Kennewick will host Moses Lake in both teams' CBBN 4A season opener at 3:30 p.m. today, but Lions coach Oscar Garnica is already confident that his second year piloting the program will be an improvement over his debut season.
"The trust is much higher this year," Garnica said of the balance of authority between a coach and his team. "It's going to show a lot when it comes to competing.
"I think that's going to be the big thing this year that's going to put us at the top."
Not that there's much room for improvement -- Kennewick rolled its way to a second-place finish at the 4A state tournament held last February at Narrows Plaza Lanes at University Place.
The Lions totaled 7,273 pins at state -- 60 shy of champion Emerald Ridge -- in the state finals.
Kennewick also captured the CBBN 4A district title, beating Pasco by 64 pins (2,175 to 2,111).
Returning this season will be juniors Brittany Blackketter and Ashlen Ayers, along with senior Hayley Self, who has "really picked up her game," according to Garnica.
Stepping up to varsity will be seniors Dacia Bolt and Whitney McGary, with freshman Karissa Shiflet also getting her first taste of varsity competition.
Pasco finished sixth in the 4A championship last season but graduated Francesa Dominguez and Yvette Yzaguirre, who was selected All-Area and regional MVP. The Bulldogs are coached by Teresa Chavez.
Chiawana is rolling forward with a bowling program this season and will be led by coach Breanne Florence and assistant Melissa Bradley.
This weekend, various Kennewick team members may lend their time and talents to the Spare Time Lanes Fall Olympian Classic -- a season-capping tournament for area Special Olympians ages 13 and up. The event is scheduled to begin at noon both Saturday and Sunday at Spare Time Lanes.
"I'm proud that they're donating their time on weekends to help out," said Garnica, who said that the Lions' participation in the event is strictly on a volunteer basis.
"I hope other people look at this and see this as them trying to do something good for the community," Garnica said.
"We needed some bodies, and they volunteered," said bowling coach Kim Tate.
Tate added that Tri-Cities Sunrise Rotary are helping to fund the two-day event, which will culminate with a pizza party and awards ceremony Sunday afternoon, with Sandy's Trophies of Pasco donating the hardware.
"A lot of people have stepped up to help them out," said Tracy Watts, manager of Spare Time Lanes.
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Kennewick girls clinch CBBN bowling title
Kennewick girls clinch CBBN bowling title
KENNEWICK -- Kennewick, still riding high from its 3A/2A division title clinching victory last week against Selah, won the CBBN League title outright with a solid 3-1 defeat of 4A division champions Wenatchee on Tuesday at Spare Time Lanes.
Kennewick's Danielle Gonzales rolled a 199 to dominate the first scratch competition and Megan Weir helped dictate the outcome of the second scratch game, rolling a 202 for the Lions.
"It was a great team victory," Kennewick coach Oscar Garnica said. "The girls played awesome as a team."
Bowling tournament moved to Friday
Bowling tournament moved to Friday
The District 5/6 girls bowling championship will take place at 12:45 p.m. Friday at Spare Time Lanes in Kennewick.
The championship was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but was postponed because of unsafe driving conditions that closed schools in Wenatchee and delayed the opening of several schools in the Yakima area.
And with state finals scheduled for next Thursday at Narrows Plaza Bowl in Tacoma, there is little to no room for more weather-related interference.
Mid-Columbia bowlers prepare for state
Mid-Columbia bowlers prepare for state
Narrows Plaza Bowl in University Place is something like a second home for the Kennewick and Moses Lake girls bowling programs.
Both teams are making return appearances at the state championships, starting at 10 a.m. Friday with the individual roll-offs.
Kennewick earned the second of two available 3A/2A berths with a silver finish at the Dis-trict 5/6 re-gional championships last Friday at Spare Time Lanes. The Lions mowed down 3,598 pins to place behind district champion Selah and its 3,692 pins.
Kennewick bowling's Shiflet finding her mark
Kennewick bowling's Shiflet finding her mark
KENNEWICK — Kennewick High School junior Karissa Shiflet is an ambitious young woman.
She is author of several well-received social observation articles for the school newspaper, Lions Roar, and she is taking the required steps towards a future in pharmacology with special attention on succeeding in International Baccalaureate classes, which provide the requisite foundation towards a career choice in the medical field.
But when it is just her, a Storm Prodigy bowling ball in her hands, and the 10 taunting pins in the daunting distance, Shiflet enters another zone altogether
Kennewick bowlers head back to state
Kennewick bowlers head back to state
KENNEWICK — The Kennewick Lions earned their seventh trip to state in nine years with a second-place finish in the 3A/2A competition at the District 5/6 girls bowling championship Friday at Spare Time Lanes.
Selah edged the Lions by 94 pins to take the 3A/2A title and the first of two available state berths. Moses Lake rolled a 3,639 to walk away with the 4A championship and the division's sole ticket to the state finals scheduled to begin Thursday at Narrows Plaza Bowl in Tacoma.
Kennewick had three girls place among the top eight in the 3A/2A race, with Daicee Singer third overall with 532 pins. Karissa Shiflet tied Selah's Taylor Jones for fifth with a 524, and Megan Weir finished a pin back in seventh.
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