Knocking down pins, boys bowling is getting ready for another season after last year’s success, where they were consistently competing closely with New Trier and Niles North. They ended last year with 3-7 in the CSL conference.

To prepare, the boys kicked off their season with an info meeting on Oct. 15, trying to recruit new players. The boys varsity and junior varsity teams are run by coaches, math teacher James Krezminski and physical education teacher Bryan Wittersheim. Last season, they were extremely competitive and had lots of growth.

According to Krezminski, this year’s captain will be senior David Osborne. The coach praises him for his uplifting spirit and strong performance on the team.

“He’s a strong individual player and a good motivator for the rest of the team,” Krezminski said. “He wants to build everyone up.”

Each team has goals that they want to work on this year; Krezminski wants varsity to win at least six matches and work on improving as the season goes on. Wittersheim hopes junior varsity will focus on competitiveness and creating an environment to be proud of. Together, the coaches want to focus on building the program by creating a place for bowlers to come and improve their skills.

“Our teams were competitive in most of our matches and tournaments,” Wittersheim said. “The biggest indicator of bowling success is the steady improvement of scores throughout the season. Several of my brand new jv bowlers from last year are going to be contending for a varsity spot this year.”

Athletic Director Dana Krilich is excited for the season to begin based on their previous season, and she looks forward to watching them compete. She praised the returning bowlers for their effort and drive towards the sport.

“I know our returners will carry over their competitiveness, discipline, and the lessons they learned about teamwork and resilience from last season,” Krilich said.

Returning bowler, Senior Gavin Decicco, was a strong competitor last season, and he has been bowling since his sophomore year. He is ready to return for his last season at West. Decicco hopes that one of the players will qualify for sectionals and looks forward to the opportunities that this season will bring.

“I am as excited as I can be for the upcoming season,” Decicco said. “We have a lot of great players and they are only improving. I think we have good chances to win a lot of games if we put in time and effort.”