Goddard’s Kacey Collins looks for bowling redemption

Goddard bowler Kacey Collins got all the motivation she needed for her upcoming senior season as a spectator at the Class 5-1A tournament last March.

It was a strange feeling for Collins, who swapped basketball for bowling as her winter high school sport as a sophomore and finished the 2015 season with a seventh-place finish at state.

But an off day at last year’s regional tournament resulted in a 513 series, a 19th-place finish and no advancement to the season-ending tournament at Northrock Lanes.

“I really want to get back there and prove to myself that I can do it again,” Collins said. “After having an outstanding sophomore year, I really wasn’t able to take advantage of that as a junior.”

Collins’ health played a factor in a season that didn’t meet her standard. A hyperextended knee cut short Collins’ cross country participation, and the soreness followed her into bowling.

“I’d get a little pain every once in a while and wasn’t able to do as much as I wanted,” Collins said. “I practiced 10 times more as a sophomore and got all those repetitions. Not being able to do that put a strain on how consistent I could be every day.”

Still, Collins’ season was good enough to land her All-Class 5A honors for the second time from the Kansas Bowling Coaches Association. She will be a key piece for Robert Rehse as he transitions from an assistant’s role to Goddard’s head coach after Kevin Andes moved to Topeka.

“The sky is the limit in terms of her ability,” Rehse said. “It’s more of a mental game for Kacey. She has all the tools – a good ball release, her motion is consistent and there are no hitches or flaws in her mechanics.”

Those skills have been honed over a lifetime of bowling in youth leagues and with family. Her parents, Dustin and Michelle, also compete and her brother, Brandon, qualified for state with Goddard’s boys team as a freshman last year.

With interest from college programs, Collins has turned her focus toward bowling. The Lions return others with varsity experience in seniors Stormi Rist and Justice Edwards, and sophomore Sierra Coldwater.

But as Goddard’s most accomplished bowler, Collins has responded to Rehse’s calling to fill a leadership role.

“I definitely feel that,” Collins said. “We have a lot of people who have never done it or just have done it for one year. I’ve been trying to lend them a little bit of my knowledge.”

This story was originally published December 31, 2016 at 3:01 PM with the headline "Goddard’s Kacey Collins looks for bowling redemption."