MOSES LAKE - Marcella Wood placed third in match play at the Washington State USBC Pepsi Youth Tournament May 19 and 20 at Lake Bowl in Moses Lake.

Wood competed against eight bowlers from the Seattle area and earned the right to take part in the USBC National Youth Bowling Tournament and will be participating in the Junior Gold Bowling Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana July 13-22.

"I am so excited to be going to Indianapolis," Wood said. "I have been bowling for nine years and this is the first time I've qualified for something like this."

Wood (15), who fell in love with the game after rolling her first strike when she was 6 years old, said she surprised herself with the third place finish at Lake Bowl.

"The people I was bowling against averaged 200, and I only average 165," she said. "I was kind of nervous and didn't really know if I could beat any of them, but I did and I was so excited I cried."

Tim Harper with Lake Bowl said Wood was the only girl bowler from eastern Washington to make the cut.  

Wood will be doing some fundraising for the next three weeks, and is hoping the community will support her efforts to raise money for the trip.

On June 27, Blue Palm Frozen Yogurt has agreed to donate 10 percent of its proceeds taken from sales between 6 and 8 p.m. A car wash in the Lake Bowl parking lot June 30 will provide another opportunity to raise funds for Marcella. She will also be accepting donations at Washington Trust Bank at 402 South Ash Street.

"This will be the farthest I've been away from home ... I've never even been out of Washington," she said. "I am looking forward to experiencing something new."