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Alexis Grim boardman | Girls Bowling
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To the surprise of many people, the Boardman girls bowling team qualified for the state tournament this season.
At first Alexis Grim didn’t even know.
“Our coach [Justine Cullen] didn’t even tell us any scores or numbers,” Grim said. “We had no idea we’d make it. We thought we were done.”
But good news came the Spartans’ way.
“When they announced we were second [at districts] it was crazy,” Grim said. “We all started crying and it was just an emotional wreck.”
As a team the Spartans finished 14th out of 16 teams at state.
The Spartans did not qualify for the championship round but, individually, Grim placed 15th, rolling a 572 series and a 213 game.
“We surprised everyone that was there,” Grim said. “We accomplished so much from what we had.”
Only a junior, Grim says it was the senior class that lit a spark under the team.
“A lot of our seniors wanted to go and have the experience of going to states,” Grim said. “We just wanted to be there and be able to say we went once during our career.”
Grim was no stranger to the state tournament having watched her brother, Andrew Watterson, bowl in Columbus for the Spartans.
“It was really bad,” Grim said. “I was shaking the entire time once we got there, but we pushed through it.”
She credits Watterson for getting her into the sport.
“He taught me when I was younger and I kind of liked it,” Grim said. “I just did what he did. It was like monkey see, monkey do.”
Grim also believes there is more than meets the eye when it comes to bowling.
“It’s a really hard sport if you really think about it,” Grim said. “But not that many people think that it is.
“It’s a lot more difficult than just throwing a ball.”
Grim is undecided on her college choice but does want to pursue a degree in secondary education.
She is excited for her final year in a Spartan uniform.
“There are a couple girls that are coming up for next year,” Grim said. “So it should be fun.”