By J1 Reporter Katie Hansen 

Although bowling is a relatively new sport at Marian, it is growing in popularity with more and more girls trying out each year. This will be Marian’s fourth year of having an NSAA sanctioned bowling team, and Mr. Chris Dzaidus (Mr. D.) has been the coach every year. Mr. D is excited for the upcoming season and says that his favorite part is always “getting to know the athletes” and his goal is “for someone to make state again.”

This year, 25 girls tried out, but only 12 made the team. Tryouts began on Nov. 13 and the season lasts until late February. Tryouts consist of bowling 2-3 rounds for two days. After two days, Mr. D adds up the scores and the bowlers with the 12 highest scores make the team. As Mr. D always says, “I don’t cut you, your scores cut you.”

The sport of bowling has greatly grown both within Marian and around Omaha. Mr. D said that “the number of schools with teams has tripled” since he started coaching. Marian’s bowling team has a reputation of having a fun, close-knit team, which may be the reason so many want to try out this year. Rumors of bowlers getting brand new bowling balls this season, Mr. D letting you eat fries during practices, or getting to skip school for bowling tournaments were all reasons why so many Marian girls are inspired to test out their bowling abilities this season.

While it is good that interest in the sport is growing, it can create some added pressure for girls who have previously made the team and hope to continue. Junior Gabby Birkel has been on the bowling team since her freshman year, and says that she “hopes to continue throughout the rest of high school.” Birkel’s favorite part of being on the team is the fun memories and bonds with her teammates that she has made. Her favorite memory from last season was when the team surprised Mr. D with a team fish. “We decided to name him Maple, after our home alley Maplewood Lanes,” Birkel said. 

Birkel’s positive experiences with past bowling seasons makes her excited but nervous for the 2023 season. “If I make the team this year, I am looking forward to getting to know the whole team.” To Brikel’s delight, she bowled well during tryouts and secured her spot on this year’s team. She can now look forward to bonding with her new teammates. Bonds with teammates are sometimes more memorable than how well you or your team perform. “Being on the bowling team is so much fun, although we try our best to do well we always make sure having fun is a priority,” Birkel said.