AOTW: Dimond bowling shatters state record — and does it as a team

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Winning three straight state titles sets the bar for success very high, but the Dimond varsity bowling team found a way to top it.

The quintet of Khloee Waldren, Aurora Panilo, Adelle West, Abigail Jokela and Sierra Walkins combined for a score of 1,008 on Dec. 9, shattering the old girls Alaska state record for a five-bowler game.

“Coming into this season, we had had another game where we were 48 pins away from beating the record,” Jokela said. “So it definitely set us up to think that, ‘Yeah, this is something we can accomplish.’ And we just ran after it, and to beat it felt amazing.”

The original girls mark of 962 was set by the Eagle River team in 2017.

That Wolves squad also holds the two-game high watermark, which is the next record in the Lynx’s sights.

“They are now the mindset of, ‘Let’s beat the two-game state record,’” head bowling coach John Waldren said. “To push them to keep achieving new records.”

While the magical game was unfolding, the coaches said that they were aware of the history being made — but the players were left oblivious until the end.

“We knew when one of the girls, once she threw her shot, that actually broke it,” Waldren said. “We still had a couple bowlers left to finish. We didn’t want to make them nervous.”

The team sees the accomplishment as a testament to their team camaraderie, turning an individual performance-based game into a true team sport.

“My parents are their parents,” Panilo said. “Their parents are my parents. Everyone’s parents is everyone else’s sisters and brothers and whatnot. I grew up with these people.”

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com