RHS Bowling Starts Strong - By Kaya Chang
The Richland Girls’ Bomber bowling team is starting the season off strong, with a great win against Hermiston High School on November 9th at Atomic Bowl. This last competition was great for the team, and many of the girls had great performances; Miley Lakey’s score of 191 was the highest for Richalnd’s team. Although Richland won the match, the highest score of the night came from a Hermiston athlete, achieving a score of 200.
Prior to the match, Coach Jason Bare had plenty of praise and guidance for his bowlers, wanting to keep the environment fun and uplifting. He informed us that in preparation for this particular competition, practices looked fairly similar each day; the team usually focuses on perfecting and tweaking their spares, hitting between seven to ten pins, as well as some fun games and activities that contribute to different bowling skills, again towards spares. Knowing that Kennewick High School’s bowling team is the biggest competition in the league, being two games away, it was good for the team to get some competition in and secure a win. Mr. Bare also stated that in terms of strategies, mindset, and keeping a positive attitude and fun spirit could make the most significant difference, “We just really need to believe in ourselves, and the sky’s the limit when it comes to winning a match.”
Ali Lemieux, a varsity bowler, stated that her best strategy before any bowling competition was to “not get stressed and have fun.” It seems that the bowling team is a tight-knit group that likes to keep the game and its environment enjoyable. Ali goes on to say, “Because it’s not a big sport, we’re all really close- the competition with other schools is uplifting and friendly. Of course, we all want to win, but it’s very common to see people from other teams cheering you on.” Bare also had similar tones when speaking about the 'bowling environment,' “We get along with everyone we are bowling with, and most of us really have positive attitudes even when we are not bowling so well. We strive to be as upbeat as possible.” Bare also goes on to say that his favorite part about the sport is celebrating the small wins in a match; it gets the team going and brings more energy to the girls. “Celebrating the small victories of picking up a hard spare or getting a number of strikes in a row.”
The way bowling competitions work is there are multiple screens in the ally, and girls are divided into teams in different lanes. Each girl is allowed ten frames of bowling, two games occur in one competition, and two "Baker Games" occur. 'Baker Games' are when a team of five varsity athletes each takes turns bowling on a throw. They use the same lane and attempt to knock all the pins over. This allows for more points to be added to the overall score, which is dependent upon the fallen pins. The lineup of these Baker games is dependent and switches around each time. According to Coach Bare, "Five members are on varsity, and it could change from game to game. It just depends on who has the five highest averages on the team.” This year, the girls with the highest averages have been Peyton Gonzalez, Ali Lemiuex, Malia Haynes, Miley Lakey, and Sierra Ruelas. Bare also informs us that the pre-game ritual is to huddle up and do a team cheer that sets the tone and energy for the upcoming match. Varsity bowlers Peyton and Ali state that many of the girls on the team have personal bowling balls that they bring to practice and to matches. Most of the girls use a size 13 or 14 bowling ball. Last season, the team almost qualified together to attend the state competition. This year, it's definitely a goal on the minds of the bowlers. Ali’s personal goal of making the top five at state is a great motivation and goal to have throughout the season, pushing her to strive and continue making improvements. Coach Bare’s goal similarly, “We have a good shot at taking the whole team to state this year, so that is what I am aiming for.”
Overall, the team is shaping up well with many returners. This match, being their third competition of the '23 season, the girls are excited for their upcoming matches, especially against Kennewick. Building up the momentum to continue winning, the girls have a great shot at achieving their season goal.
