The Mercy Varsity Bowling team won the Catholic League Championship for the second time in a row. It was a close game between Mercy and Divine Child who stayed close to the Marlins throughout the tournament. At the end, Mercy finished on top with a team combined score of 2,208 points and Divine Child finishing second with an overall team score of 2,020 points. The Marlin’s top scorer was junior Maddie Briggs.

“My average went from 146 last year to 172 this year, so that’s definitely an improvement,” Briggs said. “I also feel like I can control my shots better, sticking them exactly where I want them instead of just mindlessly throwing the ball. We have a lot of team huddles during games to distract ourselves if we are doing bad and to keep our spirits up. We also have individual cheers for each of our players if they throw a strike or a really good shot, whether it be a song or just a chant.”

Junior Caitlin Hill has also been a strong contributor to the team’s success and is thrilled to have been on a Catholic league championship team. She said she feels the team is a big family who supports each other and one of the highlights of her day is going to bowling practice and improving her techniques. 

“I decided to join bowling freshman year,” Hill said. “My grandparents on my mom’s side are really good bowlers so I knew I’d have some guidance so I could be a good bowler.” 

Senior Angela Rea is proud to be the bowling team’s captain. She has been on the team for four years and has loved to see her teammates thrive and improve their scores as the season progressed. 

“Season wise I was not doing that well, but I was able to pick up my [average score] within these last few weeks,” Rea said. “I was proud of myself. I felt like I was part of the team winning which made me feel good. It’s a really supportive environment. We try to make the effort to get to know every bowler. You meet boys and people from other teams. It has the same competitive nature as other sports, but it is different because there’s also a social aspect as well.” 

According to Briggs, bowling is more of a mental sport than physical. 

“You have to understand the way your ball specifically rolls in order to make a good strike shot, but once you  figure it out it’s the most amazing thing when you hit the pins just right and they all go flying, ” said Briggs.