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BOWLING | YSU program is ready for its debut
First competitive match is Oct. 15
youngstown
The newest athletic program at Youngstown State may only have the introduction written, but chapter one promises to be quite a page-turner.
Head coach Chelsea Gilliam took over the YSU bowling program officially on Sept. 1, 2015, and had the task of recruiting an entire team within a year. Months were spent without a team to coach, practices to run or matches to be won.
“I really just had to sit there and I got different state tournament results, Junior Gold results from last year and started looking at girls and names,” Gilliam said.
Originally, the natural fear of not filling out a complete roster sheet crept in, but those fears were short lived as dozens upon dozens of return letters found their way to Gilliam’s desk.
“It was a good problem to have,” Gilliam said.
With the Oct. 15 debut looming, the final roster is comprised of eight freshmen, two sophomores and a junior. Two of the athletes are locals. Freshman Alexis Grim hails from Boardman while Mackenzie Olesky, a sophomore, is from Girard.
“It’s going to be different,” Gilliam said. “I am hoping we will be competitive being so young. We have the talent, it’s just getting it together for competition.”
Recruiting athletes to a program with no history or senior leadership to fall back on isn’t an easy sell. But the girls who signed up for the team said they enjoyed the aspect of everyone learning at the same level, since everything is brand new for freshmen and those with collegiate experience.
“It’s kind of nice since I’m a transfer I kind of feel like a freshman,” junior Victoria Maracle said. “So with a brand new program and coach, I’m learning at the same level as everyone else.”
For Grim, a true freshman, the timing could not have been better for the start of the program.
“I was looking at other [colleges] but my Mom really wanted me to stay home and I wanted to stay home,” Grim said. “Once I heard YSU was starting a bowling program, I was like, ‘OK!’”
Olesky grew up so much around local bowling alleys that coming home to be a part of the start of the YSU program feels like a complete circle.
“My parents met and proposed in a bowling alley so it’s just always been a huge part of my life,” Olesky said. “It’s a great experience being able to come back to where I’m from and being able to start a new program.”
The Penguins not only will be playing for each other this year, they’ll also be competing for their coach, who is battling cancer for the second time.
Gilliam was originally diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer in October 2013. Surgery went successful and Gilliam was clear for about two-and-a-half years.
Then Gilliam noticed some lumps that came back positive.
If that wasn’t enough, the cancer now had spread to her bones as well, but at first, Gilliam believed she was just sore from getting back to bowling regularly.
“If you’re not bowling consistently, when you get back into it your muscles are going to be sore,” Gilliam said. “So I was bowling when my hip pain started so I thought I maybe just pulled a muscle.”
Gilliam finished radiation therapy on her femur and pelvis and if her hormonal therapy works as expected, the growth of the cancer should stop. Until then, the team keeps her mind off her condition.
“I worry about them,” Gilliam said. “I stay focused on them and what I need to do for them and it helps me get though my stuff keeping busy with the team.”
YSU held a fund-raiser for Gilliam on Aug. 5. Gilliam said the outpouring of support she’s received since moving here has been tremendous.
“It’s been amazing because I’m new to the area,” Gilliam said. “I’ve only been here nine months and everybody from the athletic department to the community really surrounded me and has been supporting me.”