News Schools

Marjory Stoneman Douglas Bowler Ends High School Season On a Roll

by Matt Rothman November 15, 2019

by Matt Rothman November 15, 2019 15 views

Marjory Stoneman Douglas Bowler Ends High School Season On a Roll 2

Ashley Paris. {Photo by Main Light Events}

By: Matt Rothman

After her senior year on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas bowling team, Parkland resident Ashley Paris capped off her incredible high school bowling career with a trip to states for the third consecutive season.

At the 2019 Florida High School Bowling State Championships at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, Paris bowled four qualifying games and had a total score of 817. She was one pin away from reaching the top-16, which would have qualified her for match play. There were 211 participants in the tournament.

After coaching sports in Broward County for 24 years and MSD for one, Pedro Perez said Paris is the best student-athlete he has ever had.

“To see what she did and handle herself the way she did is incredible,” said Perez. “Anybody who loses by one pin takes it hard. She did not at all. It is a tribute to her family and the way she is brought up.”

In her previous three appearances at states, she had her best season this year, reaching a top-score of 244 and improving drastically from last year, where she finished in 50th place. She moved up 33 spots.

Her team this year, which consisted of many freshmen in the starting lineup, reached the afternoon of the first district tournament before being beat.

“I really just enjoyed all the friends I made when I bowl, Paris said. “We just have a great time together. We laugh, criticize each other, and have a fun time with it.”

When she is not bowling, Paris likes to work in theater and attended a play shortly returning from the state completion. She also works for a tutoring company Mathnasium when she is not working on her game.

Next year, Paris hopes to attend Florida Gulf Coast University and join the bowling team that just had their inaugural season. She also wants to attend the university to see the beautiful campus and study forensic science. FGCU is one of the lone universities to offer this major, as her dream is to become a crime scene investigator.

If Paris can be just anywhere near successful in her studies as she was in bowling, she is going to be a very successful young lady in college.

Author Profile

Matt Rothman

Matt Rothman is a 2018 graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism and then graduated from the University of Florida as a graduate student. He also works for the Mohave Valley Daily News in Bullhead City, Arizona covering high school sports.