New Season, New Teammates, New Plan
By: Nick Heimerman
Another season of bowling has begun here at Waldorf and we have some fresh new bowlers looking to make their mark. From the previous season we had no scholarship bowler’s graduate. This means that returning bowlers will slide back into their typical rolls and pick up right where they left off without taking any losses from people graduating.
For incoming bowlers, the men’s team received one new scholarship bowler Michael Templin. The team also received a part time bowler, Carlos Perez who also plays on the baseball team.
The women’s team saw the biggest change bringing in three new scholarship bowlers: Beckie Anton, Kelsea Briggs and Keri Ladigo.
When asked about her outlook on the upcoming season, Coach Marilyn Schachel responded saying, “My season players know what to expect this year and can, with the talent of the new players, reach the top half of many of the tournaments. I also believe they will have no problem reaching sectionals this year.” Coming off her accident last year, Schachel is entering her fifth season as head coach of the bowling teams here at Waldorf. Schachel also stated that she is seeing huge potential in the incoming bowlers this season.
To learn more about these new bowlers, I went around and asked them a few questions such as: Where they are from, why they chose Waldorf, their background in bowling, what they are looking forward to in this season and how they think practices are going so far.
For the men’s team, Michael Templin responded, “I am from Gaylord, MN and the reason I chose Waldorf is because I wanted to go a little ways from home but not too far, also all the other colleges that I looked at didn’t have a bowling team. I started bowling in the 7th grade, so I have been bowling around seven years. I am hoping I can help the team this season, so I hope I bowl well on the sport shot patterns. I believe practices are going well and I’m learning new things all the time.”
Michael Templin is the newest addition to the Men’s Bowling team.
For the women’s team, Beckie Anton said, “I’m from Villa Park, Illinois and I chose Waldorf because when I met the team last year I really liked how everyone bonded and I like the small town life. I’ve been bowling since I was five and I’m looking forward to getting better and becoming close with the team. Practices are a lot different than high school, but I really enjoy them.”
Next up is Kelsea Briggs stating, “I am from Waseca, MN and I chose Waldorf because I liked the small campus and Coach Marilyn. I started out bowling on a Saturday league in 6th grade, but I didn’t get any training till 10th grade when I joined the high school team. I am looking forward to being able to develop my skills, make new friends and have fun this season. I like how practices are going so far and I believe they will continue to be great!”
Kelsea Briggs is another new addition to the Women’s Bowling team.
The last bowler on the list is Keri Ladigo. When interviewed she said, “I am from Andover, Kansas and I kept my options open, but Waldorf was the obvious choice once I took a campus visit. This is where I fit best. I fell in love with the campus and the college itself. I started bowling at a young age of 3 and have been bowling ever since! I am most looking forward to traveling with the team and getting to know everyone better. So far practices have gone pretty well. I’, already improving on some things I need to and everyone seems to get along well with each other.”
Keri Ladigo joined the Women’s Bowling team this season.
The bowling season kicks off October 17 at the Sandhills Collegiate Classic Tournament in Lincoln, Neb. If you happen to see any of these new bowlers on campus make sure to wish them luck on their first collegiate tournament!