The 2019-2020 bowling season opened on a cold and snowy day in November and is now coming to an end with their final practice on February 17, prior to the district meet. 

Since last year, the boys team has lost a lot of bowlers due to graduation, leaving it a young and inexperienced team of bowlers. As of now, boys’ varsity is composed of three sophomores, two juniors, and one freshman, with only two athletes having more than one year of bowling experience.

 “We knew there would be a strong learning curve this year due to the loss of players but their attitude and effort has really shown me how much they care about bowling. [Watching] the improvement each day in practice has been a joy,” Michael Denger, the boys head coach, said.

Although the boys team saw a decline in bowlers, the girls team saw a dramatic increase. Carlie Prymek ‘21 set the school record for a two-game series with a total score of 450. This was a big deal for the girls bowling team, putting it in the record books for being top 10 teams at City High with a round one overall total. 

 “I would really like to see the girls take another step forward. We definitely have the talent and now it is putting it all together,” Denger said.

The regular season will end with Senior Night on February 14 at Colonial Lanes against Cedar Rapids Xavier. Following Senior Night, the post-season will begin for bowlers looking to qualify for state. It is still undecided if City High is going to bowl at state. The district meet will be held in Waterloo at Cadillac Lanes on February 18, giving bowlers a chance to qualify for state on an individual or team level. 

“We just have to work together as a team,” Denger said. “When we are bowling for the team and not ourselves anything is possible.”