Moses Lake boys bowling wins third consecutive state championship

TACOMA — It was quite a weekend for Ed Samuelson and his Moses Lake Chiefs at the 53rd Annual Washington State High School Varsity Bowling Championships at Narrows Plaza in Tacoma.

The tournament is the second-longest running high school bowling championship in the country, only New York’s has been running longer. More than 1,000 competed statewide during the season.

Moses Lake won its third consecutive state championship, had two all-state selections and three singles reach finals in the boys and girls divisions.

“The kids did fantastic,” coach Ed Samuelson.

Danielle Garcia, a senior, finished third in the Division I girls singles; Maddy Garza, a senior, was also third in Division II. Sophomore Milton Gomez finished fifth in the Division 2 boys singles.

Moses Lake came in as the third-highest team by average in Division I. The team consisted of Seth Lamb, Taylor Duzon, Haley Rogers, Jeffery Fuller, Payton Owen and Noah Torres. Last year, the team won state with Torres, Owen, Duzon and Lamb on the team.

Torres and Owen have been on the team for three consecutive years, winning state all three years.

The Chiefs led after the first day’s five-game Swiss style team bowling with 26 wins and nine losses. There were eight teams in their division with Oak Harbor in second place with 19 wins and 16 losses after Day 1. Torres led the team with a 205-pin average and Lamb was second with 203.

Moses Lake won its first two games the second day. Moses Lake lost its third game to East Wenatchee 971-931, but won the last two games to become state champions with a record of 50-20.

Lamb averaged 203 pins for the tournament and was voted MVP.

Seth said, “After last year, I wanted to be the state MVP this year, that was my goal at state”.

Lamb and Torres were on the all-state first team for boysDivision I.

Lamb averaged 203, Duzon averaged 171, Owen averaged 172 (last year’s MVP), Rogers averaged 165, Fuller averaged 174 and Torres averaged 208 for the tournament.

Moses Lake will have Lamb, Duzon and Rogers returning next year to make another run at the state title for the fourth year in a row, something Ed Samuelson thinks the boys can do if they practice.