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With the season just underway, here is a look at the La Salle-Peru, St. Bede and Mendota boys bowling teams for the 2024-25 season.
La Salle-Peru
Coach: Randy Gunia
Top returners: Emerson Vasquez, jr., Zach Quick, sr., Joey Patyk, jr., Aiden McCray, so., Grady Sandor, so.
Newcomers to watch: Andrew Olivero, fr., Cooper Turczyn, fr.
Worth noting: The Cavaliers return four bowlers who helped the team advance to sectionals last season. Vasquez had a 176 average last winter, while McCray had a 164 and Quick and Patyk each had a 160. Sandor averaged 157. “We are looking for returning bowlers to improve on their averages,” Gunia said. “Adding 20-plus pins to their daily scoring will go a long way toward their personal advancement and for the team’s overall scoring. We do have some tournament and varsity match experience returning.” The Cavs also expect to get contributions from underclassmen, including Olivero and Turczyn. “We have multiple underclassmen who are potential varsity bowlers,” Gunia said. “The underclassmen will be learning the ins and outs of six-game days with five-person team total score being the main objective.”
St. Bede
Coach: Buck Emmerling
Top returners: Haiden Ator, sr., Trayger Davis, sr., Devin Steil, jr.
Newcomers to watch: Abe Wiesbrock, sr., Greyson Marincic, sr., Preston Vasquez, fr.
Worth noting: The Bruins return three bowlers with experience in Ator (184 average last year), Davis (169) and Steil (150). Ator was a NewsTribune All-Area pick last year. Wiesbrock, Marincic and Vasquez are three newcomers who “have the potential to help improve the team,” Emmerling said. The Bruins are looking to advance in the postseason after not advancing as a team or advancing any individuals out of the regional last season. “With our numbers being so small, our goal is to compete in every match and improve throughout the season, thereby enabling us to advance through at least into the sectional,” Emmerling said. “This is a lofty goal, but if we practice hard and stay focused it is achievable.”
Mendota
Coach: Matt Bauer
Top returners: Paxton Bauer, jr., Alex Holland, jr., Kooper Novak, jr.
Newcomers to watch: B.J. Bresley, sr., Aiden Kent-Tucker, sr., Josh Sondgeroth, sr., Caeleb Ensor, jr.
Worth noting: The Trojans lost two-time NewsTribune Boys Bowler of the Year and two-time state qualifier Landon Bauer, but do return a strong nucleus from a team that went undefeated in dual meets and advanced to sectionals as a team last year. Paxton Bauer had a 190 average, Holland a 187 and Novak a 185 last season. All three were NewsTribune All-Area selections last season. “Our goal this year is to pick up right where we left off last year and make another postseason run,” Matt Bauer said. “Landon Bauer [is] gone to college. He was our leader and only bowler who averaged over 200 last season. This year we already have Alex Holland averaging right where Landon was at the end of the season with the potential to have three or four others averaging close to the 200 mark. When you have three or four bowlers putting up those kind of numbers, it will definitely help with success and another run at state.” Bresley, Kent-Tucker, Sondgeroth and Ensor have all shown improvement and are expected to be part of the varsity rotation this season. “It will be great to have some depth and options to go to for subbing this year during tournament play, which is something we were not able to have last year,” Matt Bauer said.
Note: No information was provided for Hall-Putnam County.