Sports roundup: Ellis sets school bowling record

Girls bowling

In a 1480-1186 win against Everett High School on December 13, Ainslee Ellis broke the school record for highest individual score in a single game, bowling a 179. Ellis broke the previous record held by teammate Bella Vezzetti.

The Borderites have won three of its last four matches, beating Anacortes, Jackson and Everett within the span of two weeks. The team now gets a winter break respite before resuming conference play on Wednesday, January 3 against Cascade High School at Evergreen Bowling Lanes in Everett.

The Borderites will finish the regular season schedule with a slate of games at Mt. Baker Lanes at 1788 Labounty Drive in Ferndale. Blaine will face Ferndale on Friday, January 5; Nooksack Valley on Tuesday, January 9; Squalicum on Tuesday, January 16 and Meridian on Friday, January 19. All games start at 3:15 p.m.

Girls wrestling

The Borderites girls wrestling team competed in the Santa Slam at Juanita High School in Kirkland on December 16. The entire team contributed in every weight class, but it was Lucy Dahl and Analicea Ordonez whose performances stood out. Both wrestlers placed second in their respective weight classes, and each won three matches on the day to reach their first place matches.

While both were defeated in their final matches, Blaine still represented well in the massive, 27-team tournament field.

The Borderites will compete in one more multi-team tournament before winter break, likely at Edmonds-Woodway High School on Wednesday, December 20. After the holiday break, Blaine will be back on the mat 6 p.m. Thursday, January 4 at Burlington-Edison High School. They’ll go right back to the mat 3:30 p.m. Friday, January 5 in the Braided 64 tournament at Kelso High School in southwest Washington.

Boys basketball

Boys basketball had a tough week, losing a 65-32 blowout on the road against Lakewood, then suffering a heartbreaking loss at home to Squalicum December 15, missing a last-second shot attempt to fall 69-67. Josiah Weeda, yet again, led the team in scoring with a game-high of 26 points, making five of nine 3-point attempts.

After a hopeful 2-2 start to the season, the Borderites dropped two important conference games in a row, and have lost four of its last five.

Now in the bottom-five of the NWC standings, the Borderites still have plenty of season left to turn around, and are still the second-ranked 1A team in the conference.

But if the Borderites want to make a deep run at district and state tournaments as they did last year, they have a heavily-favored, 7-0 Lynden Christian team to get through first. The Borderites will travel to face Lynden Christian on Wednesday, December 20 at 7:15 p.m. Blaine plays one more home game before Christmas against Nooksack Valley at 7:15 p.m. Friday, December 22.

Stats provided by WhatcomHoops.com

Girls basketball

Blaine girls basketball only played one game since last week’s update, but seem to have hit a bit of a road bump early in the season. After starting the year 3-0, then losing close to Oak Harbor, the Borderites were shut down December 13 in a 45-28 loss to conference opponent Lakewood.

It was the Borderites lowest offensive output since beating Friday Harbor 28-10. The Friday Harbor game, however, was cut short at halftime so the Borderites could catch the ferry home. This time, they had a full four quarters and could only put up 28 points.

Last week, after the Borderites whipped visiting Bellingham 53-30, head coach Vic Wolffis quipped, “Everything looks good when the shots go down.”

Now on the other side of that coin, little looked good on Wednesday, and the Borderites dropped its second straight.

But the season is still young, and the Borderites will face another test when hosting a tough Lynden Christian team at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, December 20. The Borderites play one more game before winter break, at Nooksack Valley at 7:15 p.m. Friday, December 22.