Leon County was represented by Lincoln High School’s boys bowling team and three individual bowlers from Rickards High School at the 2026 FHSAA Bowling state tournament, held Oct. 27–29 at Boardwalk Entertainment Center.
Lincoln earned a place in the boys team bracket after finishing 15th in the state qualifying round, while Rickards bowlers Jayden Peterson, John Nance and Grace Lee competed in the individual qualifying rounds. Although none of the three Rickards bowlers advanced to the final 16 in their respective divisions, all three recorded finishes among the competitors at the state finals.
Lincoln Reaches the Team Bracket
Lincoln finished 15th among 32 teams in the boys team qualifying round, recording a four-game total of 3,918 pins to secure one of the 16 places in the team bracket.
The Trojans’ qualifying lineup included Dylan Fell, who led Lincoln with 832 pins to finish 56th overall among 207 bowlers. Caleb Moore placed 77th with 811 pins, followed by Kale Hurd in 90th with 782 pins, Devin Mortham in 92nd with 780 pins and Hunter Mortham in 135th with 713 pins.
Lincoln opened bracket play against Leesburg High School in the winners’ bracket on Wednesday. The Trojans recorded a team total of 590 pins but lost the match, 3–0, moving them into the consolation bracket.
Lincoln then faced Dr. Joaquin Garcia High School in its first consolation-bracket match. The Trojans fell 3–2, ending their run in the team tournament.
Rickards Bowlers Compete in Individual Qualifying
Three Rickards bowlers represented Leon County in the individual competitions, with two competing in the boys division and one in the girls division.
Peterson posted the highest local finish in the boys individual qualifying round, placing 42nd among 207 bowlers with a four-game total of 856 pins. He opened with a 215, followed with a 239 and 224, and finished with a 178.
Nance finished 100th with 763 pins across four games. After opening with 165 and 182, he recorded a 212 in the third game and closed with a 204.
In the girls division, Lee placed 42nd among 231 bowlers with 711 pins. She began with a 203, followed with a 173 and 163, and finished with a 172.
The individual qualifying round determined which bowlers advanced to the final 16 in each division. Peterson, Nance and Lee did not reach that cutoff, but each represented Rickards and Leon County at the state tournament.
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