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State of relaxation helps Lowellville’s Rotz
Slowing down the game helps Lowellville’s Rotz clinch third trip to Columbus
By BOB ETTINGER
LOWELLVILLE
Haylie Rotz describes herself as a person who likes things slow and easy. The Lowellville senior bowler knows finding that perfect pace is central to finding her success, even if it took her some time to figure it out.
“All the time, before matches or tournaments, I listen to music,” said Rotz, the daughter of Lisa and John Rotz. “I’m slow as a person, so I listen to slower music. Slowing down and relaxing is what I think I have to do. I’m a laid-back, take-it-easy person. I’ve evolved, I guess you could say. My form has changed. My ball speed has changed. My dad and I practice a lot. If one thing is off, we’re going to fix it before it gets out of whack. I focus on one little thing until it’s fixed.”
That process has carried Rotz to a third appearance in the Division II Ohio State Bowling Championships at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl on Friday.
“It’s crazy,” Rotz said. “I still don’t believe it.”
In a sport where trying to top another competitor can snowball into a loss, Rotz has figured out how to marry her competitive nature with being in a good place mentally.
“I’m getting better at that,” Rotz said. “I try to relax and focus on myself. When I focus just on myself, I do better than when I focus on everybody else. If I see their scores, I feel I have to beat them. I try and focus on doing the best I can. I just bowl what I know I can. If you make it as a team, you make it as an individual. I just want to be in the top four, that’s your safe spot. You know you’re going.
“At the sectional, we qualified as a team, so I didn’t even worry about my individual score. The district was a little rough. I truly didn’t think I’d make it. I didn’t have one of my best days, but I pulled it out somehow.”
Rotz stayed consistent to get to Columbus again. She rolled games of 163, 177 and 176 for a 516 series to place ninth in the district tournament at Buckeye Lanes. Girard’s Heidi Trautman won with games of 211, 223 and 180 for a 614 series.
“I bowled three decent games, but I saw some people were over 200,” said Rotz, a two-time Trumbull Mahoning Columbiana Conference Most Valuable Player. “I was consistent. They would have one high game and one lower game. I was just hoping I was consistent enough to get ahead of everyone. I was still nervous I wouldn’t make it.”
That consistency was developed over years of practice in a sport she grew to love from watching.
“When I was younger, no one in my family bowled,” Rotz said. “My brother Tyler [who is five years older] started his freshman year. I was the little sister who wanted to do everything my big brother did. I would be at his practices watching and would ask my dad if I could bowl. I started to like it and went from there.
“I guess I was sitting at alleys constantly watching. I guess I liked it, too. I’m a competitive person. Once I start something, I’ll work at it until I’m good.”