The Lincoln-Way West boys’ bowling team has been on a roll the past couple years, making it to state in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. With no state bowling tournament during the 2021 season, the boys were wondering if they could make it to state for a fifth year in a row in the 2022 season. With losing a couple seniors from the year before, the boys’ bowling team was looking for a new core varsity team if they wanted a chance at state. 

Throughout the 2022 season the boys took 2nd and 3rd at the varsity level in nearly every tournament they were in, led by coach, Scott Jablonski, and student team captain, Aidan Healy. Things were looking good in regards to the boys making it to state, and once the regular season concluded the boys were ranked third in the state going into the post-season. 

After getting second at regionals and second at sectionals, the boys earned a spot at state! Before they knew it they were on off on their 4-hour bus ride to O’Fallon, Illinois, to compete in the 2021-2022 state finals. After a practice day on Friday, the boys slept at the hotel and got up bright and early for day one of completion. As day one began, the boys were doing well. Once the third and fourth game hit though, the boys were losing it, falling behind with every shot. Going into the last game they needed to do better than they had the whole afternoon. After a long last game, which would have been the seniors last, was over…they made it! Starting day two the boys were in dead last, but that didn’t stop them; they bowled the 6 games for the day and managed to finish 7th, which is a new school record finish for the boys bowling team at state.