Taking to the lanes

Scott Thomas
Contributing Writer

Bowling is a sport that millions of Americans have come to love. At MCC, it is a sport that has seen great success. The uniqueness of bowling is that it can be enjoyed competitively, recreationally and by anyone at any age.
Bowling is referred to as a special interest group at MCC, rather than a team; therefore, the program is required to financially support its own tournaments. This includes nationals, which MCC has made it to three out of the last five years.
Bowling coach Karl Simonis said, “Because the cost of going to out-of-state tournaments is between $425 and $500 per person, I never know where the team will go each year. It all depends on fund-raisers.”
Nicole Cianciola is the oldest player on the team at 21, and has been bowling since the age of 3, longer than she has had to sit at a desk.
“It’s definitely a community,” said Cianciola. “Most of my friends were made by bowling.”
Cianciola is also one of the top five junior female bowlers in Arizona. Last year, she played in the Junior Gold national tournament. Cianciola finished very well, 160th out of 800 bowlers. However, because she is 21, this will be the last year that she will qualify as a junior bowler.
Simonis stressed repeatedly that bowling is a game of focus. MCC bowlers obtain their talent through practice and dedication. The real test is in focus – being able to shut out everything and concentrate solely on your shot.
The players must not get down on themselves when they make a bad shot; rather, they should focus on improving their next shot.
Many players bowl their best shot after a bad one.
Fifty-three million people in America go bowling each year. This statistic, according to the Sporting Retailers Association, speaks volumes about where the sport is today.
The number makes bowling the most-played sport in the country. The statistic also means that Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, would have to be filled 828 times to equal the amount of bowling supporters in one year.
Bowling has predominantly become a social sport, much like pool or darts.
For the MCC bowling team, competition and drive make it worthwhile, for the rest of America, its a lovely Saturday night.

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