Mobile Sports Authority wins bid to host AHSAA state bowling championships

State bowling champions will be crowned at 42-lane Bowlero Mobile for next three seasons

GCM Staff Report
Posted 10/4/23

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) and the Mobile Sports Authority (MSA) announced Tuesday that Mobile has been awarded the AHSAA State Bowling Championship …

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Mobile Sports Authority wins bid to host AHSAA state bowling championships

State bowling champions will be crowned at 42-lane Bowlero Mobile for next three seasons

Posted

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) and the Mobile Sports Authority (MSA) announced Tuesday that Mobile has been awarded the AHSAA State Bowling Championship Tournament for 2024, 2025, and 2026.

This will be the first time Mobile will host the state championship bowling tournament after having hosted the AHSAA South Regional Bowling Tournament several times in past years.

“The AHSAA is excited to announce this move,” AHSAA Executive Director Alvin Briggs said. “We have hosted several championships in Mobile including tennis and golf state championships. Bowling interest is growing rapidly with our member schools. We look forward to working with the City of Mobile and the Mobile Sports Authority as we move forward. They have been outstanding hosts for our Alabama-Mississippi and North-South All-Star football games, and we look forward to working with them with our bowling championships. We owe much gratitude to our previous hosts at Gadsden and Pelham.”

The 2024 AHSAA State Bowling tournament will take place January 25-26, 2024, at Bowlero Mobile (formerly the Camellia Lanes), a 42-lane bowling center located in west Mobile. The center has recently undergone an extensive renovation in advance of the tournament.

“We’re proud and humbled the AHSAA has awarded Mobile one of their prestigious state championship events. We appreciate the confidence the Central Board, Mr. Briggs, and his team have shown in us and we look forward to delivering a first-class event for the young student-athletes. We’ve enjoyed the growing partnership we have with the AHSAA leadership team, and we hope to earn the right to host more of their events in the future,” Mobile Sports Authority Executive Director Danny Corte said.

The state championships will feature 32 high school teams (16 boys’ and 16 girls’ teams) from across Alabama which will have advanced through the AHSAA area and regional playoffs. The tournament will include boys’ and girls’ competition in two divisions, Class 1A-5A and Class 6A-7A.

The NFHS Network and AHSAA TV Network, in conjunction with executive producer WOTM TV, live stream the state bowling championship matches annually.

Bowling was approved as an AHSAA championship sport in 2016 with all schools competing in one boys’ division and one girls’ division. Since then, due to the sport’s growth, state champions are now crowned in two divisions for both males and females.

Pelham hosted the championships from 2016-2021. The state bowling championships moved to Gadsden the last two years.

Winning the 2023 state bowling championships for the girls’ division were Beauregard High School (Class 1A-5A) and American Christian Academy (Class 6A-7A). Winning the boys’ state titles in 2023 were Etowah High School (Class 1A-5A), and Sparkman (Class 6A-7A).

Teams compete in eight regions in each division during the regular season with the top two teams in each region advancing to the North and South Regional Championships, respectively. The top four qualifiers at each regional then advance to the state championships in each division.

“We at Bowlero Mobile are honored to have been chosen for the next three AHSAA State Bowling Championship Tournaments, a first time for Mobile. It’s been a very rewarding experience for me moving to this Bowlero location and I look forward to co-hosting the best high school bowlers in Alabama for the next three years,” Bowlero Mobile General Manager Caitlyn Johnson concurred.

For more information about the upcoming tournament, visit ahsaa.com/sports/winter/bowling or bowlero.com/location/bowlero-mobile.

AHSAA PAST BOWLING CHAMPIONS

GIRLS

2023: 6A-7A – American Christian | 1A-5A – Beauregard

2022: 6A-7A – Sparkman | 1A-5A – American Christian

2021: 6A-7A – Sparkman | 1A-5A – Satsuma

2020: Southside-Gadsden

2019: Southside-Gadsden

2018: Southside-Gadsden

2017: Southside-Gadsden

2016: Sparkman

BOYS

2023: 6A-7A – Sparkman | 1A-5A – Etowah

2022: 6A-7A – Spain Park | 1A-5A – American Christian

2021: 6A-7A – Sparkman | 1A-5A – East Limestone

2020: Thompson

2019: Vestavia Hills

2018: Buckhorn

2017: Spain Park

2016: Spain Park