The Unified bowling team is ready to take on a new season boosted by a large group of new bowlers.

The team kicked its season off Tuesday against several Kansas teams at Royal Crest Lanes in Lawrence. Returning bowler and senior Alex Goodrich said the team has added new bowlers and improved its lineup. 

“I feel good about this year,” Goodrich said. “We have a good attitude. Even when we’re down, we pick each other up.”

Head coach Daniel Hoschouer said he was ready to start bowling as a team, and thinks if they play their best they have a chance to qualify for state later this year.

“It’s exciting to see how they’re all meshing together and working, and just the chemistry that comes off of that,” he said.

Tuesday’s opening meet begins a three-week stretch of tournaments before regionals in mid-November.  

Hoschouer said the experienced leaders have created healthy competition with the new players to help them all improve. 

“It’s fun to teach them because a lot of our newer players haven’t bowled a lot in the past,” he said. “It’s really a learning curve for them. So yeah, they’re getting a lot of teaching moments from the older kids.”

Senior Janice Nelson has been a peer mentor for the team for three years and said she has enjoyed watching the team grow and change. 

“Some of our newer kids are really good,” Nelson said. “All of our kids are actually into it, and they’re actually trying, and it’s really cool.”

Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]