Students are bowled over by competition success
BOWLERS from Whitworth Community High School struck gold when they took part in a 10-pin bowling competition.
The triumphant youngsters will now compete in the North West final.
Rossendale School Sports Partnership organised the Panathlon Challenge for primary and secondary schools at Burnley’s MFA Bowl.
Haslingden Primary School won the primary competition.
The Whitworth team of Jenson Healey, Jack Mattison, Francesca Burgess and Sharlie-lee Fox achieved an average total score of 99.5.
Three of the students, Jack, Jenson and Francesca, all 13, got strikes – this means they knocked down all the pins with a single bowling ball.
Francesca said: “I had only been bowling once before and I just tried my hardest, I did not want to bowl the ball too quick.
“I concentrated on being accurate. I enjoyed it because it wasn’t competitive and it was fun.
“I am excited for the team to be through to the next round.”
Francesca ended up getting the team’s highest individual score.
Jack had got three strikes in practice, but found the match harder.
He said: “I threw the ball as hard as I could and didn’t think about where it was going.
“I didn’t expect us to do as well, as I got the lowest score of our team.” Jenson was pleased with his final score of 102.
He said: “It was great fun and we got first place and won a trophy.”
The students were also awarded individual medals and certificates.
The North West final will be in February.
School Games organiser, Nathan Bibby said: “I have been working with the charity Panathlon for a year and they are absolutely fantastic.
“The event was free for all, and they organised everything.
“We had every lane in the bowling alley and we had 23 teams taking part, with 17 primary schools and six high schools, including a special school and a Pupil Referral Unit.
“All the schools played on their own lanes, so they did not know how the other teams had done.
“Whenever a player got a strike, there was a great fuss made of them and the atmosphere was fantastic.”