Daily Press Staff Report

The Artesia High School bowling team is the only team to consistently enter two and sometimes three teams into the elite Advanced division of each New Mexico High School Bowling Association (NMHSBA) tournament.

“It is a complete reflection of the efforts and the talent of our student athletes, that they can achieve tournament averages that place them in the top division of our sport” said coach Ken Clayton.

“We have a few bowlers competing at All-state choir this weekend or we would be taking three Advanced teams on Saturday.”

The only drawback to having multiple teams in the same division is that you are competing against the best of the rest of the state as well as the best of the rest of your teammates. “Makes for some interesting tournaments and even some fun practices,” said Clayton.

With Artesia No. 2 having captured the Championship of the West Texas High School Shootout and winning the first two NMHSBA events, Artesia No. 1 was determined to get in the win column at Bernalillo.

With Albuquerque Eldorado High School posting the highest score of the season with a 3292 score in the morning squad, the Bulldogs had something to shoot for and proved to be up to the task. Artesia No. 1 opened the scoring with a 916 game and then jumped to the lead by nearly averaging 220 per bowler in a big 1095 game for a 2011 two game total and a 29-pin lead on Eldorado.

Artesia No. 1 was led by Payton Demerritt’s 475 series with games of 255 and 220, Ayden Gomez with his tournament leading 278 game and 425 series and Kambry Collins with 203 and 193 games for her 396 series. Also adding to the leading qualify score were Hagen Murph with a 305 and Brent McIntire with a 199.

The seven game Baker format of the tournament saw Artesia No. 1 put on a show. With games of 223-205-192-197-218-214-190 and a series of 1439 the Bulldogs won the Bernalillo title with a tremendous 3450 to Eldorado High’s 3292.

“A 3450 total score in a high school bowling tournament and a seven-baker game block with a low score of 190 is good bowling,” said Clayton.

Not to be left out in the scoring was Artesia No. 2. Rolling their second No. 2 took home a third-place finish. Leading Artesia again, Junior Brenden Depew with his 201-198-399, Mason Jeter 202-181, Damian Lopez 223, Chase Collins 183-179 and Jace Miles 181. Artesia #2 added Baker games of 216-222-197-197.

The Novice Division team of Artesia No. 6 brought home a second-place finish, missing the first-place trophy by a slim five pin margin. “Our young bowlers get better so fast, and they expect to do so well. It is a nice feeling for coach (Laura) Weddige and I when we tell them that their averages are too high to field a Rookie division team,”said Clayton.

Leading the Novice runners-up were Jurijah Gonzalez with 178-168, Kaine McCall 162 and Sophie Kitchen 138.

Clayton added that the Bulldog team overall scored its highest tournament of the season with the addition of scores from Ayden Huffman 211, Darius Mendoza 209, Diego Molina 178, Alejandro Bahena 169, Maggie Morris 169, Gael Ruiz 168 and Adam Longoria 155.

The Bulldog bowlers now travel to Silva Lanes on Jan. 11 in Albuquerque before hosing the Artesia Bulldog Invitational Jan. 18 as well as the Dan Harvey Sr. Memorial Singles Tournament, Friday on Jan. 17.