Battle Ground’s Takara Suhama wins 4A district
VANCOUVER — She had the game of her life.
Then she had the series of her life.
That is how Evergreen senior Lexi Henderson won the Class 3A District 4 bowling championship Friday at Allen’s Crosley Lanes in Vancouver.
“I wasn’t expecting an individual title or reward or anything,” Henderson said, adding she just wanted to help her team win.
Well, she did that by bowling a 675 series to win the individual championship. Later in the day, she and the Plainsmen capped off the team victory, as well.
Battle Ground’s Takara Suhama and teammate Darian Dyer tied in scoring for the 4A title, with Suhama taking the tiebreaker based on her high game of 186. Skyview took the team title.
On Thursday, Columbia River won the Class 2A team title.
Class 3A District:
Henderson rolled a 203-251-221 series. That 251 is a career best.
“It was crazy,” she said. “When I was up there, I literally tuned everything out. I just watched my mark.”
She had strikes on the first seven frames of that middle game.
“I looked at the score and said, ‘Wow. I can’t believe I’m doing this.’ I tried not to get too excited,” Henderson said. “I just tried to stay calm.”
Henderson said she focused more in practice this season because it is her final opportunity in high school bowling. She said she will take the same mentality to softball this spring with the Plainsmen.
“I want my senior year to be fantastic,” she said.
Reagan Lorey of Hudson’s Bay was second at district with a 592 series. Defending state champion and Evergreen teammate Kerissa Anderson was third at 589.
The Plainsmen cruised to the district championship and will head to next week’s state championship as the top seed. Evergreen won the Class 3A team title in 2017.
Hudson’s Bay and Kelso also will compete next week at state as teams.
Four other Clark County bowlers made it to 3A state as individuals: McKenna Ellen, Jessica Tofte and Katie Campbell of Fort Vancouver and Madi Bash of Prairie.
Class 4A District:
“It’s kind of nice to know all my hard work paid off,” Suhama said of her 4A title.
She credited her coach, Harold Lysne, for making it happen for her and the Tigers.
Still, she never figured on winning the district crown.
“I just hoped I’d bowl good. I knew there are a lot of good bowlers out her today,” Suhama said. “It was just a matter of who was on today.”
Dyer won on her game, too. They both knocked down the same amount of pins. Dyer was just on the wrong side of the tiebreaker. Still, she enjoyed tying with her teammate.
“I didn’t let myself get too frustrated. I have a tendency to do that,” Dyer said. “I didn’t do that to myself today, and that really helped.”
Skyview, led by Athena Mantalas’ 510 series, won the team title and will go to state as a group.
Suhama and Dyer made it to state as individuals.
Class 2A District:
Madison Mollahan of Columbia River finished third Thursday in the individual competition, recording a 549 series. But her effort led the Chieftains to the 2A team championship, advancing to state.
Mark Morris’ Brooklyn Boudreau won the individual title, scoring 639 pins.
Next week:
The Class 4A state championships will be held Thursday and Friday at Narrows Plaza Bowl in University Place. The 3A and 2A championships will be Friday and Saturday.
