KJ Burns leads Buffs to sixth straight WAC title
There was very little drama when it came to the 2025 Western Athletic Conference boys’ bowling schedule.
With eight matches on a double round-robin schedule, and with each match competing for 13 total points in two different formats, the perfect score for a team would be 104 points.
Garden City’s Buffaloes put the season on cruise control and won their sixth straight conference championship with 96 of that possible 104 points. Dodge City was a distant second with 56 points, Great Bend third with 54, Hays fourth with 35 and Liberal fifth with 18.
The Buffaloes have been the dominant force in boys’ bowling in the WAC, and now have won six consecutive conference titles.
Leading the way for a veteran cast was senior KJ Burns, who captured WAC Bowler of the Year honors for the second time in three years. He averaged a stellar 232.29 per game during WAC matches.
Burns was atop the list along with three of his senior teammates as the Buffs dominated the all-conference list.
Having won the WAC award as a sophomore, Burns watched his then senior teammate, Kaden Strasser, capture the honor in 2024, averaging 221.08 to Strasser’s 223.66.
In a repeat of 2024, the Buffs’ also occupied all four top spots on the first team with Athen Villarreal second (219.20), Bo Roth third at 217.96 and Karsten Nichols fourth at 205.63. Nichols and Roth were third and fourth a year ago.
Dodge City’s Ethan Pogue (197.42) and Great Bend’s Xander Orth (189.20) rounded out the top six on the first team.
Second-team selections included Daegan Miller of Great Bend (188.38), Derek Bridges of Garden City (186.46), Josiah Ridgway of Dodge City (181.66), Quinten Miller of Great Bend (179.42), William Clark of Hays (177.14) and Kanyen Parr of Great Bend (176.79).
Burns credits a change in his mental approach as to the primary reason for his improvement.
“Honestly, the mentality part is the biggest change for me,” Burns said. “Last year, it seemed like I focused on non-relevant bowling issues and I was not at my best. This year, I just go and bowl.”
One of the most challenging aspects of the WAC double round-robin schedule is bowling on different sets of lanes with different oil conditions.
“You have to be as versatile as possible and understand when you have to change your lines and also change balls,” Burns said. “You’re facing challenges on the lanes in every match we bowl because they are all difficult houses.”
Burns’ stellar season has included a perfect 300-game at Hays and a 781 series on his home Garden Bowl lanes. In his seven league matches, he was over 700 series four times, once over 600 (669) and twice just under 600 (595/575).
“There’s only been a couple of events where the adjustments were extremely difficult and it was tough to find the right line,” Burns said.
With a supporting cast of veteran bowlers, Burns said the challenge at times was to not bowl down to the level of the competition.
“You have to find ways to challenge yourself and not get ahead of yourself,” Burns said. “When we bowl in Wichita (four times each season), you can’t let that happen.”
Winning the 6A regional against elite teams such as Derby, Wichita Northwest and Campus provides Burns and his teammates with a shot of confidence heading to state (March 7).
“When we’re on, I believe we’re one of the best teams in the state,” Burns said. “But there’s no easy route.”
For Burns and his teammates, the big difference may come in the Baker format where a bowler never bowls two frames consecutively, alternates with his other team members and usually bowls two frames per game.
“You have to keep your intensity up and stay in the moment,” Burns said. “If you start off hot, you have to remind yourself there are still three games remaining.”
When he came onto the high school scene in 2022, Burns was considered one of the top freshman in Kansas and didn’t disappoint. He has now twice been 6A runner-up (2022 and 2023) and then had a disappointing 12th place finish a year ago.
“There’s still a little business left undone and that would be to bring back a state team championship and also win individually,” Burns said. “I can’t think of a better way to finish my high school career.”
Burns’ plans for the future will include attending Newman University in Wichita where he will compete for the school’s bowling team. He plans to pursue a degree in business management with the idea of staying around the bowling scene as long as possible.”
He’ll remember a number of highlights with his top ones including the 300 game at Hays and the team victory at the Great Plains Invitational.
Western Athletic Conference – Boys Bowling
Final Team Standings
1. Garden City, 96; 2. Dodge City, 56; 3. Great Bend, 54; 4. Hays, 35; 5. Liberal, 18.
Note: Each match is worth 13 points for a total of 104.
2025 All-WAC First Team
| NAME | SCHOOL | AVERAGE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KJ Burns | Garden City | 232.29 |
| 2 | Athen Villarreal | Garden City | 219.20 |
| 3 | Bo Roth | Garden City | 217.96 |
| 4 | Karsten Nichols | Garden City | 205.63 |
| 5 | Ethan Pogue | Dodge City | 197.42 |
| 6 | Xander Orth | Great Bend | 189.20 |
2025 All-WAC Second Team
| NAME | SCHOOL | AVERAGE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Daegan Miller | Great Bend | 188.38 |
| 8 | Derek Bridges | Garden City | 186.46 |
| 9 | Josiah Ridgway | Dodge City | 181.66 |
| 10 | Quinten Miller | Great Bend | 179.42 |
| 11 | William Clark | Hays | 177.14 |
| 12 | Kanyen Parr | Great Bend | 176.79 |
WAC Coach of the Year: Tyson Clark, Dodge City
