For one Sequim bowler, it was a fine send-off. For the other, motivation for next season.
Senior Breanna Krumpe and junior Alex Whiteside capped Sequim High School’s finest bowling season at the class 2A/3A tournament in University Place Saturday.
Krumpe placed 46th and Whiteside finished 52nd at the state tourney. It’s the first time a Sequim athlete has qualified for the state finals.
"It was an extremely tough shot," Sequim coach Randy Perry said of the synthetic lanes Krumpe and Whiteside bowled on Saturday. "The girls had a tough time but they had good attitudes. They were right around their season average."
Sequim’s pair each bowled six full games, four more than they normally do in a regular match. Krumpe knocked down 814 pins while Whiteside racked up 692 pins.
"They both were pretty tired by the end of it," Perry said.
A week earlier, Sequim’s team missed a chance to advance the entire team by just 56 pins. The team that edged them for the district’s third and final state berth, Klahowya, finished sixth.
West Valley of Yakima took the 2A/3A team title, edging Olympic League champ Olympic. Bremerton was third.
"It was … an eye-opening atmosphere," Perry said. "We’re definitely planning on doing this next year."
The Wolves lose just one starter – Krumpe – from a team that despite a 5-10 record set numerous school records and honed their skills against two of the best teams in the state in Olympic and Bremerton.
Now Perry and the Wolves just need a strong replacement for Krumpe to complement next year’s lineup of three seniors and one junior.
"I think that this (state tourney) is a good stepping stone," Perry said.