Madi Paluczak

Abby Hasty (11) releases the bowling ball onto the lane during her event. “The tournament atmosphere was very serious and you could tell everyone there was ready to compete and had been practicing. The competition was tight,” Hasty said. Hasty prepared herself for state by practicing with her doubles partner and the team multiple times a week on the lanes they were going to compete on.

On April 5 and 6, the Oakville bowling team attended the Missouri State USBC tournament at Crestwood Bowl. Oakville competed in the team’s division in the D2, D3 and D4 divisions. Oakville White placed eighth in D2, Oakville Black placed second in D3 and Oakville Gold placed second in D4. 

“I think we placed second by like five pins, which is really really close, but it is what it is,” Shane Hopkins (12) said. “I actually didn’t do as good as I normally do, but I feel relatively okay about it because we have more state tournaments coming up. [My advice would be] just try to keep your mentality calm because bowling is very mental.”

The state tournaments aren’t just about one good game, as they include multiple rounds per event that can test the team’s consistency and focus.

“A state tournament works by checking in when you get to the tournament, learning the rules and then doing eight minutes of practice. Here you get to learn the oil patterns of the lanes and see how your different balls will react,” Abby Hasty (11) said. “After practice, you bowl your team event, which is three games in a row with your team and your accumulated score is how you did. Then you go straight into doubles where you bowl three games with one partner and you go up against another partnership. Then you go straight into singles, which is another three games where everyone is a single bowler against someone else.”

When competing in a large tournament such as Missouri State USBC, the atmosphere and support from others can be a big factor in how the tournament plays out.

“…It’s a statewide tournament, so you have people coming in from like mostly Kansas City and Central Missouri as well,” Andrew Ruzicka (12) said. “It’s nice to see who else you can bowl with, and it’s a lot of times just people from tournaments you’ve seen before so you kinda catch up with them.”

As Oakville competed for their placement in the tournament, the goal of reaching first place would have given the team a great prize.

“The person who wins gets to represent Missouri on a national scale, but only one person got it [but] none of us did. One of us got close, though, so it was nice,” Adem Begic (12) said. “I feel good considering last year at state I didn’t do too hot and I feel like I really improved throughout the year.”

Although Oakville didn’t place first for their divisions, some players achieved their own personal goals throughout the competition as they beat their averages.

“I was just trying to stay above my average and I did meet those goals by just focusing,” Derek Powell (12) said. “[I prepared by] just going to every practice and bowling whenever I can.”

The kind of progress and drive for players to meet their goals didn’t happen overnight, though. It came with practice throughout the entire season to build consistency and confidence.

“We have our weekly practice every week, but on top of that to prepare for the tournament, we have a tournament there normally once a year, so normally like the couple days before the tournament I’ll go back to that bowling alley and just bowl a couple games to get familiar with it again,” Ruzicka said.

With the bowling team’s preparations, by the time the tournament came around the team had the foundation they needed to feel ready to compete.

“Practice has gotten me ready for the tournament because it has put me in better shape to bowl multiple games in a row and stay consistent,” Hasty said.

As the season will soon wrap up and the seniors conclude their final season with Oakville bowling, the rest of the team has taken the skills everyone has learned from this season to put them toward future tournaments.

“My advice for future bowlers at this tournament is to slow down, take a breath and take it in. You only get so many high school state tournaments,” Hasty said. “Even though they are very serious [and] a lot is on the table, still have fun.”