Saline High School’s Cheyenne Long didn’t want to know where she stood as a Division 1 girls bowling regional rolled to a close.

So shortly after Long’s final pin fell over, teammates approached her and delivered the verdict.

“They were like, ‘Oh, you got first,’” said Long, who finished with a winning 1,248 series.

She rolled four straight games in the 200s, including a 237 in the fourth game. It didn’t only give her a first-place finish in the girls standings … it would have won the boys competition, too.

“It felt really good. I was just hoping that I could go states,” said Long, the AnnArbor.com girls bowler of the year.

State-bound she was. There, Long worked her way to the semifinals of the MHSAA singles bowling championships at M-66 Bowl in Battle Creek. Although the Saline senior was eliminated by eventual champion Sarah Lokker of New Baltimore Anchor Bay, Long was all smiles with the ending to her season and her high school career.

“I wanted to make it to states again and do better than I did last year,” said Long, who, a year ago, made it to the top 16. “It was really great. I think I improved a lot from last year.”

Improvement that Long’s coach, John McMullen, wasn’t surprised to see.

“She’s dedicated to bowling. I could see that and it showed in her average and attitude and overall success,” said McMullen, who coached Long all three years she’s been at Saline. “She worked on her game 24/7 throughout the school year and season.”

Long works at Maplewood Lanes in Saline and took part in bowling clinics during the offseason to prepare for this season. She participated in clinics in Tecumseh, home of the three-time defending state champion Indians, and another at the University of Nebraska, where she worked with the school’s women’s bowling team.

“They helped me a lot,” said Long. “(It taught me) that spares matter a lot. And to not get frustrated. Just take one cut at a time.”

It was no surprise that Long led all Washtenaw County girls bowlers with a 203 average, more than 30 points higher than the next in line. She also won the Southeastern Conference tournament, helping the Hornets claim second as a team.

And she’s not done with the lanes yet. Long will continue her bowling career next fall, competing for Saginaw Valley State University.

Kaleb Roedel is a sports writer for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734)623-2562 and e-mailed at kalebroedel@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kaleb_R.