Streator Bowlin’ Bulldogs bring proven talent into uncertain season

Streator High head bowling coach Nancy Longnecker has a calendar with a handful of dates optimistically filled in, including a potential season-opening home-and-home match with La Salle-Peru as early as next Monday, if the IHSA permits.

She also has a handful of proven young bowlers to tackle that schedule-in-progress if allowed.

“We’re going to try to be prepared just in case,” Longnecker said.

No fewer than 11 of the Bowlin’ Bulldogs and Bowlin’ Lady Bulldogs’ varsity regulars are eligible to return to this year’s roster, including all five counting scorers from the girls team which advanced to sectionals and finished just 128 pins short of a regional championship a year ago. The five – seniors Hallie Ligori, Gabrielle Pickens and Felicity Kruger, junior Michelle Dobson and sophomore Anna Jaworski, who developed into a pin-dropping machine late last season – make up the entirety of Streator’s current girls roster.

“If they get to bowl, if anything what I’d like to see is the kids improve their average.”

—  Streator High bowling coach Nancy Longnecker

The potential is there for a great, successful season.

“Very good things,” Longnecker said of the girls team’s prospects. “If they have regionals or sectionals or state, we have a very tough team. We’re just working on our spares right now, because that will be key. ...

“On any given day, Anna, Hallie, Gabi, Felicity, Michelle, they could all throw some [high] games in there.”

Even in regards those returning five, though, things are uncertain.

The suddenness of the approaching season and the question marks which still surround it have, to this point, prevented her from having all five girls – or for that matter, her entire expected boys starting lineup – together as a team at the same time. Her hope is schedules and commitments will line up so she can put her best varsity lineups out on the lanes, and she says students are still welcome to sign up.

“We’ll teach them how to bowl,” she said.

Like the girls, the boys bring back plenty of proven talent.

That starts with senior Ashton Kling, who is expected to step into even more of a leadership role, backed by juniors Adam Jakupcak and Ben Pond. Underclassmen Brady Grabowski and Carson Trenor will be joined by promising pin-smashing freshman Anthony Dominic on the varsity roster, with last year’s top JV guns – such as Keegan Smetanko, Keith Scott and Zach Pollett – also poised to provide varsity scores.

“A lot of good bowling from the boys,” said Longnecker. “The key is getting them all going on the same day at the end of the year. ...

“The good thing on the boys side is we only have one senior. The majority of them will be coming back next year, so that’s something to focus on – the future.”

The end targets for a year which may or may not have a postseason – or for that matter be contested at all – may be different than usual, but the overall goal Longnecker has for young keglers remains unchanged: Improvement.

“If they get to bowl, if anything, what I’d like to see is the kids improve their average,” Longnecker said. “I’d like to see them jump up 10 pins.

“Practice, get better and have fun.”