After losing eight of its top varsity players to graduation, the bowling team is looking to rebound and rebuild. Although varsity failed to place in the Glenbrook North tournament on Nov. 8, junior varsity emerged triumphant.

In a dramatic finish, Colin Temple ‘16 struck out the final frame of the last game to edge the JV squad to a narrow tournament victory.

Varsity anchor Jack McGuinn ‘16 said that varsity’s loss wasn’t in vain, however.
“Now we know where we stand compared to other schools,” McGuinn said. “We need to acclimate to our surroundings and adjust to how the lanes are changing.”

During a long tournament, the once freshly-oiled lanes dry out because of heavy use. The ball then cuts and curves in the dry patches, resulting in gutter-balls and dirty hits.

The team practices each day at Rolling Lanes after school, with focus on technique and strategy to prepare for close matches and adverse lane conditions.

“Every single day we’re practicing spares. Whether it’s moving left and hitting marks or shooting at the 10-pin, we’re always working on something,” McGuinn said.

According to McGuinn, new bowlers Marco Garcia ‘18 and Lindsey Arnston ‘15 have helped fill the void left by graduating standouts like captain Pat Mulvaney ‘14 and Mike Kicmal ‘14. McGuinn and Garcia serve as the team’s new foundation, as both aim for solid scores in the 260s on a game-by-game basis. McGuinn shot a team-high 621 in his three-game series at December 1st’s competition versus St Charles East.

As of Dec. 2, the varsity team holds a record of 2-4, while JV is 2-3. Although the team’s record isn’t as robust as last year’s, the team placed 13th in the Silver Division at the Nov.22 Plainfield North Invite which had 48 participating teams, while beating Hinsdale Central by 309 pins on Nov.25.

“The team has welcomed a lot of new talent but also recognizes that we need to work through the growing pains as a young team,” head coach Francisco Gamboa said. “Our team has the talent and work ethic necessary to make a run for state, but only if we can continue to improve and develop the necessary confidence in our abilities as a team.”