BETHALTO – Jersey's boys bowling team entered this season coming off a ninth-place finish in last year's IHSA Boys Bowling Championship at St. Clair Bowl in Fairview Heights.
Panthers head coach Chris Skinner said his seniors this season are again "pretty steady."
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"We haven't been scoring as high as we have in the past, but we're getting better. The kids keep working hard."
Jeffrey Gump has led the way for Jersey this year, he's followed by Greg Towell, Jordan Retherford and Chris Lott.
Jersey's girls have five senior bowlers this year and "they're coming along,” Skinner said.
“For the most part, our kids work hard and that's what I ask them to do. That's what we want to do, keep improving each time out.”
The Jersey girls top bowlers are Elle Farmer, followed by Cassidy Tallman and Lindsay Vanost. Emily Stemmler and Bethany Stocks are two of the other top girls bowlers for Jersey.
The bowling program at Jersey has had success overall. “The boys program has won a few regional tournaments and last year we finished ninth in the state,” Skinner said. “That's a good finish.
“When the girls program started, we had some teams qualify for state year after year. Because of the programs that have come along – the Collinsvilles, the O'Fallons – that's where you want to get to. You want the consistency, you want to get to the state tournament year after year.”
The thing about bowling is that it's a sport that anyone can enjoy and do well at. “We've got a kid on our team this year, Chris Lott, who's had several leg surgeries,” Skinner said. “He's very competitive; he's not going to be a wrestler, he's not going to be a basketball player, he's not going to play football because of his physical condition.
“Bowling is something he can do; it's something everyone can do. We're trying to get more kids involved with our youth program and keep it going through here.”
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