Peninsula Senior Ashley Richards Wins PSL Bowling Title

I think now, as the girls see how well we can do, they'll put in the time...now they really want to be somebody.”

The Peninsula High School girls bowling team came within inches of perfection this season, rolling through the Puget Sound League with a dominant 14-1 record — tying Capital during the regular season. The Seahawks posted the second-highest average game score in the league with 730 pins and battled Capital in a razor-thin PSL Championship match at All Star Lanes in Silverdale Jan. 24, falling by just 13 pins.

“We knew we were pretty good. We got behind in some early matches but were able to pull them out,” said Head Coach Kristy Whitcher. “That’s when we realized we might have a team to compete for a championship.”

Senior Ashley Richards was a standout at the PSL Championship, claiming the school’s first-ever individual league bowling title with a total score of 498 (166 average). She saved her best for last, bowling a tournament-high 212 in the third game to surge past Ava Cruz of Silas. Junior Janelle Ramones also made an impact, finishing sixth overall with a 465, highlighted by a 194 in the opening frame. Senior Kayla Cumming placed 24th, rolling a 407.

Whitcher said the team had an off day at the district meet Feb. 1. Only five teams advanced to state, and Peninsula finished in sixth, though both Richards and Ramones qualified individually. Richards once again delivered at the state championship at the Bowlero Lanes of Lakewood, finishing 10th overall with a total pinfall of 1,014 across six frames, averaging 169. She finished 14th at the state meet last year. Ramones tied for 51st with an 827.

“Ashley is a tough competitor,” Whitcher said. “She started slow at state but climbed her way up the standings. She never really gets rattled; she just bears down and goes after it.”

While the team didn’t qualify for state as a whole, the Seahawks proved they belonged among the league’s best. The Puget Sound League had four teams finish in the Top 10, including Capital, which placed third, and Gig Harbor, which came in 10th.

With Richards and Cumming graduating, Ramones will take the reins next season. Whitcher is hopeful that the returning players will commit to offseason training, possibly joining local junior leagues to keep their skills sharp.

“I think now, as the girls see how well we can do, they’ll put in the time,” she said. “It’s fun, but now they really want to be somebody.”

Already planning for the future, Whitcher is looking to offer bowling clinics this June for eighth graders who will be attending either Peninsula or Gig Harbor High Schools next school year.

The clinics will be held at Hi-Joy Bowl in Port Orchard. Parents interested in more information can contact Whitcher at theebowler@yahoo.com.