Three Butler high school bowlers qualified for the Pennsylvania State Singles Championships Friday at Princess Lanes in Whitehall. Nick Huff, Ashley McCue and Mercedes Belch finished in the top 12 overall at the Western Regional Singles championship. Huff qualified fifth overall out of 77 boys competitors. Ashley McCue, the defending Western Regional champion, qualified 10th overall out of 84 competitors. Mercedes Belch qualified 12th.

Huff averaged 187 for the first three games of qualifying, but then averaged nearly 209 for the final three games to place sixth overall out of 78 bowlers. Huff fell in the first round of the step-ladder finals 197-156 to Devin Crepp of Beaver Falls.

McCue averaged 167 for her first three games of qualifying, but then averaged 197 for the final three games to jump into a state qualifying position.

The defending Western Regional champion from 2016, McCue opened the step-ladder finals with a 204-157 win over Olivia Emmonds of Armstrong, but fell to Plum's Meghan Christman 161-156 in the quarterfinals.

Mercedes Belch averaged 180 over her six games of qualifying (1078) to take the 12th and final qualifying position of the state championships. She lost her first round match to eventual Regional runner-up Gianna Brant of Greensburg-Salem 215-149.

(Butler's Nicole Nebel finished one spot out of a state qualifying position in 13th, by six pins (1072).

All three will compete a the PA State Singles Championships Friday (March 17th) in Ephrata, Pa.