New girls bowling coach, culinary teacher Matthew Thompson, thought that the girls and boys bowling teams were not very close. So instead of a normal practice, Thompson held a Master Chef competition in the culinary room. Thompson and boys’ head coach Jacob Colquhoun were the judges. The teams were split into groups where they made an appetizer, entrée and dessert.

“It was so cool for them to spend time together outside the bowling alley,” Thompson said. “Those two hours we spent in [the culinary] room I think made a world of difference in our season. The whole vibe has changed, the communication has changed, the fun level has changed.”

Both the boys and girls bowling teams have made a strong run through the first half of their season. The boys are 6-1 with their only loss to Lyman and the girls are 5-2 with losses to Oviedo and Lake Mary. So far, the girls found their biggest success against Lake Howell on Sept. 14, winning 1716-1154, and against Lyman on Aug. 31, 1649-1168. 

Both freshman Cami Sanguinetti and senior Caidyn Slawinski admitted Lake Mary was the girls’ toughest match. Lake Mary won by more than 200 pins and their teamwork seemed to set them apart. 

“I think the girls were really good and they were also really loud and encouraged their teammates,” Sanguinetti said.

Until the halfway point in the season, all eight of the girls have had a chance to bowl in every match. But from now on, only the top two bowlers, Sanguinetti and Slawinski, will bowl in every game, as well as the three girls who perform the best behind them. All of the girls besides Sanguinetti and Slawinski have about a 10-15 pin difference in their averages, which is the reason they were all able to bowl for the first half of the season. Slawinski averages about 150, while Sanguinetti averages about 180 and is ranked number two in the county. But Sanguinetti feels the pressure of being the team leader.

“I feel like whenever I don’t do well, it’s probably my biggest failure because I’m [the] anchor, so it’s a lot of pressure,” Sanguinetti said. 

If the team wants to make it to states, other teammates have to “step up” and average about 130-135, according to Thompson. Only two teams go to states from each district, and with Winter Springs currently undefeated, the girls will face them later on in the season. 

“The best way to dictate where you’re going to go is where you were, where you are, and where you want to be and that was the topic of our meeting at the midpoint last week,” Thompson said. 

The biggest improvement that both teams will have to make moving forward is their focus during practice. Thompson feels that practice is a place to get better, even if it is a place they “lighten up” on their players and allow them to have a bit more fun. During matches, bowlers are not allowed to have their phones or eat. During practice, the teams have a two hour window to bowl as many games as they can fit in, and work on different scenarios. 

From new personal records to winning states, all bowlers on both teams have goals they hope to achieve by the end of the season. With a positive environment and good communication, the teams have the second half of their season to make it through before districts.

“The biggest thing I think we do this year is to try to build a culture,” Thompson said. “It’s not just all about winning, it’s about being there for each other.”

The next match for the girls and boys teams will be Monday, Oct. 10 at Airport Lanes at 3:30 against Oviedo. Tickets can be bought on gofan.co.