The Barton Community College men's bowling team placed three in the top five Wednesday at Great Bend's Walnut Bowl leading the Cougars to a season opening victory over Kansas Wesleyan University.

The two teams, along with a second wave of "junior varsity" members, competed in a four-game series of individual placings capped with six games of Baker competition.

Barton came out on top by 95 pins over the Coyotes, compiling a 4868 total over KWU's 4773. In a battle of the JV squads, Barton also came out on top by 207 pins with a 4553 score to outdistance the Coyotes' 4346.

Leading the Cougars in the 25-man field was freshman Logan Lindsley by starting off hot with a 224 and 234 in the first two games, finishing runner-up with an 820 series.

KWU's Jackson Penny rolled out an 88 pin victory behind three 200-plus games including a dual high 258 in game three to compile a 908 total while former Cougar, now Coyote Alec Elskamp took third place, twenty-three pins behind Lindsley with a 797.

Another pair of Barton freshman grabbed the fourth and fifth position overall, each rolling a pair of 200-plus games as Chris O'Connor's team high 248 in game four proved to be a difference maker in compiling 792 pins while Carter Lambeth finished five pins behind at 787.

In Baker games, the competition was stiff amongst the four squads with KWU's varsity coming out on top with a twenty-one pin victory in a 1023 total. Barton's JV squad took team bragging rights with a 1002 total as the varsity squad scored an even 1000 while KWU's JV squad was just ten pins back with a 990 total.

The tune-up leaves Barton with a quick turnaround for its first big meet of the year, joining their women teammates in traveling to Texas this weekend for a pair of tier-1 tournaments in the SWIBC-I and SWIBC-II held Saturday and Sunday at Fort Worth's City View Lanes.