This season has been its own version of a successful 7-10 split for the Whiteland girls bowling team.
After winning the Indianapolis South Sectional at Expo Bowl in Beech Grove on Jan. 16, the Warriors are preparing for regional, which has been moved back because of safety precautions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The regional takes place March 13 at Heritage Lanes in Kokomo.
“They’ve definitely exceeded my expectations this season,” said Whiteland coach Nicole Johnson, a former member of the program who graduated in 2016. “Last season, the girls were great, but I didn’t know about team morale. They’ve been one big family. They all cheer for each other and pick each other up.
“They did it on their own. I was just there directing traffic.”
Whiteland downed Greenwood Christian, 251-214, in the stepladder finals at sectional. Five-person (per team) competitions are formatted using Baker matches, which requires squads to rotate players, starting with the first bowler rolling the first and sixth frames.
In the Warriors’ case, the responsibility is that of junior Nita Wincel. She is followed by one of three teammates (senior Claire Matney or one of two freshmen, Erika Kunz or Sydney Pryor) aiming for strikes in the second and seventh frames. From this point, it’s all juniors for Whiteland as Kailyn Prescott bowls frames 3 and 8, Kailyn Sheridan 4 and 9 and anchor Lilly Pryor 5 and 10.
The elder Pryor sister, who averages a score of 183 this season, hopes to be able to eventually be part of a women’s bowling team in college. In the meantime, she’s looking to help the Warriors duplicate the state championship that they won in 2010.
“I like the energy that comes out of it. Everyone knows each other really, really well and it’s all very positive,” said Lilly Pryor, who was also the individual sectional champion. “In (postseason) competition there is more pressure because I know how well we can do, but we always try to make it fun.”
Added Wincel: “I started bowling in seventh grade, but it was more for fun. I’m happy I got involved in it. It comes down to meeting new people and making relationships with people from other schools.”
Whiteland practices every Monday and Wednesday afternoon at Hi-Way Lanes in Franklin.
“Bowling is not much of a popular sport, but it is fun to do something that is unique,” Sheridan said. “And it’s nice to be able to meet new people. A lot of teams like to do cheers, so that can be a little intense, but it’s mostly relaxed. My first year was kind of intimidating, but not at this point of my career.”
Should the Warriors advance past regional, the semistate is March 20 at Championship Lanes in Anderson. One step further and Whiteland would make the drive to Pro Bowl West in Fort Wayne, host of the state finals on March 27.
Johnson, whose father Jeff is one of the Whiteland boys bowling co-coaches and whose mother Beth is an assistant coach for the boys team, hopes to be making the drive up I-69 in late March.
“It is a possibility, but the girls need to keep working hard,” Johnson said. “Going past regional would just put me over the moon.”
