The Collinsville High School boys bowling team qualified for the State Tournament by hanging on to the sixth, and final, qualifying spot in the Mascoutah Sectional Saturday.

Image by Roger Starkey

The Kahoks will compete Friday and Saturday in the State Tournament, held at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon. Collinsville will be returning to State for the first time since a fourth-place finish in 2009.

Columbia made a late charge, Collinsville Head Coach Sean Hay said, but Collinsville’s strong start was enough to secure the final qualifying spot by a four-pin margin. Five of the six qualifying teams from the Sectional, held in Belleville, were from the Southwestern Conference.

Also qualifying for State were Alton, O’Fallon, Belleville West and Sectional Champion Belleville East. Granite City finished 8th.

Brandon Boehnke led the Kahoks with a 1274 score, followed by freshman Clay Hartman (1271), Eddie Fiudo Jr. (1213), Justin Vishy (1198) and Matt Recklein (1119).