Tipp senior Morgan Wolbers making most of her final season

Tippecanoe senior Morgan Wolbers can fondly remember the first time she was approached to be a member of the Tippecanoe bowling team. She thought it would be a great chance to satisfy a class requirement, but it sure has turned into something more for the Red Devil captain.

“Honestly, the first I heard that the high school had a bowling team was from the current captain, Josie (Gold),” Wolbers said. “Like a lot of us, I joined it at first to get a free easy gym credit, but it's turned into something more.” She credits the coaches at the time, including current head coach Jim Ridgeway who at the time was the JV coach, for her decision to become a team member of the program.

“They both commented how I had the physical power to do very well, even great, I just had to learn techniques,” she said. “Then by the end of that year my average was the third highest, including the varsity girls which gave me incentive to get better.”

Her love for the game has grown. Now there aren’t many times you won’t find her working on her game including at the Red Devils home house, RollHouse in Huber Heights.

“I cannot even begin to say how much work I've put into bowling,” she said. “I've bowled on weekends with my family frequently. I've bowled through the summers. The main thing that has helped me improve is that I've signed up for a traveling youth scholarship league twice.”

“By bowling with people that have averages above 200's you pick up a lot. It has added 30 pins to my average.”

She has seen her game really improve as she moves up the ranks in the Miami Valley League. She has improved from a 132 as a sophomore year on JV to 136 as a junior. This season, her average has drastically jumped.

“As a junior, we had eight varsity girls, so we got rotated out if we bowled the lowest score the first game,” Wolbers said. “That year, I had ups and downs of very good games but also some okay games. To my current average of 166, I have more tools, skills and knowledge of how to bowl without asking many directions. I am probably the most independent bowler on the girls team. I know my own self and game. I don't let others throw me off of my game. Bowling is subtly a mind game, but it is mostly you against the game rather than player versus player.”

Coming from her time as a player who signed up for a class credit, to the player she is today is a considerable difference. She has also enjoyed her time with the Red Devils and the girls she has bowled with.

“It’s definitely an experience,” she said. “Bella, our two-handed bowler, is energetic and fun to be around. I tend to find that the two of us complement each other well. Aly is kind and gives me competition. I wish her the best and that she gets better than I am now in her senior year.”

“I hope she focuses on her game. The other girls do very well when they put their minds to it, and I hope we can pull it together to make a big step for our school and qualify for districts as a team.” 

Wolbers has been thinking about her future in the sport, especially when she goes off to college. She definitely wants to stay involved with the sport as she moves on from her high school career.

“I do want to try and bowl in college,” she said. “My plans are to go to Ohio State University. They do not have bowling as a varsity sport but as a club sport instead. If I'm unable to join because of being too busy in my classes, I'll try and get a job at an alley near the campus. Or I can join a league at an alley to bowl more recreationally. It's safe to say this sport may not leave my life anytime soon.”