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Bowling is a relatively new sport at Kingsway. In its fifth
year, the program is led by Head Coach
Mike Mulligan and Assistant Coach Angel
Sheridan, and the Dragons plays their home matches at
Westbrook Lanes at the
Brooklawn Circle.
While the results over the first half-decade of the program
have been mixed, the important work of laying the foundation
for a successful program is starting to pay off for the
Dragons. The boys and girls teams are both in the midst of
some of their best years so far, with the future looking
bright.
Unlike many other sports, bowling has a unique team scoring
system. While the bowling is an individual event, the team
depends on the cumulative score of five bowlers over the
course of three games. One win is awarded for the team winner
of each of the three games, with a bonus win for the team with
the top overall score.
 The
boys’ team is led by senior Diante Fields. A transfer from
Middletown, Delaware, Fields was a shot in the arm for the
Dragons’ bowling team this year. He has bowled 16 “300” games
in his life and carries a 228 single-game average and a career
high 799 three-game series.
Fields began bowling as a 4-year-old at his sister’s ninth
birthday party. Since then, his passion and talent for the
game has increased tremendously. Outside of Kingsway, Fields
bowls in weekly tournaments held by the Junior Bowlers Tour,
Pennsylvania Junior Bowlers Tour, and United States Bowling
Congress.
In Delaware, Fields’ high school had a bowling team, but due
to a lack of other schools in the state that sponsored the
sport, the team usually just bowled against each other. Now
Fields is the backbone of the Dragon squad, and is often
looked upon for advice by the other bowlers. “It’s really a
whole new experience for me being part of a team, after
spending so much time alone in tournaments,” he noted.
Known for his high level of motivation and positivity, Fields’
leadership role is evident in watching interactions between
teammates. “My ideal game is one where my teammates are doing
so well that my score is meaningless to the outcome,” says
Fields. “I’m confident in my abilities, but I have found that
the coaching aspect of helping my teammates succeed has been
even more fun for me than actually bowling.”
Most important, there is a stress on fun throughout the
lineup. If you happen to be the only bowler on the team that
doesn’t bowl a strike in any frame, they follow the bowling
tradition of forcing that person to wear a tie on his back
until a strike is bowled.
The girls’ team may have an even brighter future ahead of
them. The team is led by freshman Laken Owen, whose 161
average marks the first time a Dragon bowler has led her
league in scoring average. Close behind Owen is another
freshmen, Kate Bardall, and a number of other talented Lady
Dragons.
With the growth over the next three years, the potential for
this Dragon squad is limitless.
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