Brathovd heading to state bowling championships, hoping for new bowling ball

To Makenzie Brathovd’s father — it’s time to pay up.

One new bowling ball, please. Brathovd has had her eye on the Trident ball by Motiv.

“My dad and I had a bet that if I bowled over 200 this season, I would get a new ball,” Brathovd said. “So I’m looking forward to that.”

The freshman from North Thurston High School used her 221 pin total in her third game to finish third individually behind Central Kitsap’s Amanda Stewmon and Spanaway Lake’s Carolina Snowden in the West Central District girls bowling championships on Saturday at Pacific Lanes in Tacoma.

That 221 was the second-highest pin total of any bowler on Saturday, just behind Stewmon’s game-three total of 234.

Brathovd’s finish was high enough to qualify her for the 3A state championships, which begin Friday at Narrows Plaza Bowl in University Place. She bowled 181 her first game, then 156 her second.

“I just had to mentally relax,” Brathovd said. “I think the nerves really get to you with all the people watching. I’ve been bowling competitively since I was five, but this is different because it’s my first year for high school.”

Her sister, Cortnie Brathovd, took second place in the 2A/3A state championships behind Mark Morris’ Janaye Kilgore in 2013 and placed sixth in 2014.

But Makenzie wondered if she might be able to take on her older sister now, if she keeps bowling like she did on Saturday.

“We haven’t competed in a while,” Makenzie said. “But I think I could probably take her now.”

She said she got into bowling as a 5-year-old because her great grandfather, Dan Ruden, was the owner of Aztec Lanes in Olympia. Her father, Dan Brathovd, now owns the bowling alley.

And he owes his daughter a new bowling ball, according to Makenzie.

“I’ve had my eye on that Trident ball for a while,” she laughed.

She finished just ahead of Capital’s Grace McCown, who knocked down 196 pins her first game and finished with a three-game total of 531.

Capital was one of five teams to clinch a spot in the state championships. It finished fourth with 2,837 pins behind 3A district champion Wilson (3,111), second-place Central Kitsap (3,074) and third-place Bethel (2,896).

Capital’s Miranda Smith finished ninth overall with 494 pins, Yelm’s Carley Johnson was 11th with 474 pins, Timberline’s Mikayala Jarvis was 15th with 466 pins, Yelm’s Jessica Mullins was 16th with 465 pins and Shelton’s Kaylee Slone was 17th with 465 pins.

This was the first year the WIAA instilled a separate 3A classification for girls bowling. The sport has grown from one classification (2A/3A/4A) from 2002-06 to two classifications (4A and 2A/3A) from 2007-16 to now three classifications (2A/1A, 3A, and 4A).

North Mason won the 2A/1A team title with 2,902 pins, edging reigning district champion Klahowya, which finished second with 2,804 pins.

River Ridge finished in eighth place with 2,171 pins. It was led by Brittany Hubbard, who opened with back-to-back 145-pin games and finished in 26th place with 409 total pins.

This story was originally published January 28, 2017 at 6:22 PM with the headline "Brathovd heading to state bowling championships, hoping for new bowling ball."