Artesia bowling team remains focused and relaxed for potential ninth state title
Artesia High School head bowling coach Ken Clayton kept practice light and loose Monday as the team readies for the state high school bowling tournament Friday in Albuquerque.
Clayton and the Bulldogs are no strangers to the 3/4A finals as Artesia has claimed eight state titles and readies for a ninth at Silva Lanes in New Mexico’s largest city.
Artesia won the advanced division title at the Starlight Bowling Tournament last weekend in Bernalillo.
More: Defending state champions Artesia High bowlers host 11 teams in weekend tournament
Top 8 bowlers head to state later this week
For most of the season, Clayton had more than 30 student-athletes bowling at various tournaments in northern New Mexico and the home invitational Jan. 20.
Monday he named the five starters and three alternates for Friday's tournament. Clayton said the substitutes can be inserted during the tournament.
Payton DeMerritt and Jace Miles were tied with the highest team averages of 198.
“He has come a long way in a year,” Clayton said of DeMerritt, a sophomore. "He has learned the game."
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Clayton also said Miles’ game has improved from last year, as a freshman Miles had a 149 average.
His average score has improved by nearly 50 points during this season.
“That’s huge,” Clayton said. “He’s most the improved bowler on the whole team.”
Clayton expects DeMerritt and Miles to carry the team during state. Hagen Murph, Brent McIntire and Tyler Romine are the remaining three starters.
Kambry Collins and her brother Chase as well as Brendan Depew are the three substitutes that could play key roles for the Bulldogs.
Kristen Collins, the mother of Kambry and Chase, attended Monday’s practice session at Artesia Lanes.
“They’ve improved so much from last year to this year,” she said.
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Kambry Collins’ season average is 169 heading into Friday’s tournament and her brother has an 184 average.
Kristen admits she has tried to keep her nerves to a minimum when her kids have bowled this season.
“I have a lot of memories with my two kids playing in the same sport forever,” she said.
Bowling tradition continues
Bowling has been a sanctioned sport at Artesia High School for 17 years and the school won its first title in 2012.
Clayton said some of the young keglers have seen the tradition of Artesia High bowling as trophies and banners highlight the team’s success over the years at Artesia Lanes.
“I just want to teach them the real part of bowling,” he said. “Once you start coaching them they buy in.”
He added previous bowlers set a high bar that others want to be a part of.
“These guys want to be the best,” Clayton said.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Artesia High School bowling team focuses on ninth state title
