The family that bowls together rolls together.
Prairie High School sophomore Madi Bash doesn’t have to look beyond her house for tips on picking up a stubborn spare.
Bowling is measured by frames — And the frames on the Bash family photos surround the owners of some high bowling scores.
Madi, the top bowler on this year’s Falcons team, rolled 253 last summer. This high school season, she has scored 215 and 212 and averages a little over 170.
Her father, Donn, coached bowling at Prairie from 2005-12. He is the owner of two perfect 300 games in league play and averages 218.
Her mother, Rhonda, has bowled as high as 266. The teacher and assistant bowling coach at Prairie is relatively new to the game, having joined her first league in 2006.
For the Bashes, bowling has been more than a regular hobby. Donn and Rhonda owe their marriage in part to the game.
In 1995, while attending Clark College, Donn earned some spending money by working at Riverside Bowl in Camas.
Rhonda didn’t bowl. But one evening, her niece was intent on going to Riverside’s Rock n’ Bowl and needed a ride.
Once there, Rhonda saw some friends sitting at a table with Donn. She and Donn struck up a conversation and went on their first date a few weeks later.
Madi, the oldest of two daughters, wasn’t pushing a bowling ball down the lane as a toddler. She grew up playing soccer and volleyball and didn’t give competitive bowling a try until eighth grade.
“It wasn’t my favorite thing, but I kept at it,” she said. “Once I got to high school, I really started to like it because of the friendly environment and the competition.”
Now Madi travels to tournaments around the Northwest year-round.
This winter, she hopes to lead Prairie to state, where Southwest Washington schools have dominated recently. Battle Ground has won four consecutive 4A team titles. Columbia River won the 3A/2A title last year and Donn coached Prairie to the 3A/2A title in 2011.
While Madi loves high school events, some of her favorite moments are competing against her parents.
“When I beat either of them, it’s a huge accomplishment because they’re both great bowlers,” Madi said. “My main goal is to get where they are. So to beat them is almost like reaching my goal.”
Madi’s enthusiasm had rejuvenated her father’s love for bowling. Donn’s second 300 game came earlier this year, 20 years after his first.
More importantly, the long car trips to tournaments have provided some quality time together.
“We’ve gotten to know each other better because of those trips,” he said. “It’s fun to help her work her way through a tournament when she is having difficult moments.”
As bowling as grown at the high school ranks, more colleges are offering scholarships. Wylicia Faley, the 2014 individual 4A state champion for Battle Ground, bowls for Midland University in Nebraska.
Whether or not Bash reaches that level, it’s clear that bowling will always be part of her family.
“Bowling has meant a lot because it gets us together a lot,” Rhonda Bash said. “It’s something we can continue to do as a family.”
Girls bowling storylines
Drive for five: Battle Ground has won the last four 4A state team titles. Fourth in state last year, Cassandra Huit is the Tigers’ top bowler and has broken 200 five times this season. But she and Danyelle Joli are the only returners from Battle Ground’s top five at state last year and the Tigers are 5-6 this season.
Evergreen 2K: Scoring more than 2,000 pins in a dual meet is hard to do. Evergreen has done it eight out of 11 matches and has yet to lose this season. Shannon Bliquez, Kerissa Anderson, Jessica Dufrain, Drei Plum and Lexi Henderson have been consistently good and give Evergreen the depth to possibly reach state and contend for a high place.
Chartrand quest: Camas junior Shelby Chartrand has placed eighth at state two consecutive years. Now she hopes to move up the ranks and has already broken 200 nine times in 13 matches.
River reload?: Columbia River won last year’s 3A/2A title, but most of that team graduated. The Chieftains are led by Jacquelyn Gunderson, who has rolled as high as 245.
These Eagles soar: Hudson’s Bay returns two of the state’s top individuals in the 3A/2A ranks. Reagan Lorey placed third and Michayla Garden placed seventh at state last year. Garden has rolled as high as 244 this season and Lorey has scored 231.
Key dates: The District 4 championships for 4A and 3A/2A will be Jan. 29. The state tournament takes place Feb. 5-6 at Narrows Plaza in University Place.
