After their seasons were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, area boys and girls bowling teams are set to hit the lanes this week.

Here’s a breakdown of all the area teams:

La Salle-Peru

The L-P boys and girls teams both have top-notch players returning to lead their lineups.

Reigning NewsTribune Boys Bowler of the Year Landen Miller is back for his senior season, while junior Isabella Weber returns for the girls after qualifying for the sectional last winter.

Miller led the area with a 213 average last season while winning the Interstate Eight Conference regular-season and tournament titles. He signed to bowl at Northwestern Ohio.

“He’s signed with UNO, so right now I know he’s taking the mindset of the pressure is off,” said L-P boys coach and Landen’s father, Jeff Miller. “From what I’ve seen, when he relaxes and just bowls, he bowls 10 times better, so I think that will play in his favor.”

Weber is back for the girls after averaging a 180 last season.

“She’s focused on doing better than last year,” L-P girls coach Jim McCabe said. “She’s trying to up her average by 10-20 pins. Unfortunately, with everything going on, the season’s been rather disrupted, but we’re looking forward to a good season. She’s showing really good promise. She’s showing a little more maturity with knowing how to handle situations she’s faced with.”

Also back for the boys are Chance Hank, a sophomore who averaged around 200 last year, and Peyton Baker, who Jeff Miller says has shown improvement in early practices and is neck-and-neck with Hank around the 200 mark.

The Cavs are also counting on younger bowlers coming up from the JV to help as they look to repeat as conference champions.

“It will be fun to watch the guys who were on JV last year and see how much the work we put in is paying off,” Jeff Miller said. “They’re getting stronger and more confident. It will be interesting to watch how we do.”

The girls also return sophomore Christine Ricci and junior Maria Pawlak, while freshmen Olivia Weber – Isabella’s sister – MaKenzie Hamilton and Alicia Kinkin also will contribute.

“Our goals are for each player to improve personally and for the team to come together,” McCabe said. “We want to have camaraderie and strength in each other to have success, win meets, and place as high in conference as we can this year, and build on those strengths for next year since everyone returns.”

St. Bede

St. Bede is blessed with plenty of experience, as the boys and girls team each have enough returning bowlers to fill out the starting lineup with veterans.

“Experience is going to be very important this year because due to COVID, we have very little practice time,” St. Bede coach Buck Emmerling said. “They’re really going to have to rely on what they know from years past.”

Junior Trenton Acuncius leads the way for the boys after qualifying for the sectional last winter. Also back are seniors R.J. Talbot and Jacob Schirz, and juniors Jaxon Lynch, Thomas Matlock and Hunter Welch.

Freshman Elliott Quartucci and junior Anton Cain, who is coming back to bowling after playing basketball last year, will also contribute.

Returning for the girls are junior Veronica Martin and senior Marissa Boehm – who each averaged more than 160 last season – along with seniors Madelyn Theesfeld and Claire Morrow, junior Paige Kraml, and sophomores Gianna Grivetti and Madelyn Torrance.

“I hate setting goals,” Emmerling said. “I always tell them they can achieve what they set their minds to do. That goes with practice. If you put enough practice time and mental time into it, they can achieve anything they want.”

Hall

The Red Devils are low on numbers, with three boys and three girls.

Junior Marshall Schmollenger is the lone bowler with experience on the boys team, while freshmen Moses Levine and Anthanee Danner round out the roster.

Sophomore Sarah Beier will lead the girls after averaging a 174 last season, while senior Brianna Lara is a four-year bowler. Freshman Kennedy Pelzer rounds out the roster.

Coach Monica Hrovat said she’s contacted some local coaches who have agreed to allow Hall to bowl as a mixed boys and girls team.

“I just expect them to be a little more consistent and keep improving,” Hrovat said. “(For the non-seniors) I expect them to get better for next year, when we hopefully get more people out. I just want them to have fun and get to know the other kids.”

Mendota

The girls have a young squad, with just one senior in Janeth Hermosillo. However, Talya Schwaegerman, Karlie Miars and Isabelle Escatel also return.

“Janeth is our only senior and she’s a pretty good bowler,” first-year girls coach Kassidy Guerrero said. “As a team, we’re young. We’re hoping to build on that. Hopefully, Janeth can step up and be a good leader for the rest of them.”

With no postseason this year, Guerrero is hoping to build toward the future.

“This is a big year to be building fundamentals,” Guerrero said. “It’s kind of a good thing because we have a young team. It stinks for our one senior, but for the young girls it’s awesome, because it gives them time to compete at the varsity level without it being their junior or senior year.”

The boys have returning bowlers in seniors Kasen Novak and Kody Beckett and juniors Zach Compell and Alex Hermosillo.

“Kasen was close to making it past the regional last year,” boys coach Tyler Schmitt said. “He only missed by a couple pins. I expect him to make a jump in his game this year.”

Freshman Landon Bauer has made an early impression.

“I think he could do just as well as Kasen,” Schmitt said. “He does quite a bit of bowling on his own, and he’s bowled well during practice.”

Schmitt said he’s looking at this season more as a learning experience for those who will be back next season.