The gutter bumpers come down as the bowling team takes to the lane. These bowlers don’t stand for any of the accommodations an amateur bowler might.

The girls’ bowling team, coached by Mike Massoth, is entering their fourth season at Prep. This year, the team is headed by captain Helen Simmons ‘20. In the past two years, the team has placed first in Metro and 8th in state and has set high expectations for the year.

Bowling is a very technical sport, which comes with many challenges. Bowler Sydney Shimizu ‘22 believes maintaining a positive mindset is crucial: “It is so important to clear your head after you throw a bad ball because if you get in your head and attempt to overcorrect your ball you end up throwing another bad ball.”

Eva Flanagan ‘21 believes aiming and accuracy are challenging because “if your feet are in the wrong position by one board, the number of pins you hit will change significantly.”

This year’s team has great chemistry, which the bowlers consistently comment on. Simmons said her favorite part about the team are “the people…it’s such a fun team sport and the people make it worth every moment.”

“My favorite part about the Prep bowling team is our coach Mike. He is always making funny jokes and helping us get better” Flanagan added.

As a growing sport, it is hard for the team to maintain a strong numbered roster. This year, there are 10 bowlers on the team: 3 seniors, 1 junior, and 6 sophomores. Of those 10, 6 are brand-new to the sport, on which Coach Massoth noted, “This isn’t like basketball where…they’ve been playing since a young age, this is 6 bowlers who aside from birthday parties have never thrown competitively.”

Massoth’s goals for the season are to “gain confidence in the lanes, sustain our already amazing team chemistry through adverse times, and just get better at bowling!” So far, the bowling season has been going well and the team’s hopes for the rest of the season are high. They’re aiming to defend their Metro title and outperform their 8th place performance last year in state.

With the small number of winter sports to participate in, bowling offers a fun and competitive environment. The bowlers encourage others to join the team and Simmons reassuringly said, “Everyone shows up with absolutely zero previous skill so you don’t have to be good to tryout.” Cheering on Prep bowling is a fun and warm indoor activity suitable for cold Seattle winters, and the team greatly appreciates all support. Be sure to head out to a match and support the team! Bowl Prep!