The Lake Orion High School bowling teams are new to competition this season, but are holding their own, according to varsity coach Gary Skarritt.
There are four new teams this year: boys varsity, girls varsity, boys junior varsity and girls junior varsity. The Dragons? home venue is Collier Lanes in Oxford.
‘This has been nine years in the making,? said Skarritt, a Lake Orion resident who has been a bowling coach for 10 years. ‘We have 48 kids in the program.?
Although most of the kids have only bowled for fun before, Skarritt is pleased with their progress.
‘They been doing really well for their first time together bowling,? he said. ‘We compete every two weeks.?
On Jan. 22, the Dragons competed in the Oakland County Meet, and the girls varsity team finished in 16th place, out of 24 teams.
The boys varsity finished 18th out of 24 teams. Both teams had only competed twice before.
On Jan. 29, the teams competed in the Tri-County Meet, including bowlers from Wayne, Oakland and Macomb. The boys finished in 18th place, out of 26, with very stiff competition.
The varsity girls took a fourth place finish, out of 23 teams, which Skarritt said was remarkable. All of the girls received medals for their achievement.
In home matches, Lake Orion has competed against Romeo and Clarkston.
‘They did pretty good,? Skarritt said. ‘They are still getting experience.?
On Feb. 11-12, the junior varsity teams competed at their state competition, and on Feb. 25-26 the varsity regional takes place in Flint.
‘The kids have really shined,? said Skarritt. ‘Whenever they have a chance to practice, they are there.?
The team raised money this year with several fundraisers, including a bowl-a-thon, and Skarritt said the program will probably be pay-to-play next year.
Anyone who would like to make a donation for the bowling program can contact the Lake Orion athletic office at 693-5458.