“They should all be so proud! I know us coaches sure are!” Kisha added.