Papermaker bowlers keep crashing pins

Bowling pins were falling for the Camas Papermakers like rows of dominoes Wednesday.

Porsche Chartrand, Rebekah Curtis, Emily McDonald, Katie Hull and Hunter Lytle earned several combinations of strikes, splits and spares. As the cheers grew louder with each roll, the Papermakers couldn’t wait for their next throw.

“I was happy about how the positive energy kept flowing through both games and the baker,” Chartrand said. “Once you get that strike streak rolling, it’s easy sailing from there.”

Camas smashed through its glass ceiling and knocked down a school record 1,764 pins. Although Kelso won the match with 1,823 points, coaches Doug Huegli and Con Tornow were proud of the Papermaker effort.

Camas won the second game 772-725. Chartrand fired four strikes and a spare through the first five frames, McDonald added two strikes and three spares, and Lytle had a strike and four spares. Kelso started closing the gap, but McDonald, Curtis and Hull delivered strikes in the seventh frame and Chartrand added a spare. Lytle, Curtis and Chartrand had spares in the eighth frame. Chartrand capped off the game with a strike and a spare. She also had a strike and a spare in the final frame of the first baker.

“I’m very proud of my team,” Chartrand said. “They stepped to home plate and showed Kelso how Camas can bowl.”

Chartrand led the team effort with a two-round total of 373. Curtis finished with a personal best game of 183.

“I was just getting spare, after spare, after spare,” Curtis said. “I passed 161 without even realizing. It was totally amazing.”

As she fed off the energy of her team, McDonald improved her score by 41 pins in the second round.

“I love all these girls,” she said. “When they’re happy, I’m happy and everything is going good.”

Camas beat Union by 83 pins Dec. 10, at Big Al’s. Chartrand delivered games of 166 and 180, Lytle added a 105 and a 153, Curtis chipped in a 118 and a 137, Katie Hull had a 131 and a 117, and Emily Hull rolled two 93 games. The Papermakers also won both bakers for a combined score of 1,612.

“If feels good to be able to represent Camas in this sport,” McDonald said. “Camas is good at a lot of sports, and we want to be able to continue that in bowling. If we do good, hopefully more people will want to be part of the team.”

Camas defeated Prairie and Fort Vancouver earlier in the season. The Papermakers face Battle Ground, Skyview, Heritage and Evergreen after winter break, before rematches with Columbia River and Fort. The district tournament is Friday, Jan. 25, at Allen Crosley Lanes near downtown Vancouver.

“Whether we win or we lose, it’s fun,” Chartrand said. “As long as there’s bowling at the school, I’ll be happy.”