Local bowlers compete in Special Olympics regional tournament
Bonner County Daily Bee | UPDATED 3 years, 5 months AGO
Members of the Sandpoint Monarchs Special Olympics bowling team pose with their ribbons from the tournament.
(Courtesy photo)
COEUR d’ALENE — It was a great day of bowling as the Sandpoint Monarchs Special Olympics bowling team competed in the Northern Regional Tournament at Sunset Lanes in Coeur d’Alene on Saturday, March 25.
Nearly 100 bowlers made the trip to Coeur d’Alene last Saturday; there were teams from Moscow, Bonners Ferry, Silver Valley, Coeur d’Alene, and of course, Sandpoint. Each bowler competed with others who had similar averages in separate men's and women's divisions. The final scores are the total of two combined games of bowling. All the bowlers mentioned below represented the Sandpoint Monarchs at the tournament.
“Sunset Lanes did a great job of running everything and making everyone feel welcome. The Special Olympics sports organizers did a fantastic job. It was a smoothly run and very positive experience,” Monarchs head coach Chris Painter said.
In the first women’s division, Mallory Gilchrist placed first with a score of 82. Katie Kludt was not far behind her; she took third place with a total score of 80. In the division above Mallory and Katie, Beverly Hudson took home third place with a score of 121.
In another division, Missy Laker ended up placing fourth with a remarkable score of 152, which was not far behind her competitors. In the top women's division, Sandpoint’s Caitlyn Bayles and Chelsea Dennis finished in first and second place, respectively, with scores of 240 and 236.
For the men, Sandpoint also had a strong showing. In the first men’s division, Bradey Scrimsher placed first with a total score of 109. Roy Burrow and Bob Leichtman both placed second in their respective divisions with scores of 167 and 155.
Next up for Sandpoint were John Painter and Eliyah Allen, who almost matched each other's scores on the day, 182 and 180, respectively. They placed second and fourth in their division. In the top division, Sandpoint dominated. Jackson Barth placed second with a score of 256, Brandon Beck placed third with a total of 252, and Shaine Parsons, the top bowler in the north region, came in first with a score of 307.
“Everybody had a great time and supported their teammates. I am proud of all of them. This was one of the best bowling tournaments we've been to,” Painter said.
The Monarchs will now start their training for the summer regional games in Coeur d’Alene on May 6, in which they will compete in swimming and track and field.
Want to join the Special Olympics as an athlete, volunteer or coach? Contact Kelli Bult at 208-627-6079.