Dan DiLoreto Bowling, Struthers

Perhaps nobody was more surprised to hear Dan DiLoreto’s name announced as the Division II boys bowling individual state champion than the Struthers senior himself.

“I couldn’t believe it,” DiLoreto said. “I didn’t even know I was going to be eligible or if my scores were going to be good enough to win it overall, but when I heard my name it was just crazy.”

DiLoreto, who first picked up a bowling ball when he was 5 years old, said he just enjoyed seeing pins get knocked down at that age. It wasn’t until he got his first bowling ball that he started taking the sport a little more seriously.

“I used to always use the alley balls that they offered you at the bowling alley,” DiLoreto said. “Then my dad finally decided to go out and get me one of my own.”

A state championship 10 years later isn’t a bad return on the investment. With all the recent success, DiLoreto is now entertaining the idea of bowling at the collegiate level — something he hadn’t even considered a year ago.

“Really I had no intentions on going to college for bowling,” the Struthers senior said. “Now after I’ve accomplished what I have individually, it has crossed my mind plenty of times.”

He still has a couple of months to decide, but DiLoreto described the ending of his season as “out of this world.” That is, except for the one thing missing. The Wildcats were unable to accomplish their team goal of winning a state championship, losing in the state final to Champion. And despite earning the top individual accolades, without hesitation DiLoreto said he would trade it all in for a state title trophy.

“Just to fall one step short,” he said. “It would’ve been a lot better to win as a team.”