Paige Plautz, age 16, of Merrill brought home the 2021 Pepsi state title in the USBC Pepsi State Championship Tournament on Saturday, May 8, in Wauwatosa, Wis., at Bowlero Lanes.
Plautz rolled a 680 series at Corral Lanes in Schofield on March 27 to qualify for the state tournament. She was the top bowler in the U-18 Division in her District.
The Pepsi State Tournament takes the top bowler from each District in the state to compete at the state competition. Plautz was 1 of 17 competing for the title.
There were two three-game sets for a total of six games with total pinfall.
Plautz started off slow with her first game being a 172, but after that, she rolled a second game of 217, and a third game of 223 for a 612 series, which landed her in fourth place. At that point, she was 67 pins out of first place, and she knew she needed to have a huge second set to make up the difference.
Plautz really kept herself together and bowled lights out. She never lost focus, found her line, and came through with games of 208, 207, and finished with a 258 when she needed it most, to bring home the state title.
“We couldn’t be more proud of her. She really has come a long way and puts in hours and hours of practice every week,” said her parents, Heather and Beaver Plautz.
Paige Plautz ended with a six-game series of 1,285 total pinfall and became the 2021 Pepsi State Champ. This is her first state title win.