It’s not every day that a sophomore makes a varsity team. It’s even more rare that they get a chance to play. However, Brianna Meyers ’19 has transcended herself from an everyday student into a critical piece on the girls bowling team.

As a freshman, Meyers was getting a general feel for the high school, as most freshman do. Bowling wasn’t a top priority to her. However, after a year of acclimation, Meyers was ready to branch out.

“My brother did bowling for one year and I had a friend who was also joining. Having people in there pushed me into it and I’m happy I decided to join,” said Meyers.

Meyers also faced the same problem most people who try out do: nervousness. Meyers went into the tryout with little bowling experience, aside from the league she used to play in when she was younger.

“At one of the first practices, I had to bowl in front of everyone, guys and girls, and I was very anxious about that. Looking back, I laugh at myself for getting worked up about something so minor,” said Meyers.

Meyers prevailed, and soon found herself competing for varsity playing time. However, the best part about bowling, according to Meyers, is the team aspect. The group of girls is very tight-knit, and always have each other’s’ backs.

“I could throw a gutter ball and I would still get a ton of encouragement, advice, and positivity,” said Meyers, “even if it’s not related to bowling.”

Meyers stresses the importance of teamwork in bowling. She recognizes that fact that in other sports, if you mess up, your teammates are right behind you to clean up the play. However, in bowling, if you mess up, that roll stays, and there is no fixing that, she believes. The team’s ability to keep up the positivity is the key to success.

Meyers is on that path to success this season. She recently achieved her personal high score, 183. Her goal is to break 200 this year. Meyers is also working to get better every day.

“You always need to be willing to improve. So many times I see other bowlers from different schools who don’t take advice from their coaches and other teammates. The process of improving your shot can sometimes drop your score a little temporarily and that’s okay. Having an open mind is really important,” said Meyers.

As for the team as a whole, they are having a great season. Sitting at 5-1, the girls are in great position to succeed this season. Their best win of the season came against Bishop Eustace, when the girls won 4-0 and bowled a team best score.

Meyers is clicking on all cylinders this season. With her talent exceptional, and still having two more years to play after this one, Meyers has the potential to be a standout for years to come.