Hanford, Walla Walla bowling teams head to state

One huge test is over for the Hanford and Walla Walla high school bowling teams.

The biggest test is ahead.

After coming out on top at last week’s district championships — a one-day push through three scratch games and seven bakers — the Falcons and Blue Devils will bowl at this weekend’s state tournament in University Place.

Two days, six scratch games, 14 bakers. Eight teams in each classification.

For Hanford sophomore Sara Harris, the key to staying energized is simple.

“Lots of sugar,” she said.

There’s certainly a buzz in the air for Hanford, which will make its third consecutive state appearance and its second in a row as the Class 3A/2A/1A district champion.

The Falcons dominated at districts in Richland, finishing 595 pins ahead of runner-up Selah. Hanford bowlers took first (Harris), second (Danyelle Moore), fourth (Emily Goodnight), fifth (Megan Bean) and seventh (Bryanna Decker) in the individual standings, while Amanda Knowles and Kylee Horner served as alternates.

“There was one frame (in the first game) where they all got strikes,” Hanford coach Tim Faix said. “That gave them a boost of positive energy that seemed to carry through the whole tournament.”

The Falcons hope to ride that momentum into state, where they will aim for at least a top-three medal finish after placing eighth in 2014 and fifth last year.

Staying calm through the ebb and flow of bowling, especially over two days, will be important, Harris said.

“There’s a line in (the) Falcon creed that we have, and it’s one at a time,” Harris said. “So take one frame at a time. Say you leave a split and you don’t pick it up; there’s nothing you can do about it now. You just gotta make sure you pick it up next time.”

Harris and Walla Walla sophomore Kayla Davis — longtime bowlers who have competed in major tournaments such as the Washington State USBC Youth Pepsi Championships — were in a tight battle all season for the Mid-Columbia Conference’s top average. Harris took bowler of the year honors with her final average of 191, while Davis was second at 186.

Both girls were district champions in their respective classifications. Davis rolled a 553 in the scratch games, topping Harris’ 551 for the high series of the day.

Davis also notched the spare in the final baker game that lifted the Blue Devils over Richland for the Class 4A district team title.

As Walla Walla coach Jason Postlewait noted, each team knocked down more than 3,000 pins during the day, and only four separated them at the end.

“The girls never gave up,” Postlewait said. “It says a lot about our character and the grit our team has. Richland bowled out of their minds, too. I have nothing but respect for those guys.”

There’s plenty of respect around the MCC for the Blue Devils, who will go to state in their second year as a program.

In their first season, they won two matches and finished last at districts, but they sent an individual bowler, Miranda Doyle, to state.

This winter, Maya Fogg, Allyson Heimbigner, Kailee Hudson and Abby LaPier — all on Wa-Hi’s inaugural squad — and newcomers Davis, Cecilia Chantel and Krystal Roberts helped the Blue Devils go 7-7.

At districts, Heimbigner “came up gangbusters for us,” Postlewait said. The junior opened with a 201 and finished with a 150 average, beating her season average by more than 22 pins.

“Over the time that we have practiced and done matches, all the girls have improved so much,” Davis said. “It’s incredible — what they’ve done in two months, I had to take years to do it. I’m really impressed with their improvement in everything.”

The MCC got four individual state berths out of districts. Richland’s ShyAnne Thorne, Pasco’s Josie Derrick, Kennewick’s Marivel Macias and Selah’s Maggie Cox will represent their teams Friday and Saturday at Narrows Plaza Bowl.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 7:17 PM with the headline "Hanford, Walla Walla bowling teams head to state."