Bowling team advances to state
The state tournament: the prize at the end of the season that every sports team strives for. This marks all the hard work and challenges the team has faced and the success they hope to achieve.
The bowling team competed in the state tournament on Dec. 5. This is the first time the team has qualified since they have existed as a team. They were able to achieve this based on skill and a friendly level of competition.
It is a great activity. A lifetime activity much like golf or tennis. You can continue doing it long after you graduate from high school.
— Brian Gibson
The team competed in tournaments on the weekends leading up to state. These smaller tournaments against the teams in their conference prepared them for the higher stakes of the state tournament. The rules are set by Minnesota High School Bowling, or MHSB. The qualification process is similar to that of other sports, with a a conference tournament followed by the state tournament.
Coach Brian Gibson said, “There are 127 varsity teams and 20 conferences statewide. The winner of each conference tournament at the end of the regular season goes to state.”
The team’s success can possibly be credited to the approach to have fun and win along the way. The players were able to enjoy the season, compete in a sport they love and they just happened to get to state as well.
Senior and team member Rachel Neumann said, “I have friendships with everybody on the team, we’re so close we’re like a family.”
Although it is important for the team to be able to enjoy each other’s company and work well together, it is also important for them to be able to produce consistent shots in order to gain a winning number of points in a tournament. The highest amount of points are rewarded to strikes, and the more strikes the better.
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The most necessary quality in a skilled bowler, “Being able to repeat shots. That comes from good fundamentals of timing, footwork and arm swing,” said Gibson.
The team has proven their legitimacy and skill and will hopefully be repeating similar successful seasons. There is always room for more bowlers on the team, especially because of the large size of the school. The team would like to increase the amount of players participating in the program to expose more students to bowling.
Neumann said, “We only have 10 people between varsity and junior varsity.”
The benefits of joining the bowling team could be potentially long term as well as short term. Due to the program’s success, another state experience is likely, but the sport can also bring a lifetime of competition and athleticism. Bowling is a sport that can be continued throughout a person’s life, keeping them moving, social and engaged. Bowling is also a coed sport, which is different from most sports that separate between boys and girls.
Gibson said, “It is a great activity. A lifetime activity much like golf or tennis. You can continue doing it long after you graduate from high school.”
The state tournament was the icing on top of the cake for the bowlers and they were able to bring home fourth place overall. Their work throughout the season was rewarded and that is a special feeling they will not soon forget.
Gibson said,”You could see their excitement when they realized they were going to the state tournament.”