Edwardsville head bowling coach Kimber WildmanEDWARDSVILLE – Kimber Wildeman understands what it takes to be successful at bowling.

Wilderman bowled from the 2002-03 season through the 2005-06 season for the Tigers, being on a pair of teams that reached the state tournament in 2005 and 2006, then first attending Eastern Illinois University before finishing her degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

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During the time she bowled for the Tigers, Wilderman first bowled at the old Montclair Bowl in Edwardsville before the Tigers moved to SIUE's Cougar Lanes for her senior year. “I had the opportunity to (bowl in college), but I turned down the opportunity for serious competitive bowling to focus on my studies,” Wilderman said.

Wilderman returned to Edwardsville this school year to teach science (chemistry and physics) and took over the bowling program from Craig Ohlau this season with hopes to restore EHS bowling to the lofty levels it has experienced before.

When Wilderman received the science teaching position she holds at Edwardsville, she was asked if she was interested in taking over the bowling program. “Brad Bevis (Edwardsville's athletic director) and Dr. (Dennis) Cramsey (EHS' principal) approached me when I got the science (teaching) position in the spring and asked if I wanted to take it over.

“I wasn't aware at the time that Craig was stepping down, and voiced that if Craig wanted to keep it, he could keep it while I got situated teaching at Edwardsville, but we finalized everything and got it all set up in August.”

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Coming back home to teach and coach has been something Wilderman has enjoyed. “I love this area,” Wilderman said. “It's a privilege to be back and it's great working with coaches that were here when I bowled in high school. There's nothing like this area; you get out of this area, and it's a very different culture.”

Wilderman's goals are simple. “My goal is to start getting more kids in youth leagues,” Wilderman said. “Montclair Bowl was torn down in 2005, and when that bowling alley left, most of our youth leagues left. Most people didn't know they were at SIUE, and the people who ran the youth leagues stopped running them. It's just trying to get the youth back into bowling leagues.

“That's what those schools have an advantage over us; the kids start younger.”

Bowling's history in the St. Louis area – the area has been home to some of the game's greats such as Dick Weber, Nelson Burton Jr. and today, Dick Weber's son Pete Weber – is well-established. “I've noticed in the south of Illinois, there's more competition, as well as the north, but when you get into central Illinois, it seems like it's died out quite a bit; coming back down here, people are more participating in it,” Wilderman said.

“We're fortunate with the houses we do have, they do care about the bowling; it can be hard, especially a place like Edison's (Entertainment Complex in Edwardsville, the Tigers' home house) – people think it's not for bowlers, but the owners here have done a great job trying to cater to bowlers and provide a nice shot (down the lanes) and keep maintenance really well.”

With a year under her belt, Wilderman is optimistic about the program's future. “Now that I've kind of got my feet wet, I know a list of things I want to start working on,” Wilderman said. “I want to start working on kids in the middle schools so we have more kids ready to move up; I want to get those (youth) leagues going again. That way, we can at least have more participation; that's the thing.

“I'm grateful to be able to work with the kids and work with the program that built me as the bowler that I am today. I'm excited to be part of the Edwardsville athletics tradition.”