Bowling is largely an individual sport, but the high school season brings people together. And more than any personal accomplishment or high score, that’s what Woodstock’s Max Haggerty looks forward to most when winter rolls around.

“I wanted to be the best I could be, but it’s more about the people,” said Haggerty, a senior and three-sport athlete this year (golf and baseball). “There’s some people when I first started bowling they didn’t like me all that much, and I had to make a case for myself, and I ended up becoming really good friends with them.

“I’ll look back most and remember the friendships. It’s about the people that you meet. I want to know that I made an impact on people and Woodstock in general.”

Haggerty indeed made a big impact on the boys bowling program at Woodstock, which was a co-op with Woodstock North when Haggerty started as a freshman. This year, one of Haggerty’s main goals was to win the Fox Valley/Kishwaukee River Conference title as a team, and the Blue Streaks ran away with the first-place trophy, 220 pins ahead of runner-up Huntley.

Haggerty rolled an area-best 218.63 average during the conference season. He placed runner-up at the FVC/KRC tournament and was named the conference’s Bowler of the Year. Although he missed out on state in his final season, Haggerty claimed an individual regional championship before ending his high school career at sectionals.

For his performance, Haggerty was selected as the 2026 Northwest Herald Boys Bowler of the Year by the sports staff for the second year in a row. Haggerty answered a few questions from the Northwest Herald following his final high school season.

What is your favorite memory from the season?

Haggerty: That’s a tough one, but I would say winning conference. It was definitely a big accomplishment for us, and that was one of my main goals for the season. The whole team came together, did what we could do and we came out on top. It was pretty exciting.

What did you focus on most this season to improve your game?

Haggerty: It was mainly just fine-tuning things I had previously had a tough time doing, like throwing the ball a little bit harder and making sure my footwork’s all good. I’d spend the first game of practice every week working on spare shooting. It’s the biggest part of the game. So I’d say spare shooting, mechanics, and if I get those things down, the strikes will come.

What is your biggest achievement in bowling?

Haggerty: Gosh, probably this right here, winning back-to-back Northwest Herald Boys Bowler of the Year awards. It came to my attention that Steve Beard (a 1992 Woodstock grad, three-sport star and former football coach), he won it in back-to-back years in baseball, so that’s pretty cool. It was one of my goals for this season to win it again, pretty much representing the school the right way.

Do you have any rituals or superstitions before a big match?

Haggerty: I pray before every match and tournament. I make sure I do that before pretty much everything that’s important to me.

What is your most prized possession?

Haggerty: Whenever I go golfing, I always keep a golf ball from my grandpa’s bag, and I make sure to never lose it. Even if I’m out of balls for the round, I’ll never hit that ball because it’s so special to me. My grandpa suffered from paralysis. His muscles started shutting down when he was 50, and he was confined to a wheelchair. I never really got to know him that well, but I still loved him so much. When he passed away, my grandma gave me and my brother all his golf stuff. It’s something that’s really small, but it also means so much to me. It’s something to remember him by.

How many bowling balls do you own?

Haggerty: I’m actually trying to get rid of a few because I’m going to start buying more for college. I want to say I have 20-25, maybe.

Do you have a favorite bowling ball?

Haggerty: My favorite ball is the purple Hammer. It’s banned in national and professional tournaments, but I can throw it since I’m not a professional. And I can throw it in college, too.

What are your plans for college?

Haggerty: I’m committed and enrolled in Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. I plan to bowl all four years and major in K-12 physical education with a minor in sports management. It’s my goal to be a PE teacher and coach baseball and bowling. After that, I want to be an athletic director. I just really love the sports community so much, and I’ve been around it pretty much my whole life.

With what food could you win an eating contest?

Haggerty: What’s actually funny is my freshman year, we had three seniors on the team, and we’d go to Culver’s all the time. They wanted to see how fast I could eat a double cheeseburger, and I ate one in 20 seconds. I’m a pretty fast eater.

What is something that scares you?

Haggerty: It’s a tie between losing the people I love and failure. One of my main goals this year was to go to state, and I didn’t go to state. I was stuck on that for a good month. Like, what would have happened if I made it to state? I was scared before the sectional because I knew I was easily good enough to go, but sometimes it’s not your day. It was really sad throwing that last ball ... and that’s what I was afraid of, for my career to end. It’s been so much fun the last four years with the guys, and it’s hard to let go.

Who is your hero?

Haggerty: Definitely my parents [Christina and Mark]. Looking back at all the things they sacrificed for me, my brother and my sister, I’m kind of speechless how they were able to support us in everything, like my sister’s musical career, me and my brother’s baseball careers, and then when we picked up bowling. All the activities and events they’ve attended with full-time jobs, it just makes me happy that I’ve got two great parents who love and support me, my brother and my sister. I’m very grateful to have them as my parents.