After a promising inaugural season last year, the Lake Orion High School bowling teams are ready to compete again, this year as an officially sanctioned sport.
The Dragons will have boys and girls varsity teams, as well as junior varsity teams, competing in Division I. They will bowl against teams from Clarkston, Waterford Mott, Waterford Kettering, the three Walled Lake schools, and Oxford, also a first-year program.
Lake Orion’s first meet is Dec. 3 at Wonderland Lanes in Walled Lake.
The teams are being coached by Kevin Crowther, math teacher and girls varsity track coach at LOHS, Doug O’Berry and Gary Skarritt, whose daughter Kelli bowls for the girls varsity.
Also assisting with the team are Woody and Rose Siegers, who own the pro shop at Collier Lanes in Oxford, where the team practices.
‘Last year we had a couple of meets with Romeo and Clarkston, and we bowled in some tournaments and was able to qualify for the regional,? said Crowther.
‘Now we are an official sport, so there will be varsity as well as JV teams.?
Crowther expects to end up with 40 kids in the program. Last year there were 45.
‘It’s pay to participate now, so that might affect the numbers a little bit,? he said.
Lake Orion returns a good core group of girls that Crowther said have been active in the sport since last season.
‘At least four of them have bowled in other leagues,? he said. ‘Some of the guys have too, but may of them are also multi-sport athletes.?
Although they weren’t bowling in an official league last year, Lake Orion was still a competitive program.
‘The bowling program came about because Doug (O’Berry) and Ben Gerdeman (GAP coordinator) started the GAP Bowling League,? said Crowther. ‘They envisioned it would turn into a bowling team.?
It was also just five years ago that bowling became an official high school sport in the state.
‘We have a lot of support from a lot of people,? said Crowther. ‘The kids are all really excited.?
Last year’s girls team finished fourth in the tri-county tournament, nearly defeating Milford who went on to be the championship team.
The girls varsity returns key bowlers in Skarritt, Megan Woityra and Layne Smedley.
‘We look forward to them breaking through and leading us,? Crowther said.
The boys return Eric Ramaekers, and Pat Pawlak; a three-sport athlete also competing in track and football.
‘He’s a really good athlete, and he’ll help us out quite a bit,? Crowther said of Pawlak.
Most of last year’s bowlers return to the program, with only one girl having graduated.
‘Some of our boys are vastly improved,? said Crowther. ‘We’ll be much improved overall.?