Kennewick's Blackketter heads to state bowling

Kennewick senior Brittany Blackketter will be among 144 individual bowlers vying for a piece of the state pie as the 4A and 3A/2A girls bowling championships begin at 10 a.m. today at Narrows Plaza Bowl in University Place.
Blackketter rolled a 552 series (173-167-212) to finish second overall among 3A/2A contenders Jan. 26 in the District 5/6 regional tournament at Spare Time Lanes in Kennewick.
Blackketter earned the first of two individual allocations, and West Valley junior Miki Campbell rolled a 548 series (145-169-234) to place third among the 3A individuals and take the region's other 3A individual entry.
Meanwhile, the Moses Lake squad, which qualified for state with a first-place regional finish of 3,468 pins, will arrive with seven seniors -- Crystal Balderas, Shanice Brice, Brittney Ledbetter, Bianca Martinez, Andrea Moreno, Ashlann Starkweather and Brittany Simpson.
The Chiefs will compete against eight other 4A teams as they mark their first state bowling appearance since 2007, when they finished fourth overall with a 7,080 pin count.
According to the WIAA website, all bowlers will roll against a middle road oil pattern.
Moses Lake coach Billy Brice said the pattern will pose challenges.
"It's more of something you'd see at a higher level, professional or college-type level," Brice said of the surface design, which he sees as an equalizer.
"Everybody has the same condition. It's not like they're unfair, (but) it's a lot more pressure on the girls to bowl on something they haven't bowled on all year."