Her shoe was supposed to slide, the final smooth move in her delivery.
Instead, the shoe just stuck, and all her momentum sent her crashing to the floor.
Shannon Bliquez was shook up a bit. Her knee ached.
“It was a catastrophic moment. I felt like I was on the ground forever,” Bliquez said. “I didn’t want to bowl again. I just wanted to stop for the day.”
One of the best bowlers in the state, and she just fell on her approach early in the second game at the Class 4A district championship.
It took her several moments to regain focus, but she certainly did not quit. In fact, she got up from the floor and won the championship.
“I pulled a 156 out of that game. I still don’t know how that happened,” Bliquez said.
The next game, she scored a 210.
“If I had stopped, I’d have no chance for singles (title) and my team would have thought it was OK to quit,” she said.
Instead, she won the district title and led her team to a district title. At state, Bliquez finished in a tie for fourth and helped Evergreen to a second-place team finish.
Her impressive season earned her the title of The Columbian’s All-Region bowler of the year.
Bliquez won the district title with a 579 series, but she said she was more pumped for the team victory.
“Winning with a team, I don’t think there’s anything better than that,” she said.
Evergreen then traveled to University Place for the state tournament.
“It was kind of like districts on steroids,” Bliquez said. “Everyone was so much louder, and better.”
Bliquez tied Shelby Chartrand of Camas for fourth place in state.
The team trailed by 39 pins going into Saturday’s Baker games. Evergreen cut the gap a few times but ended up in second place, 25 pins away from a title. The Plainsmen, Bliquez said, are looking forward to returning next year in hopes of doing something special.
Bliquez went from being a good Southwest Washington bowler to one of the best in the state after an attitude adjustment. She missed out going to state by one place as a sophomore and a freshman.
“I’ve grown up a lot. Last year, and especially my freshman year, if I made a bad shot, I’d get down on myself.
“This year’s a lot different. I don’t let everyone else know that it was a bad shot.”
Except, of course, that time she fell down at district. Everyone saw that.
But they also saw Shannon Bliquez picking herself off the floor, getting back in the game, and helping her team win a championship.
Rest of All-Region girls bowling team
Kerissa Anderson, Evergreen
Freshman was first-team all-4A GSHL, seventh in the 4A district, 11th at 4A state tournament.
Tiffany Becker, Mountain View
Senior was first team all-4A GSHL, eighth at 4A district and sixth at 4A state tournament.
Shelby Chartrand, Camas
Junior was first team all-4A GSHL, third at 4A district and tied for fourth at 4A state tournament.
Michayla Garden, Hudson’s Bay
Garden was first-team all-3A GSHL, 3A district runner-up and placed 19th at 3A state tournament.
Jacquelyn Gunderson, C. River
Gunderson was the 3A GSHL bowler of the year, fourth at 3A district and 13th at 3A state tournament.
Reagan Lowry, Hudson’s Bay
Lowry was first team all-3A GSHL, fifth at 3A district and fifth at the 3A state tournament.
