Despite having lost three seniors from the state team last year, boys bowling boasts a winning record early this season and placed 18th at the Rockford Invitational Tournament on Nov. 18.

This recent milestone brings the team’s record to 4-2 in conference

“The Rockford Invitational is a rite of passage for our varsity program. It is some of the best bowling in the state only a couple of weeks into our season,” Coach Andrew Juedes said. “Our guys get a glimpse of what it takes to make it out of regionals, sectionals and to get to state.”

Dylan Santacruz senior bowler said at tournaments, “We play teams from all across Illinois who play bowling year round and are very good at it.”

Tournaments usually consist of six games, with each team trying to get the highest cumulative score. Six team members attend a tournament for varsity, with five starters and one sub.

The Conference competition includes Evanston, Vernon Hills, Deerfield, GBN, Niles West and Niles North. “Our conference matches are where we do our best,” Santacruz said.

Locally, Stevenson is the toughest competition, and the NT team will face the Patriots on Jan. 4.

“Even though they’re not in our conference it’s a great experience for the team because we know that’s the toughest it gets with them having won state last year,” senior captain Jordie Wilson said. “So far our season is going very well, we have gotten off to the best start in New Trier bowling history in conference play,” Wilson said.

Santacruz agrees the team is on the right track. “We are continuing to get better from match to match. I feel like the start has been a success considering we lost three seniors from our varsity team that went to state,” he said.

“Our collective goal is to finish top 3 in conference and top 3 at the Conference Tournament.  We then hope to advance as a team to State relying on some of our bowlers who have been there before,” Juedes said. “We can rely on our experience and veteran leadership.  Overall, our guys simply need to put in the time at the lanes to improve their game.  We tend to be a late-season team and rely on momentum carrying us into the end of the year tournaments. Our guys have to be firing on all cylinders to advance.”

The boys also have the advantage of competing in a conference with many teams in a rebuilding mode, Juedes said. “This season we have a chance to do better in conference than ever before with a team made up of returning Varsity and JV members.”

At least one boys bowling team member wishes the sport would get more attention. “I feel like bowling isn’t as respected as many of the other major sports,” Santacruz said. “Everyone sees it as the sport where you just sit around a lot and eat food, but it is a lot of work to get good at it.”

Smart bowlers need to pay attention to the condition of the lanes, which can vary even during a match, he noted. “The conditions you play on are always changing and you have to make a lot of adjustments in a game and from game to game. So not only do you have to have good form but you have to understand how your ball is going to move through the oil on the lanes.”

Wilson has noticed more interest in bowling among fellow students. “People are starting to ask me how the team is doing and more and more people are starting to try out,” he said.

“We feel we have really been progressing to put New Trier bowling on the map these past couple of years in terms of recognition. People are beginning to understand how fun it is and how competitive it is to bowl. People will only understand how amazing the culture is when they come out to see it for themselves.”

Teammate Kalani Rennoe got involved when he took Coach Juedes’ biology class as a freshman, and he plans to continue with the sport after New Trier. “He asked me to try out and I did and I ended up loving it,” Rennoe said.  “If I get into a college that has bowling I will try out for the team.”

He agrees with Wilson that New Trier bowling is attracting more interest. “I do think bowling is respected as a sport. It’s a lot harder than people think,” Rennoe said. “I think people should try to understand the fun parts and the competitive parts.”