The sound of the ball returning machine roars through the bowling alley. She steps up to her foot mark and places her feet carefully aligning with the boards, her ball tucked to her side. She takes five powerful steps, each one increasing in speed, before she elegantly and gracefully rolls her ball down the lane, striking and making the winning score.
At St. Louis High School Gracie Lombard is the girls varsity bowling captain for the 2024-2025 school year.
Gracie is a junior at SLHS and has been on the bowling team since freshman year. This is also her third year on varsity. Gracie is an amazing and very skilled bowler. She has been the leading number in averages and scores for the girls. Her experience with bowling has been extremely good.
“I originally joined bowling for fun, but I started to really like it. I enjoy the sport and the techniques. I really like seeing my friends, seeing new places, and making friends along the way. I joined bowling on my own, however some of my friends said they were going to but then they quit and I was kinda left there on the team. I didn’t quit though, I stayed and really am glad I made that decision,” Lombard stated.
Even though her experience has been pleasant, there definitely were some rough moments from bowling. From losing a match to cancellations and even some mean spirited players, it never brought her spirit down.
“It’s definitely hard to keep a positive outlook while bowling. It is a very mental sport and having negative thoughts can really impact me when I am bowling. I try to give myself positive affirmations and keep myself in the right headspace, but sometimes the environment can be really hostile and days can be really difficult sometimes,” Lombard explained.
Even though there are tough times, it still is a very enjoyable and fun sport for Gracie. She plans to continue this into her senior year of high school and possibly college as well.
“I have looked at some colleges and most do not have bowling teams, so there is a possibility that I will not be doing it when I go to college. I know I could join a bowling team and go to a different college, but my studies are more important to me. It would be amazing if I could find a college that does have a bowling team though,” Lombard said.
Overall, this sport has greatly impacted Gracie Lombard’s life. It is something she enjoys very deeply and wants to continue. Hopefully there will be opportunities for her to be able to continue this career.
