Carla Crane and her daughter Bailey Wiggins bowled four games apiece in an hour on Tuesday.
Switching lanes on each toss and rarely stopping to even admire their shot, it appeared they had created the new sport of speed bowling. But, really, this was nothing.
This winter Crane and Wiggins, a senior at Northern Heights High School, competed in their first parent-teen bowling competition in Emporia. Crane thought it would just be a one-time thing, but then the pair qualified for a Zone tournament in Wellington. Well, everyone qualified, because there weren’t enough people for one team not to qualify.
Then something strange happened: they started winning.
First it was the Zone on March 2. Then it was on to state April 19. Out of 40 teams, Wiggins and Crane were the best, and Wiggins won a $500 scholarship and a chance for the pair to travel to the International tournament in Baton Rogue, La. from July 31 to Aug. 2.
“I bowled a 200 the first game and I was going against guys with 180 averages, and they weren’t too happy about that,” Wiggins said.
In the weeks approaching the tournament, Crane got her introduction to speed bowling.
“Miss Olympic trainer over there,” Crane said.
With the possibility of winning more scholarship money, Wiggins made sure they bowled five to seven games a day Wednesday through Saturday for two weeks. Well, that’s up for debate.
“More like four to six,” Crane said.
“I bowled seven.”
“I know, you made me!”
Before the international tournament, Wiggins also learned how to bowl a hook instead of a straight ball, and the work paid off. Their winning streak ended, but mom and daughter finished 10th out of 33 teams and Wiggins brought home another scholarship check, this one for $800.
“That’s going to help us a lot,” Wiggins said.
But this wasn’t all about the money. Wiggins and Crane made all their trips together and were able to bond without little brother Blake, 16, and sister Cheyanne, 10, around. The two cherished their time together, but bowling is a family affair for the Wiggins and Cranes.
Crane started bowling with her mom and sister, and Wiggins is trying to get her brother and sister more involved. Blake bowls in leagues just like mom and sister and Cheyanne recently joined a youth league.
“I’m pushing my sister,” Wiggins said. “If she misses a league game, I get onto her because you can’t get good if you’re not bowling.”
Crane and Wiggins still have one more year to compete in the parent-teen competition. After next year, Crane will continue with either Blake or Cheyanne and Wiggins will take the other and compete in the adult-teen division.
Until then, Wiggins is going to keep practicing and hope for more scholarship money. She plans to use the money at either Wichita State, Kansas State or Emporia State and she wants to be an athletic trainer.
That is, if speed bowling doesn’t become a profession.