Skyview’s Crockett rolls to state title

Skyview junior Madison Crockett knew she was the state champion before the awards ceremony Friday. Still, there is something about it becoming official.

“When they called my name, I was still in that moment of shock,” Crockett said. “It overwhelmed me.”

Actually, it was Crockett who overwhelmed the competition, winning the Class 4A state bowling championship at Narrows Plaza Bowl in University Place with a record-breaking score.

“I grabbed my medal and put it on,” Crockett said.

Then, another special moment.

Defending state champion Wylicia Faley of Battle Ground — Crockett’s “best friend” — presented the new champion with the pin.

This is, after all, how Clark County rolls.

Five bowlers from Southwest Washington finished in the top 10, including Adrianne Schock of Battle Ground in fourth and Faley in fifth.

With the individual results complete, Saturday will decide the team champion. Battle Ground, led by Schock and Faley, has a commanding lead going into the final day of competition, which will consist of 14 baker games. The Tigers are the defending champions.

But Friday belonged to Crockett.

Her six-game series of 1,324 — just more than 220 per game — is the best pin total in the seven-year history of the state championship. (Bowling has been a sanctioned sport by the WIAA since 2001, but it was only a team sport until 2007.)

Clark County now has four of the seven state champions. Rachel Kreighbaum of Battle Ground won in 2007, Ashli Mortensen of Evergreen took the 2009 title, then Faley in 2012 and Crockett this season.

“I came in with high expectations of myself,” Crockett said in a phone interview with The Columbian. “I’m very proud of myself. My parents are proud of me. My coach is impressed with me.”

Crockett led by seven pins over Kayla Zabel from Cascade of Everett going into the final game. Crockett finished with a 218, 50 pins better than Zabel, who held on to second place by two pins.

While the scores were posted after each game, it was up to the bowlers to see where they stood.

“I wanted to know, but I refrained myself from knowing,” Crockett said. “I would not have done as well as I did. I would have over-thought so many things.”

Alyssa Feller from Rogers of Puyallup was third at 1,245. Schock scored 1,242, and Faley finished with 1,216.

Porsche Chartrand of Camas was eighth with a 1,067, and Evergreen’s Stacey Dettling was 10th at 1,055.

Crockett opened the competition with a 224, but followed that with a 175, more than 20 pins shy of her 197 average. She did not allow herself to get down.

“I was just thinking I need to figure out the lanes and keep my head up,” Crockett said. “I told myself I’m just going to do really, really good. I had really positive thoughts throughout the day.”

It is that philosophy that helped Crockett improve by as many as 20 pins per game since last year, when she failed to make it to the state championship.

Crockett responded after her only rough game with a 248 in Game 3.

“It showed I knew what I was doing. I knew what adjustments to make,” she said. “I have really advanced in teaching myself what I need to do when something like that (175) happens.”

Crockett figured it out, and she was on her way to a championship. She rolled a 223 and a 236 in Games 4 and 5, setting up that 218 to clinch the title.

“I hope to come back next year and do the same thing,” she said.

Mountain View bowler takes sixth — Alex Lanning of Mountain View placed sixth in the Class 3A/2A/1A state bowling championship. Lanning totalled 1,164 pins in her six-game series, finishing strong with a 224 in the final game.

Janaye Kilgore of Mark Morris won the championship with a 1,292 total. Cortnie Brathovd of North Thurston was second.

Mark Morris has a 39-pin lead going into the final day of the team competition.

4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

At Narrows Plaza Bowl, University Place

Top 10 individuals

1, Madison Crockett, Skyview, 1324

2, Kayla Zabel, Cascade, 1267

3, Alyssa Feller, Rogers, 1245

4, A.J. Schock, Battle Ground, 1242

5, Wylicia Faley, Battle Ground, 1216

6, Elisa Couch, Emerald Ridge, 1140

7, Megan Walls, Eisenhower, 1109

8, Porche Chartrand, Camas, 1067

9, Morgan Stout, Central Kitsap, 1058

10, Stacey Dettling, Evergreen, 1055

Local team results

BATTLE GROUND — 4, A.J. Schock 207-230-191-204-213-197 1242; 5, Wylicia Faley 197-245-172-205-170-227 1216; 26, Makayla Thompson 161-156-157-178-164-161 977; 33, Kim Martin 138-179-212-142-255 926; 52, Bailee Standley 184-148-168-197 697; 57, Layne Pound 170-128 298; 59, Cassie Huit 137.

CAMAS — 8, Porsche Chartrand 194-172-172-172-176 181 1067.

EVERGREEN — 10, Stacey Dettling 173-158-181-163-187-193 1055; 19, Melissa Henry 171-146-135-220-158-181 1011; 40, Emily DuFrain 123-153-164-125-179-136 880; 41, Amanda Jones 140-158-123-146-161-145 873; 49, Justine Johnson-Cook 146-155-133-89-132-140 795.

HERITAGE — 24, Michelle Vanek 172-151-181-144-151-190 989; 47, Nikki Davis 114-150-166-128-130-133 821.

Day 1 team scores

1, Battle Ground 5493; 2, Cascade 4923; 3, Wenatchee 4890; 4, Pasco 4824; 5, Curtis 4693; 6, Evergreen 4614; 7, Puyallup 4491; 8, Emerald Ridge 4364.

3A/2A/1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

At Narrows Plaza Bowl, University Place

Top 10 individuals

1, Janaye Kilgore, Mark Morris, 1295

2, Cortnie Brathovd, North Thurston, 1211

3, Kendra Willis, Olympic, 1199

4, Karissa Shiftlet, Kennewick, 1183

5, Hunter Fruehling-Thomas, Wilson, 1177

6, Alex Lanning, Mountain View, 1164

7, Ashley Aarts, Black Hills, 1155

8, Candice Goldfinch, Everett, 1113

9, Elisa Yates, R.A. Long, 1108

10, Brittany Schlauch, Mark Morris, 1106

Local team results

MOUNTAIN VIEW — 6, Alex Lanning 210-162-161-210-197-224 1164.

COLUMBIA RIVER — 30, Emily Basnett 182-156-116-190-161-169 974; 43, Brianna Gadaire 165-135-163-117-159-117 856.

Day 1 team scores

1, Mark Morris 5171; 2, Timberline 5132; 3, R.A. Long 5041; 4 (tie), Kennewick 4962 and Wilson 4962; 6, Bremerton 4912; 7, Olympic 4837; 8, West Valley 4507.