Parker, Leones bag IIAAG High School Bowling titles

Monday, May 8, 2023 – CENTRAL LANES BOWLING CENTER, Tamuning, Guam

The IIAAG High School Bowling League closed the season with a televised championship courtesy of MegaMixx TV Youtube channel on Monday, May 8, 2023, at the Central Lanes Bowling Center. The event featured the Top 10 All Island boys and girls who bowled in a five-player baker format and culminated with the crowning of the boy’s and girls’ league champions.

The event showcased the talents of the top high school bowlers after the all-island competition, which was held on Thursday, May 4, 2023. Each team of five players for both the boy’s and girl’s divisions took turns on the lanes bowling a team game. After two games of competition, the girl’s team consisting of Cougars Eriana Ada, Eagles Paulina Yoon, Starfish Anaia Quenga, Angels’ Charlotte Oh and Jasmine Lee combined for 286 points to defeat the team headed by Islander’s Kamila Leones and Juliana Lagman, Angels Shalai Henrich, along with a Cougar duo of Alexis Leon Guerrero and Grenzyll Dela Cruz.

In the boys’ division, Team Odd Sharks rolled all over Team Even Stevens. The Odd Sharks members included team captain Evan Duenas and Graig Reyes of Tiyan High School bowling for the Friars, Eagles’ Elijah Duenas from Guam High School, Warrior’s Myles Perez, and Islander’s Tristan Adonay. Team Even Stevens was led by Eagle’s Parker Ashland and included Islanders Micaiah Benton from George Washington High School, Friars’ Aron Hernandez from GWHS and Aaron Lupola, and Starfish’s Jayden Flores.

After the completion of the All-Star matches, the top 3 finalists Stepladder ensued. The girl’s division pitted 2^nd seed Ada against 3^rd seed Lagman. Ada took control of the early frames leading by two marks halfway through the game. Unfortunately, nerves got the better of the higher seed down the stretch allowing Lagman an opportunity to seize the moment as she closed out the game with a solid strike and spare to advance to the gold medal match and send the crowd into a frenzy.

The gold medal match drew a pair of Islanders, Top seed Kamilah Leones and third seed Lagman. Leones continued her hot streak from the All-Island meet and never let go of the lead as she cruised to the finish line and claimed her first IIAAG High School Bowling championship during her first year of competitive bowling. The silver medal also went to first-year bowler Juliana Lagman, while Ada was awarded the bronze.

The boy’s semi-final match between HCA Eagle’s teammates came down to the wire as 2^nd seed Ashland was able to overcome early game obstacles to edge out 3^rd seed Elijah Duenas to advance to the championship round. Duenas started off strong marking on the first three frames to take a two-mark lead. However, Ashland was able to make up ground in the wading frames after sparing a 6-7-10 split that gave him more confidence as the match progressed, and eventually found himself in the title match.

In the title match, defending champion and top seed Evan Duenas used three Brooklyn strikes to key an early lead on the challenger Ashland. A mishap ensued on the fourth frame for Duenas when the adjustment he made dove into the headpin taking out the 1-2-5-8 and eventually only taking two pins which gave hope to Ashland. Ashland responded with a turkey of his own, to take the lead and sailed off towards his first IIAAG High School title. With one frame to go, Ashland’s ball also took a dive toward the head pin leaving an opportunity for Duenas to steal the match with a double. Duenas delivered his tenth frame shot coming up short of the headpin that crowned a new champion, Sophomore Parker Ashland with a final score of 190-181.

The awards were presented to the top ten all-island bowlers by league coordinator Jay Leon Guerrero along with the Team Championship trophies to the Academy of Our Lady of Guam Cougars and Father Duenas Memorial School Friars.

The Guam Bowling Congress would like to thank the IIAAG for their support of the sport of bowling on the island, Central Lanes Bowling Center, Mega Mixx TV, the school administrators, coaches, team officials, and family and friends who supported our young athletes throughout the season.