There is no precedent for dealing with a two-week delay for a state tournament.

The Linn-Mar boys bowling team was on a roll, so to speak. The Lions were an impressive winner in their Class 2A district meet and were looking to continue their run the following week at the state meet.

Then came a nasty weather system that hit parts of the state, forcing a two-week postponement of the two-day meet. Class 2A boys and girls teams, along with individual qualifiers, will finally get to compete on Tuesday at Plaza Lanes in Des Moines. The 1A competition is scheduled for Monday.

"We're hoping the delay doesn't slow our momentum," said Linn-Mar Coach Andy Diercks. "We were really on a hot streak."

The Lions (11-0) are the only undefeated 2A team in Iowa this season. They have the top team scoring average in Class 2A at 3,147.2 pins per match and go into the meet as one of the favorites along with Des Moines Lincoln, Ankeny and Marshalltown.

"I think the kids are really embracing the fact that they are the favorite," Diercks said. "We have a veteran team with five seniors and a junior. Hopefully that works to our advantage."

Senior Dreyson Robe leads a balanced Lions attack with a 215 average. He is followed by Justin Wyant (214.1), Trent Jochimsen (207.5), Seth Tegtmeier (202.4), Austin Swanson (195.3) and Andrew Prowse (188.4). Tegtmeier is the lone junior.

"We don't mind being looked at as one of the favorites," Robe said. "It does add a little bit of pressure, but bowling is that kind of a sport. There is pressure on every shot."

Wyant, along with Swanson, will be the two Lions in contention for individual state championship honors.

"I'm not really concerned about the individual part of the tournament," he said. "To me, it is all about the team."

The two-week delay could have been a problem for the Linn-Mar bowlers. The district is on spring break this week, which could have forced some to change their plans.

"Fortunately, the only guy who had to make some adjustments was me," said Diercks, who also coaches the Mount Mercy University bowling team. "None of the boys had plans for the week."

Diercks will have to do a quick turnaround. He spent the weekend coaching Mount Mercy in a national meet in Las Vegas and will fly back to Cedar Rapids on Monday.

"The team is stopping at the airport and picking me up in the van on their way to Des Moines," he said. "It's going to be a busy time, but it will be a fun time."

For Diercks, the success of the senior class is special. They were freshmen when he took over the program four years ago.

"The team was 2-9 before I started," he said. "These guys have been with the program from the beginning and it has been so rewarding to see all the things they have accomplished."

Of course, the perfect ending would be a state championship.

"It would mean so much to finish it off with a state title," Robe said. "For us seniors, it will be our last high school meet. We want to end it bowling the way we have all season."

Other area performers in the meet include the Cedar Rapids Prairie brother-sister tandem of Nick and Rylee Blood. Cedar Rapids Xavier's Kirby Guge is in the boys' 1A field.

Xavier's Tara Trcka is in the 1A girls field. Those in 2A include Rylea Bennett and Savannah Fowler of Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Cedar Rapids Washington's Shania Duffy and Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Amanda Wiedemeier.

Both the Washington girls and boys qualified for the 2A team tournament, along with the Jefferson girls. Xavier's girls and boys will be in Monday's 1A competition.