Fort Vancouver’s Heying bowls to 2nd place at state

Lauryn Heying kept her focus on her main goal all day at the Class 3A/2A state bowling championships Friday.

She just wanted to represent Fort Vancouver to the best of her ability.

“I feel like I accomplished that goal,” she said in a phone interview during a celebratory dinner.

Her second goal was to place higher than she did last year, when she ended up 10th.

Oh yes, she accomplished that, too.

Heying, a senior from Fort Vancouver, rolled 200-plus in five of her six games Friday and finished second in the individual championship at Narrows Plaza Bowl in University Place.

Southwest Washington had — and is having — another strong performance at the championships.

Reagan Lorey of Hudson’s Bay finished third in the 3A/2A event.

In the 4A championships, Cassandra Huit and Adrianne Schock, both of Battle Ground, finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Together, they have the Tigers in prime position to win their fourth consecutive team title on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Columbia River is in first place in the 3A/2A team competition.

The team titles will be determined Saturday, with each team competing in 14 Baker games. Battle Ground leads second-place Bethel by 299 pins. Columbia River is 132 pins ahead of R.A. Long.

The individual competition ended Friday.

Heying’s 1,242 pins finished second to Megan Wittenberg of Bremerton, who ended up with 1,283.

Heying did all she could — she rolled a series of 644 in her final three games. But Wittenberg had a 713 finish to the day.

“At first, I was frustrated,” Heying said, noting that she and Wittenberg were on the same lanes all day, so they always knew where the other stood. “She put up a tough fight. I give props to her. She bowled great. I can’t be mad at my scores. I feel I did very well.”

Heying’s 207 average for her six games was 22 pins higher than her high school average this season. That is what the sports world calls clutch.

“I went in with a clear mind. I knew what I had to do to get me to where I wanted to be,” Heying said. “I knew what I had to do, and I did it.”

Heying was in fourth place going into the final game, then rolled a 210 to jump up in the standings.

Michayla Garden of Hudson’s Bay finished seventh in the 3A/2A championship.

Columbia River’s Anali Gomez and Emily Basnett finished ninth and 10th as individuals, leading the Chieftains into first place for the team battle.

Camas’ Shelby Chartrand placed eighth in the 4A event.

Carolina Snowden of Spanaway Lake won the 4A title with a score of 1,227.