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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
February 13, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
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February 13, 2020
 
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Page 8—4 Shelton-Mason County Journal Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 WIAA 3A STATE BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIP Dream Merriman, She/ton School sen/or bowler Bowl: Two league titles, three state tournamentberths continued from page 8-1 performance, but I just had an off day. I couldn’t change anything but my at- titude, and that’s OK.” Shelton finished the two—day tour- nament, which spanned a six-game se- ries Friday and a 14-game Baker series Saturday, with a team score of 6,631. Merriman finished Friday with a score of 1030 to place 19th among in- dividuals. “The tournament pushes you to the limits and makes you work and be de- termined,” Shelton senior Alyssia Paz said. “It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been a fun and wild ride over the years.” This was Shelton’s third consecutive appearance at the 3A tournament, and its seniors have been the driving force behind that success. They shared the South Sound Conference’s regular sea- son title with Capital as sophomores before winning the conference’s post- season tournament and finishing fifth at the state championships. A year later, as juniors, they won the league title outright and eventu— ally finished sixth at the 3A champion— ships. “Going to state means the absolute world to me,” senior Abby Slone said. “I have worked so hard and have dedicat- ed most of my life to this sport. Noth- ing really matters at the end of the day besides knowing that I gave it my all for the sport I love.” i Shelton’s seniors — Merriman, Paz, Slone and Morgan Holling — have crafted a legacy of excellence dur-_ ing their careers, one that the quar- tet hopes inspires future Highclimber bowlers to continue' to build upon. “I hope that the future teams can stay positive and just love bowling as much as our team always has,” Merri- man said. “I hope they can always im- prove like We did. It’s been so amazing to make such great friends in bowling, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any oth- er way.” The state competition format is a la- bor of love for participants. A set of three games followed, by a short, late afternoon lunch break and a second set of three games means most bowlers have to roll more than 100 times in just a few short hours during the first day of action. As individuals, Shelton’s bowlers felt they could have each performed better, but were grateful for the op- portunity to compete side-by—side with their teammates. “This year at state wasn’t my best, but I did what I could,” Paz said. “Struggling sometimes just happens and as bowlers we learn from our mis- takes. I’m glad I made it with my team and we all did our very best.” , Shelton coach Dann Gagnon said he was pleased with the team’s finish against ..the competition, which includ- ed two-time defending champion Wil- son High School and this year’s winner Evergreen High School of Seattle. “The last six years have been re- warding for me after seeing (the girls) improving each year,” Gagnon said. “I reminded the girls to remember the journey as they finish their senior year. I will miss my seniors who have always been competitive and supportive with their teammates. Parents have also been supportive and encouraging, and that has been greatly appreciated. Without parent support, it would be difficult to have a successful bowling season.” ' Shelton finished this year with a 14-4 overall record (11-3 South Sound Conference), to take second in the SSC and third at the 3A West Central Dis- trict championships. Paz led the SSC with a bowling average of 190.6, an improvement of nearly 40 pins over her junior season. She had nine games of more than 200 and three series of more than 400, in- cluding a league-high 440. Merriman bowled a league-high game of 248 and had seven games of more than 200. Both Paz and Mer- riman were named First Team‘ All- League, while Slone earned Second ‘ Team honors. The Climbers’ roster also includes three other seniors: Bethany Com- stock, who was an alternate bowler at the state championship, Annaliese Tholl and Realee Wiles. Holling said this season was the best experience of her career, crediting both her teammates and Coach Ga- gnon for her improvement and growth. Holling said she has improved from an average of 115 to 131, a gain of 16 pins per game. . “This year, after every good or bad ball, my team was there with cheers, laughs, hugs and words of Wisdom for me,” Holling said. “That feeling is something that can’t be replaced and I’ll miss it for years to come.”