Viterbo bowling to expand on success going into sectionals

The Viterbo bowling team has experienced many ups and downs during their season. Both the men’s and women’s teams are looking forward to their sectional event on March 11-13.  

The sectional event is held by the USBC in Addison, Illinois, and involves the 80 best teams in the country. The women have qualified for their 13th straight season, and the men have made it for the second year in a row. There are four sectionals in the country where the top six individuals from each gender from each conference qualify for the national tournament. This year, the national tournament will also be held in Addison on the following week from March 18-23. Last year, Tyler Tesch was the closest Viterbo athlete to qualifying for nationals, falling just short due to an unfortunate last game. Sabrina Becker was the highest performer on the women’s side for the V-Hawks finishing in 57th out of 135 competitors.  

During winter break, the teams took their talents to Las Vegas to compete in the Glenn Carlson Las Vegas Invitational. They arrived on December 17 and played 8 games the following day. Tyler Tesch said of the experience, “It was fun and something the team has never done before.” He finished the event in 14th overall and the men’s team finished in 27th place out of 42 teams. The women finished in 23rd place and were led by Sabrina Becker in individual score. Samantha Lynch had the highest average for the women with 172.7 over seven games. 

The team’s most successful event was their home invite at Pla-Mor lanes. The men’s V-hawk team won the eight-team event and took down second place Oshkosh by just a point.  Anthony Pope led the men with a 204 average over five games. The women won their event as well, beating Lincoln College by over 300 points. Sabrina Becker was the women’s leading bowler with a 207 average over the same stretch of games.  

Tesch is the men’s team captain and has been a leader in both bowling and golf for many years. He credits his success to many people and time management skills. Having to manage work, two sports, and school, Tesch does his homework ahead of time so he can better prepare for his sports. He is also thankful for his coaches for allowing him a lenient practice schedule. One of Tesch’s personal goals for the year is to reach the USBC Bowling National Tournament. Last year, he was 30 pins away, but one game near the end of the sectional event cost him a trip.  

Sabrina Becker has been a leader on the women’s team since she joined the team in 2018. She won the Great Lakes Bowling Conference Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, and since then, she has led the women in pins per game both this year and last year. This season, she was named to the First Team All-Conference in the GLBC. Head coach Jim Socha states, “Sabrina had one of the best seasons and careers we’ve ever had.”  

Younger bowlers for the men have stepped up and proven their roles through consistency and hard work. Calvin Schneider has been consistent this year with his best event coming in Rockford, Illinois, where he had a 199 average for the individual games and no open frames during Baker play. Anthony Pope, a freshman from Lombard, Illinois, has been a bright spot for the team. His performance at the home invite was a season-defining moment, and he has continued to compete at a high level.