New 4A champ was just going ‘with the flow’

Somewhere as a solo act in the middle of Narrows Plaza Bowl — among strangers from other schools — Eastmont High School’s Cheyanne Greening put forth the most uncanny display of consistency ever seen at the WIAA girls bowling championships.

Six games, six scores of 200 or better. That had never before been accomplished since state tournaments began in 2001, and the performance netted Greening the Class 4A state individual crown Friday in University Place.

As her school’s only participant, Greening’s six-game total of 1,279 pins held off Rogers ninth-grader Kristina Harris (1,246) and Wenatchee’s Brianna Saylor (1,232) for the 4A title.

And she was a mark-making machine, recording games of 216, 216, 202, 207, 235 and 203.

It wasn’t flashy, but then again, Greening intended all along not to make a huge splash.

“It was just go with the flow,” Greening said.

Many people were paying attention to the far side of the bowling alley, where Harris and Saylor were taking turns moving in and out of first place through the first four games.

And when Harris rolled a 205 in the fifth game to take a 21-pin advantage over Saylor, the Rams’ standout felt a little nerves.

“To be honest I did, maybe after our fifth game after I saw how close it was,” Harris said. “I didn’t know about the girl over there (from Eastmont).”

In between morning and afternoon sessions, bowlers commented how the oil conditions on the lanes had changed. Some struggled greatly to make adjustments. Not Greening.

“I was playing a different line than everybody else,” Greening said. “They were going way outside (with their mark), and I was playing more inside. I only had to move my feet three times all day.”

After she rolled a 235 in the fifth game, Greening took the lead for good — and Eastmont’s first bowling title.

There was certainly a buzz surrounding Harris, who impressed the field with her steely nerves and bouncy personality.

A junior all-star bowler who is a teammate of 2015 4A champion Carolina Snowden, of Spanaway Lake, in a league at JBLM, Harris said she has spent many years chasing her father’s scores.

On Friday nights, Don Harris Sr. bowls in a moonlighting league. When he comes home, he announces his series to his daughter.

And that is the score she often shoots for the next day at her junior league.

“My dad taught me how to bowl,” Harris said. “Whenever I have competition with him, I try and beat him because I know how good he is — and I know that I will be getting better.”

Everett’s Candice Goldfinch might be remembered as the best in-state bowler to never win a Class 3A/2A title.

But on Friday, she had only herself to blame.

Holding a 51-pin lead over Olympic’s Ashlyn Jamrog with two games to go, she lost all of it.

Needing two strikes and an 8-count in the final frame to win, Goldfinch’s first shot stayed high and went right through the nose, ending her championship bid. She was the state runner-up in 2014, too.

And Jamrog made it back-to-back years that a West Sound bowler captured the 3A/2A title. Bremerton’s Megan Wittenberg won it last season.

“Kind of no words right now,” Jamrog said. “It is really cool. I just bowled my game and tried not to worry about anyone else.”

Play resumes Saturday at 8 a.m. for 14 Baker games to decide the state team champions. Wenatchee (5,199 pins in 4A) and Hanford (5,229 pins in 3A/2A) are the overnight leaders.

This story was originally published February 5, 2016 at 11:08 PM with the headline "New 4A champ was just going ‘with the flow’."