Slick, squeaky lanes. Flat, neon shoes. Crashing and toppling pins. A glossy ball speeds down the lane and collides with the pins, a noise familiar for these falcons. The team behind the far lanes of the alley fist bumps and cheers for one another. Bowling may seem like an individual sport with each person in their own lane however, it is far from the truth, especially for the PMHS bowling team. 

For senior Landon Pennington he had always found a community in bowling with his family. “My family has been into bowling since we were all young…[so] I’ve been bowling since 2016.” Pennington said. Pennington started playing more competitively in eighth grade with the middle school team and is one the most seasoned players on the team. Pennington has nearly a decade of experience under his belt.

Others on the teams have not competitively bowled as long as Pennington. Sophomore Mia Cleary has been on the team for only two years. What kept Cleary coming back, despite the newness, was the people on the team. “I really like the community. A lot of my teammates really make it for me because they are just really amazing to be around. If you’re having a bad day, they just bring you up.” Cleary said.

This sense of community is something that is shared by many athletes. While bowling may not appear to rely on teamwork, teammates constantly build each other up whether a person hits all 10 pins or only one tumbles down; there is always support. 

This is not the only factor that keeps the team together, though. “I got interested in how everything works…so I found it different from playing the same golf course like I’m used to.” Senior Aiden Bower said. Bower joined the team this year and has only bowled for nine months. Yet, with a short amount of time his drive has pushed him to learn more. Learning the technical side of bowling can be difficult but the team has made it easier to get better. “My teammates have helped me through everything. Landon helped me learn a lot about bowling,” Bower said. Now Bower has advanced to semi state representing PMHS.

Bower is not the only member on the team who plays another sport. Senior Ollie Crain played varsity soccer at PMHS, a sport that is highly dependent on teamwork and communication due to the nature of the fast-paced game. “It’s a much more chill environment. It allows me to compete without having to be super stressed out about it.” Crain said. For Crain his reason to join the team was simple: “Why not senior year?” 

What he found like many of his teammates was that in bowling, competition and community merge into one lane.