When the W.F. West High School girls bowling team starts throwing the ball down the lane to kick off a match, a select few athletes grab the attention of not just the opposing team but of curious recreational bowlers playing down the alley.
The whole team is chock full of talented bowlers, but five girls across the varsity and junior varsity teams have made an impression by way of bowling with two hands.
In the bowling sphere nationwide, the two-handed method isn’t unheard of and is actually growing in popularity. But for W.F. West, the concept was extremely rare from the program’s inception in 2017-18 until last year.
This year, the Bearcats have leaned into their unique style of bowling and have even adopted a moniker for their five-man group of two-handed bowlers who make up a portion of the roster.
Together, junior Allison Smitherman, sophomore Karly Rasmussen, junior Kenley Fragner, freshman Willow Rogerson and sophomore Avery Osborn make up the “Bearcat Bowling Bomb Squad.”
But before their stories can be told, the story of the “Bomb Squad” must begin with Brianna Lienhard, an assistant coach for the Bearcats. Lienhard, née Powe, bowled at W.F. West from 2017 until she graduated in 2021 and is considered the first two-handed bowler to come through the program. She began bowling consistently at the varsity level as a junior, when she placed 45th at the state meet before improving and finishing ninth in the 2020 state tournament. Lienhard was even named the Female Athlete of the Year after her senior year across all sports.
Her excellent career started with her trying and failing, admittedly, bowling with one hand for a short time. Don Bunker, Rich’s son and the previous W.F. West head coach, identified immediately that Lienhard wouldn’t cut it as a one-handed bowler and pitched the idea of having her try bowling with two hands.
“I was Donnie’s guinea pig because I was the first one that he ever tried it on,” Lienhard said. “I tried to do it one-handed, and it wasn’t for me, so they switched me over. It was so awkward at first, and I see myself a lot in these girls when we get them started because it is an awkward first try.”
Lienhard joined the program as a volunteer coach after she graduated and is in her second year as an assistant. The “Bomb Squad” officially began last year as both Smitherman and Fragner quickly switched from one-handed rolling to two hands. The three others, all first-year bowlers with the Bearcats, found two-handed bowling to be more effective and have learned from the two veterans and from the coaching of Lienhard.
“It took me one day for me to switch over to two hands. It takes perseverance and wanting to stick with it,” Smitherman said. “The key is definitely speed.”
Two-handed bowlers claim that the method uncorks power and torque that a one-handed bowler at the high school level likely wouldn’t reach. Bearcats two-handed bowlers have been clocked throwing up to 18 mph, coaches said.
One benefit is that most two-handed bowlers don’t need to focus on the use of their thumbs like one-handed bowlers do. All five of the Bearcats bombers throw with their right hand and use their left hand for stability.
“When you see two-handed bowlers, you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s kind of different.’ It sparks your interest,” Rasmussen said.
It’s not an easy technique to master. Even W.F. West head coach Rich Bunker and assistant Bob Spahr, who are both members of the Lewis County Bowlers Association Hall of Fame, admitted they weren’t equipped to bowl successfully with two hands.
“They’re powerful bowlers. Once they get the hang of it, they’re really good,” Bunker said. “It takes strength and a little more athleticism, and these girls have it.”
The “Bearcat Bowling Bomb Squad” has become part of the team’s identity this year. They even created a logo featuring Rosie the Riveter donning a Bearcats tattoo on her flexed bicep. The bowlers embrace their different approaches in the alley and want to see the idea of a “squadron” continue to blossom at W.F. West for years to come.
“I like that it’s different. It’s not something you see every day,” Osborn said.
“I love two-handed bowling, and I wish people saw the art of it more,” Smitherman added.
In a match against Centralia at Fairway Lanes on Tuesday, Jan. 6, Fragner, Rogerson and Osborn earned their first varsity reps of their careers, and the latter two recorded their personal bests. W.F. West defeated Centralia 1,934-1,732, with the Bearcats winning the first game 800-747 and the second 854-680. In the Baker games, Centralia outscored W.F. West 305-280, but it wasn’t enough as the Bearcats prevailed.
Sable Bunker led the way averaging 176 for W.F. West, while Julianna Gonzalez averaged 182. Centralia's Lily Guerrero averaged 175 with a high game of the night at 201.
