Hudson’s Bay strikes back to win 3A district bowling title

It already is loud enough in a full bowling center.

Balls rolling on the floor, pins crashing, athletes screaming.

The Hudson’s Bay Eagles were making even more noise Friday afternoon, and that buzz spread across Crosley Lanes at the district bowling championships.

Trailing by 125 pins after the morning session of team scoring, the Eagles recorded a 255 for the first of seven Baker Games in the afternoon, serving notice that they intended to compete for a district championship.

Sure enough, the Eagles did catch and pass Evergreen in a thrilling finish to claim the Class 3A district team title.

That was not the only drama Friday, with three tournaments competing at the same time.

Mark Morris would win the 2A team title, but Columbia River rallied past Black Hills in the Baker games to finish second — to earn the last 2A team spot to state.

In the 4A tournament, Battle Ground cruised to a team title, led by Allison Gentry, the individual champion.

Shannon Bliquez of Evergreen won the 3A individual title and Brooklyn Boudreau of Mark Morris claimed the 2A title.

The top team in 4A and the top two teams in 3A and 2A qualified for next week’s state championships. The next two 4A individuals and next four 3A and 2A individuals also made it to state.

The race for the 3A team title was the most compelling on this day. The first round consists of traditional team scoring of three games — players from each team each roll their own games and every pin counts toward the team score. The second round consists of seven Baker games — five teammates alternating between frames, each getting two frames a game.

After the traditional scoring, Evergreen had a 125-pin lead. But after that 255 in the first Baker game, Hudson’s Bay had cut the deficit to 36 pins. After the second Baker, Bay had a one-pin lead.

The lead changed again after the fourth Baker, but Bay responded with a 44-pin advantage in the sixth Baker game to take the lead. Both teams scored 192 in the final Baker.

When it was all done, Bay won 3,976-3,949.

“We have been up and down all season,” said Reagan Lorey, the top bowler from Hudson’s Bay. “To come out here and win district is pretty great, especially being down 125. I’m just really happy right now.”

Teammate Halie Martin screamed, “The. Best. Team. Ever!” before adding, “That’s what I’m talking about.”

Some consolation for Evergreen is the Plainsmen still get to go to state as a team.

“I’m just not ready to leave these girls,” said Bliquez, a senior.

Bliquez not only won the 3A title, she was the high scorer of all classifications at district. She rolled a 630, including a 255 in her final game.

“It’s definitely an honor to win it two times in a row,” said Bliquez, who won the 4A district title last year. “I just wanted to get as many pins for my team. I’m here for my team. It’s not just individual. Bowling is a team.”

Gentry would agree.

For her, though, she got the best of both worlds, winning the 4A individual title and helping Battle Ground to the team title. Gentry scored a 579 to top Camas’ Shelby Chartrand by two pins.

“I was super excited. I’ve come a long ways,” Gentry said. “It was very surprising. It was so cool, for senior year, I won the individual.”

Gentry said she did not have a strong start to the season.

“But I was 100 percent confident with my team today,” she said, noting that the team title means more to her. “I wouldn’t be here without their support.”

Battle Ground beat Heritage by more than 300 pins for the 4A title.

Mark Morris won the 2A team title with 3,615 pins to Columbia River’s 3,563. The story for this race was River’s rally in the Baker games.

Madison Mollahan, Columbia River’s top bowler, had already qualified as an individual before the Baker games. She wanted more.

“I told them I know I’m going as an individual but I want the team to go,” she recalled.

She and her teammates then made it happen.

River trailed by by 59 pins after the third Baker game but it was all Chieftains after that, who took second place by 92 pins.

The Class 2A state championship begins Thursday and concludes Friday at Narrows Plaza Bowl in University Place. The Class 4A and 3A tournaments are Friday through Saturday.

