Big Blue looks to improve on last year’s success
By Reid Maus
As the temperature drops and the cold winds usher in winter, the Hamilton girls bowling team look to take the Greater Miami Conference crown and maybe more. Last winter just about nobody could roll stones as well as the Big Blue and this year they’re aspirations are high, but so is their talent level.
After finishing second in the GMC just a season ago, trailing only Fairfeild, Hamilton returns their top two scorers in Lilly Arvin and Madison Detherage. Both of who were selected 1st team all-league.
“I’m looking forward to the season,” said head coach Nic Arvin, who is entering his fifth year coaching the team. “Hopefully we continue the success we had last year and build on it.”
The Big Blue averaged a score of 744 last year, which brought them a 14-4 record and one stop shy of a trip to Columbus for the state tournament. While they certainly have eyes focused on a deep run in the postseason, Coach Arvin knows that the most important thing for them to do is simply improve.
“I don’t like setting goals to win,” said Coach Arvin. “I definitely want to win every match and every single tournament that we bowl in. But really I just want improvement.”
Arvin, along with his star bowlers, Lily and Madison, all agreed that if there was one spot that the squad could improve the most, it was not leaving frames open.
“It’s where we need our biggest improvement,” said Hamilton’s head coach. “Especially when you get to the harder patterns we seen during districts and regionals. It’s huge to get those spares.
The Big Blue don’t need to rush to get those inevitable wins, simply because they have plenty of time. As mentioned, both Lilly Arvin and Detherage return, but this isn’t the last winter for the pair.
Arvin, a sophomore, has grown up around the lanes, and her love has sprouted from there.
“I’ve watched my parents bowl ever since I was a little kid. So I basically grew up in a bowling alley,” said Arvin who was first team all-GMC as a freshman. “I never really bowled in a league until I got to high school, but I’ve been playing since I was in 5th or 6th grade.”
Lilly Arvin led the team with a 172.9 average which made her one of the 10 best in the league. Of the top 10 scorers in the GMC a year ago, seven were seniors while Arvin was making her debut in competitive bowling. Despite all that success, Lilly Arvin is striving for better scores this year.
“I want to improve on my average,” said Arvin admitting she wants to get over 180, though to do that she knows she has to improve on her form. “I have to get better at following through and how I hold the ball.”
The other side of Hamilton’s striking duo is Madison Detherage. The junior’s average was just a half point lower than Lilly’s. Detherage scored a Big Blue season high with a 234 a season ago. Madison started much earlier than Lilly, both in competitive and playing in general.
“I started playing when I was six, my parents started me very early,” said Detherage of her start into bowling. She even started playing competitively when she was just 10.
Just like Lilly, Madison knows that if the Big Blue want to compete for a GMC title this year, she has to up her average.
“I need to improve my average to around 180 just to help the team,” said the junior. “I really need to work on my timing for that to happen.”
Typically when you have the talent that the Big Blue have, your window to achieve all the goals that you set for yourself is limited to just one winter. Yet, they have the luxury of focusing on the improvement and letting the success follow, as the majority of the team are underclassmen.
“Maddy [Detherage] is going to be with us another year after this one,” said Coach Arvin of his star junior and the overall youth of the team. “We have two years were we can put a good run together.”
The Big Blue will start throwing stones later this month at their home alley, Fairfield Lanes.