Big strides

Quinn Hanigan, Sports Writer

As with anything, getting good at bowling requires practice. For junior Dale Weaver, it took 10 years of experience to make history. Weaver set a new school record for the highest two game score with 516, breaking the previous record by four. Last year, Weaver was ranked 50th in the state with an average of 204 per game. This year, he is ranked 4th with an average of 231. He accomplished his goals by working hard between seasons. Although he has broken one record for Xavier High School, he still has much more he wants to accomplish.

“In high school, I want to beat the one game record which is currently 299, so I would have to bowl a 300 game,” Weaver said. “I have come close two times this season.”

He bowled in a week long tournament in the summer, as well as leagues and tournaments almost every Saturday and Sunday.

“My biggest supporters are my parents. They take me to a lot of tournaments across the state, and sometimes across the country,” Weaver said.

The coaching and team atmosphere has also played a role in his success. Xavier’s coaches Russ Camacho and Tom Trcka Jr. better the team by improving their form.

“Coach Camacho takes videos of me to see what I need to fix, and Coach Trcka lets me come in early sometimes and bowl on tougher oil patterns,” Weaver said.

Junior Erik Triplett can attest to the team’s compatibility.

“My favorite part of bowling is how much fun we have. The team and I have really grown together, and we have a lot of chemistry, so it is really fun to bowl with them,” Triplett said.

Both bowlers agree anyone interested in the sport would have fun being on the team.

“If you are thinking about going out for bowling next year, do it. It is fun and a good sport to get into,” Weaver said.

The boys’ next meet is against Western Dubuque on Tuesday, February 5 at 3 p.m. at May City Bowl.