Olivia “Liv” Kunkle (12, VA) has become a key player for the Manual girl’s bowling team since she started playing her sophomore year.
Kunkle recently won the honor of being on the First Team for Region 4, bowling an average score of 188 after 27 games bowled, and capturing the girls’ singles Region 4 champion title.
“It makes me feel good, [to know that] all my work has paid off,” Kunkle said.
Kunkle had no “professional” or strategic bowling experience before high school. For her, it was just the average fun game at the alley.
“Just going out with your friends and throwing balls at the bowling alley,” Kunkle said.
Kunkle first got the idea to join the Manual bowling team her sophomore year from her upperclassmen friends on the softball team.
“They recommended it, and said it was a great bonding experience and fun sport to do,” Kunkle recalled.
After making the team her sophomore year, Kunkle decided to stick with bowling throughout her high school years, mainly due to her friends who were also on the bowling team.
“I feel like..my friends mostly [are]…what makes the team connected and makes everybody perform well,” Kunkle said.
With Kunkle being a senior this year, her time on the team is rapidly coming to an end, putting a new perspective on the small things and her feelings towards bowling.
“It’s kind of bittersweet. When you’re an underclassmen you never really know what it’s going to be like when you’re a senior or you think it won’t be that big of a deal. But you never know till you get here. It’s kind of sad, this is the sport I loved most in my high school career, but I’m glad for the memories I’ve made,” Kunkle said.
Glad for the memories, Kunkle reflected on the moments throughout her bowling journey at Manual that have stuck out to her—both during matches and outside time with the team.
“The best teams in the region are PRP and Boyle County, [so] they are always tough to face. We actually beat PRP this year and that was their first match they lost in five years,” Kunkle proudly said.
Kunkle then talked about one of her favorite fun, silly moments she had with her best friends during a team bonding experience.
“We actually went to our coach’s house and we hot-dogged his yard. We got stakes and hot dogs and put them all over his yard. It was so funny and he thought it was hilarious, too,” Kunkle said, laughing.
All of these special moments she has had while on the Manual bowling were shared with her close friends and the rest of the seniors on the team, all of whom are especially close.
“Even when we didn’t have any seniors our junior year, it was us who had to take responsibility. We all just kind of worked together and I feel like it made us a little more mature. How to lead the team and just to have fun too,” Kunkle said.
Kunkle and her teammates will be competing at the bowling state championships at the beginning of next week. Not only is Kunkle heading off to the state tournament for the girls’ singles championships, but she is also headed off for the girls’ team championship after helping the team capture the Region 4 title.
“It’s a little nerve-racking. It was a little bit chaotic last year, but hopefully I can build off of that and take away what went wrong last year and turn it into a different outcome. But it’s important to relax and have fun with it in the end,” Kunkle said.
Though Kunkle won’t be pursuing bowling in her next chapters of life, she appreciates her time bowling at Manual with her teammates.
“These people and coaches have been the best sports experience that I’ve ever had. I made some of the best memories I have with this team, they’re super special,” Kunkle said.