GIRLS BOWLING
Class 4A district tournament
At Crosley Lanes
TEAM SCORES
Battle Ground 3895, Heritage 3566, Skyview 3534, Camas 3168, Union 3032.
Note: Battle Ground goes to state as team.
Individual champion — Allison Gentry, Battle Ground, 579.
Also going to state: Shelby Chartrand, Camas, 577; Tiffany Tucker, Skyview, 554..
BATTLE GROUND — Allison Gentry 579, Danyelle Joli 542, Sarah Kester 519, Kayla Beard 514, Darian Dyer 480. Baker games total: 1261.
HERITAGE — Emily Fraser 544, Dominique Falls 518, Kaylee Combs 478, Jerrin Pope 457, Hayden Pope 453. Baker games total: 1116.
SKYVIEW — Tiffany Tucker 554, Calista Schafer 548, Mikayla Hahn 492, Athena Mantalas 434. Baker games total: 1084.
CAMAS — Shelby Chartrand 577, Jayden Grubbs 452, Kaeli Daniels 418, Eva Vrizeula 387. Baker games total: 958.
UNION — Isabel Reed 485, Emma Suzuki 439, Olivia Shoup 430, Halee Vinyard 401, Emma Riggins 329. Baker games total: 948.

Class 3A district tournament
At Crosley Lanes
TEAM SCORES
Hudson’s Bay 3976, Evergreen 3949, Prairie 3843, Fort Vancouver 3645, Kelso 3365, Kennewick 3241, Mountain View 2640.
Note: Hudson’s Bay and Evergreen going to state as teams.
Individual champion — Shannon Bliquez, Evergreen, 630.
Also going to state: Bailey Peters, Fort Vancouver, 610; Madi Durr, Fort Vancouver, 564; Amber Sparks, Prairie, 562; Tia Fisher, Prairie, 560.
HUDSON’S BAY — Reagan Lorey 598, Shaylie Westmoreland 561, Halie Martin 515, Michayla Garden 502. Baker games total: 1306
EVERGREEN — Shannon Bliquez 630, Karissa Anderson 572, Lexi Henderson 544, Dakota O’Neil 533, Jessica Dufrain 516. Baker games total: 1154.
PRAIRIE ­­— Amber Sparks 562, Tia Fisher 560, Bella Ogle 535, Madi Bash 525. Baker games total: 1210.
FORT VANCOUVER — Bailey Peters 610, Madi Durr 564, Katie Campbell 520, Meridian Broom 465. Baker games total: 1078
KELSO — Sarra Soladey 541, Stacey Price 456, Jenna Moyer 419, Kendra Sears 417, Madison Sears 417. Baker games total: 1115
KENNEWICK — Marivel Macias 504, Miranda Macias 481, Amity Marill 440. Baker games total: 1012
MOUNTAIN VIEW — Emily Lapp 394, Maureen Mullaly 381, Kate Rand 350, Lauren Johnson 332, Jolie Qiu 313. Baker games total: 870

Class 2A district tournament
At Crosley Lanes
Team scores — Mark Morris 3615, Columbia River 3563, Black Hills 3512, R.A. Long 3103, Tumwater 2624, Aberdeen 2489.
Note: Mark Morris and Columbia River going to state as teams.
Individual champion — Brooklyn Boudreau, Mark Morris, 600.
Also going to state: Elsa Veria-Means, Black Hills 590; Hannah Hunsucker, R.A. Long, 501; Seaira Hazeltine, R.A. Long, 482; Grace Gibbs, Black Hills, 473.
MARK MORRIS — Brooklyn Boudreau 600, Adalyn Allen 502, Cinthia Ramirez 539, Myriah Mitchell 501, Alexa Mejia 421. Baker games total: 1052.
COLUMBIA RIVER — Madison Mollahan 556, Becca Gunderson 467, Emma McLean 476, Maddy Getz 474. Baker games total: 1164.
BLACK HILLS — Vivian Jones 453, Kim Perry 458, MacKenzie Theophilus 466, Grace Gibbs 473, Elsa Veria-Means 590. Baker games total: 1072.
R.A. LONG — Hannah Hunsucker 501, Seaira Hazeltine 482, Kaylee Wilson 360, Aly Kirzy 449. Baker games total: 946.
TUMWATER — Dani Taylor 401, Gracie Waltner 358, Allison Kerstetter 318, Aiyanna Simmons 393, Elsie Waltner 342. Baker games total: 812.
ABERDEEN — Iliana Mercado-George 390, Anna Arquette 319, Tayler Housden 351. Baker games total: 811.