Bowlers applaud during an awards ceremony after the 4A/3A district championships on Wednesday at Crosley Lanes in Vancouver. (Micah Rice/The Columbian)
For a traditional winter sport, the scene at Wednesday’s 4A/3A District Bowling Championships was anything but typical.
As the temperature outside climbed into the high 80s, ceiling fans cranked full blast inside a sweltering Crosley Lanes. Bowlers from nine Southwest Washington schools cooled off between frames with ice water and handheld fans.
But the heat didn’t slow down the tournament’s best bowlers, especially those from Skyview and Evergreen.
Skyview won the 4A competition in dominating fashion. The Storm racked up 2989 points, an average of 186.8 per game.
Skyview senior McKenzie Sparano was the top bowler of any classification, rolling 918 (232-267-206-213).
Sparano, who placed third in the 4A state tournament last year, has bowled since she was three years old. Wednesday, the daughter of a former pro bowler used that experience to adapt to the hot conditions.
“When the humidity goes up the lanes are sticky,” Sparano said. “I’m so used to it being a winter sport. But I’ve been bowling for such a long time. I’m used to it.”
Evergreen sisters Kailee and Kierra Wilcox also weren’t fazed.
Kailee Wilcox, a junior, was the top 3A bowler with 835 (186-266-200-183). That helped Evergreen win the 3A team title with 2832 points, 109 ahead of Prairie.
Kierra Wilcox, a sophomore, placed second with 819 (188-213-170-248). Her huge fourth game helped Evergreen rally past Prairie, which led by 16 after three games.
“I had to clear my head and think, ‘I need something big,’” Kierra Wilcox said.
Few sports were affected by last year’s COVID-19 lockdowns more than bowling. Alleys across Southwest Washington were closed for six months or more.
“It was rough when we came back,” Kailee Wilcox said. “Neither of us were bowling how we wanted after taking that long break. But it was actually a positive for me. I learned a lot about myself as a bowler that helped me improve my game.”
Kierra Wilcox said the long layoff taught her the value of consistently honing her craft.
“I used to just bowl tournaments and high school and not think about practice,” she said. “But practice has helped me a lot. My average is up about 20 pins from last year.”
During the shutdown, Sparano took long walks to keep her legs in shape. Still, it took a few months before she felt her rhythm return.
“If I tried to go slow, my legs would shake,” she said. “So I would always speed up and pull the ball.”
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Southwest Washington teams have dominated at the WIAA state tournament, with Evergreen winning the last four 3A titles, joining Battle Ground and Mark Morris as the only teams to win four straight titles since the sport was instated in 1999.
Though Wednesday’s event was more low-key than the raucous scene at state, bowlers were happy to have a season-culminating event.
“It felt like a state win for us,” Kailee Wilcox said. “It felt like a good, positive finish to our season.”
4A District Championships
At Crosley Lanes
SKYVIEW 2989, UNION 2722, BATTLE GROUND 2387, CAMAS inc.
