Naperville North Bowl Dawgs let the good times roll at regionals

Bella Nordman, Staff Writer|January 18, 2023

The Naperville North boy’s bowling team got the ball rolling at the IHSA regional on Saturday, Jan. 14 at Lisle Lanes. This concluded their successful season, sending Holden Randall to sectionals on Jan. 21.

The team scored higher than they have all season with a final score of 950, showcasing much improvement by winning their last two games. Senior David Thompson says the team spirit of the Bowl Dawgs was at an all-time high in this regional game.

“I think we did really well and were in good spirits and there was lots of encouragement. It was really fun,” Thompson said.

The Bowl Dawgs are a close-knit team. As a sport that relies on a supportive community, the Huskies aimed to establish unity and growth throughout the 2022-23 season. Head Coach Tobey Sanford emphasizes how proud and excited he is to see the team’s progress this season.

“To start off with a lot of new bowlers, seeing them improve all season, finishing with a couple of wins, and now getting to take Holden [Randall] to sectionals, it’s really exciting,” Sanford said.

The boy’s bowling Illinois High School Association (IHSA) regional game is a tournament of 11 teams. The energy was high as opposing teams displayed good sportsmanship by continuously cheering each other on. Adding to the high spirits at Lisle Lanes were the many families and spectators supporting the competitors. The Huskies placed 9th overall, with NNHS junior Holden Randall striking down the competition to advance to sectionals on Jan. 21.

“Last year I missed the cut by 10 pins. This year, I thought it was going to be the exact same story. At that moment, I was not feeling the best. I wasn’t super confident but it really does feel that good, doing all that hard work over the season paid off to go to sectionals and have a shot at even more,” Randall said.

The Bowl Dawgs had an impressive season with evident improvement in their final games. NNHS Bowl Dawg Holden Randall will play at sectionals on Saturday, Jan. 21. The ball will get rolling at 9 a.m. at Bowlero in Glendale Heights.