Emma Billenstein, bowling for Versailles a year ago, is competing presently for the Shawnee State University Bears. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Area high bowling is off and running, with area kids competing for something they’ve yet to realize…opportunities at the next level of life.
Coldwater, OH – Saturday morning marked the opening day of bowling for the Midwest Athletic Conference, and the anticipated full house showed up at Plamor Lanes, in Coldwater, to watch.
The girls league took center stage during the morning flight, with the boys schedule to bowl later in the day, at 1 pm.
Publisher and editor Sonny Fulks writes OHSAA sports and bowling for Press Pros.
Admittedly, high school bowling gets very little media attention, so when anyone shows up to write and ask questions, it takes everyone by surprise – no one more than the participants, themselves.
But an even bigger surprise on opening day is the reality pertaining to why high school bowling is even more important than anyone previously suspected. Bowling is an outlier, attracting kids that aren’t big enough to play football, tall enough to play basketball…not fast enough to run track.
But for some reason, bowling appeals to them…like Coldwater’s own Keaton Bruns, who’s currently attending Indiana Tech University, and competing as a freshman bowler. One of the best to play at Coldwater, he’s anticipated to have an equally impressive career as a college bowler.
Another Coldwater bowler, Jasmine Schulze, is competing already as a freshman varsity bowler at Wright State. Schulze was Coldwater’s top woman bowler for the past three seasons, and apparently has made the transition to the next level of competition, seamlessly.
Coldwater’s Jasmine Schulze is competing as a freshman at Wright State, while pursuing a career in medicine.
Will Olberding, from New Bremen, is in his senior season at North Carolina’s Belmont Abbey University.
Another New Bremen bowler, Maverick Nelson, is a freshman at Bowling Green. Cardinals coach Brian Alig tells us that he expects Nelson to join the Falcons program later in the year.
And from Versailles…Emma Billenstein is bowling as a freshman at Scioto County’s Shawnee State University.
“She’s bowling pretty good, and majoring in Early Childhood Education,” says her dad, Tim, who was in Coldwater Saturday morning to watch the current Versailles team compete.
“She’s enjoying it,” he adds. “It’s been a great opportunity for her. She travels a lot, competing against other OHC schools (Ohio Bowling Conference), like Wright State, Ohio State, Ohio Northern…there’s a bunch of schools. We don’t see her that much because she’s always traveling.”
The Ohio Bowling Conference is centered in Columbus, and actually counts twenty two Midwest schools as members, including schools from Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.
Bowlerstore.com, of Versailles, proudly sponsors high school bowling on Press Pros Magazine.com
“It’s a great opportunity for these kids,” says long-time Versailles coach Tyler Phlipot.
And Billenstein is not the first, or only, Versailles bowler to move on to the next level. It’s most notable is current Professional Bowlers Association pro, Michael Davidson, a rising name on the PBA tour.
Former Versailles High School bowler Michael Davidson is a touring pro with the Professional Bowlers Association.
Obviously, not all of them will follow in Davidson’s footsteps, nor will they want to. Jasmine Schulze plans on a career in medicine. But here is the untold value of competition for these student athletes, even while they compete in virtual anonymity.
For those who have the vision of bowling beyond high school – who have the skills and determination to take that next step – four years of NCAA, or NAIA athletic competition, regardless of the sport, is a valued commodity on one’s future resume’.
When potential employers look at, and compare skills and experiences, four years of competing at the college level tells them that 1) an individual is competitive, by nature.
2) That they capable of working as a team.
3) That they’re not easily discouraged.
4) They have the ability to adapt and improve their skills and value over the course of their career.
Bottom line, something as obscure as four years of NCAA competition is enough to open doors and move you to the head of the line.
Coldwater’s Keaton Bruns is still a Bengals fan…and a freshman bowler Indiana Tech University.
It’s the one value of competing, from even the lowest levels, that most often go overlooked.
Speedway Lanes, in New Bremen, is proud to support bowling on Press Pros Magazine.com.
“Belmont Abbey has been a great experience for Will Olberding,” says Brian Alig.
A chance to be away from home, to compete, and grow…an oft-used phrase that never seems to fail those committed to a goal.
There are others, and the list will continue to grow…thanks to the efforts of coaches like Coldwater’s Rick Hartings, Phlipot, Alig, and others who have come to appreciate this journey.
And no one…ever suspected that it could come from something as overlooked as high school bowling.
It’s 9 am on a Saturday morning, and Plamor Lanes is standing-room-only…for the value of an opportunity.
Now you know why!
Community Lanes sponsors sponsor area bowling, and coverage of the PBA Tour, on Press Pros Magazine.