I-A BOWLING: Leong sisters carry Tech girls to title
As a freshman, Emi Leong won a state bowling title the same year as her older brother, Dallas, did at Tech.
The senior got another special family moment Friday with her younger sibling.
Leong rolled a 512 series, and her freshman sister, Eri Leong, rolled a team-best 531 series as the Roadrunners topped Boulder City 9-0 and won their fourth consecutive Division I-A girls bowling title at The Orleans.
“My freshman year, I bowled with my brother and we (both) won state that year,” Emi Leong said. “So now I have a title with my brother and a title with my sister. I don’t think many people can say that.
“It feels great to end my senior year like this. I’ve been waiting and hoping for this moment all year. It feels amazing to be able to say I won again.”
Tech, which outscored opponents 115-2 this season, beat the Eagles by a total of 73 pins and won all three games.
“We call it the Leong Legacy,” said Eri Leong, who had a 202 in the first game to hellp give Tech a 38-pin lead. “I just wanted to fulfill that and make sure my sister could walk out of high school saying (she did) that. I’m really happy because my main goal was to do it for her. It’s her last year, and she wanted that last ring.”
Angelica Rosado added a 515 series for the Roadrunners.
Boulder City’s Abigail Harling had the top series with a 576, including a 229 in the third game.
In the boy’s final, Boulder City outscored Tech 2,418-2,067 in total pins and won 9-0 to win its second title in three years.
Teagan Smale rolled a 635 series to lead the Eagles. The senior ended the 10th frame of the third game with three consecutive strikes to start the celebration for his teammates.
“I can’t believe it,” Smale said. “We just went out there and did our jobs. That’s all we needed to do. Our coaches kept motivating us. Without them, we wouldn’t be here.”
Boulder City led by 106 points after the first game and finished with the tournament’s top pin total. Samu Jancuk rolled a match-high 267 in the second game for the Eagles.
“We were comfortable (after the first game), but we still kept the pressure on,” Smale said. “We knew that they could rally back. Even though we had a big cushion, we didn’t let it affect us.”
Kyle Rendon led Tech with a 608 series.
Contact reporter Ashton Ferguson at aferguson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0430. Follow him on Twitter: @af_ferguson