Josie Rodriguez is convinced this is her year. Trinity’s senior anchor bowler got oh-so-close to making it to the IHSA state competition a year ago, so that’s an obvious goal this year, but she prefers to take a more holistic view of her team’s season.
“I’m excited because this year there is a lot of new potential,” said Rodriguez, who is averaging about 180 so far this season. “It’s just a really positive environment to be in and to know there are just as many people who are as enthusiastic about being on the team — it’s great.”
Rodriguez got into bowling at about 8 years old, when a family friend needed someone to fill in on a Saturday morning league. She’s come a long way since then, finishing fourth in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference a year ago.
In other words, she’s a leader, and enjoys that challenge in her last high school go-round before college.
“Going into high school, I realized [bowling] was something I wanted to keep doing in high school and college. Leadership came easy to me because of how long I’ve been doing it and how passionate I am about it.”
But Trinity, which will battle Resurrection, Fenwick and DePaul Prep for the top of the GCAC, is more than Rodriguez, according to coach Cassandra Schneider.
Senior Sophia Gonzales and junior Gabriella Pikulski both are averaging in the 130s and will set the table for Rodriguez in each game. Pikulski has taken huge steps, Schneider said, after joining the team last year.
“She is very good,” she said. “She took it very seriously over the summer. She was in leagues, she got her own ball. It’s been very awesome to see.”
Gonzales also joined the team a year ago and gained tutelage from her dad and her uncle in addition to league play. Other contribution candidates include seniors Maggie Stumbris, Dani Quargnali-Linsley and Gretchen Kantor, who has been a varsity player since she was a freshman.
“I feel like we’ve had a stronger start than we’ve had the past two seasons since I’ve been coaching,” Schneider said. “They are really locked in and putting into honing their skills.”
Fenwick girls look to exceed 2024-25
Like Trinity, Fenwick’s girls team has been underway since mid-November and has already defeated Trinity in match play. The Friars are led by Senior Mariya Mason, who set a personal record of 192 in that Trinity matchup. Fellow senior Jakayla Davis and juniors De’Ondrea Almond, Daija Baynes, Josie Mikeski and Millie Ramiriez should be major contributors, according to assistant coach Michelle Walker.
“[They] are excited to repeat school history this season after being the first girls team in school history to place in the Chicago Catholic League/GCAC championship and advance all the way to sectionals,” Walker said.
Walker added that the boys team is the largest varsity squad since head coach William Aldridge began his tenure. So far, senior Connor Walsh and junior JR Welshons have led the Friars to wins over St. Ignatius and IC Catholic Prep. In the latter match, sophomore Henry Shoffer and freshman Matthew Poleski set new personal records (128 and 172 respectively).
New coach Solis leads OPRF
Oak Park and River Forest is led by first-year coach Daniel Solis, a 2019 graduate. He replaces longtime coach Richard Short and is enjoying his new gig.
“I love it; it’s really fun,” Solis said. “It gets you to meet students and be able to work with students outside of school with something we all have a passion for.”
Unique about OPRF is that it is in an intramural league, meaning the boys and girls don’t bowl a typical conference and non-conference slate against other schools, but instead bowl against each other. But Solis will select four bowlers from each gender to participate in IHSA sectional play, which starts in late January for the boys and February for the girls.
On the boys side, Solis has high hopes for seniors Ethan Gettinger and Adrian Levy.
“Ethan’s a great bowler, very powerful, very good at reading the lanes, and if you want anyone to get a strike, he’ll get it for you,” he said. “He’s all about power and accuracy.”
As for Levy, Solis said he is “another bowler who is very consistent and accurate and has a lot of finesse to his game. He’s a consistent spare shooter.”
On the girls side, the Huskies will be led by junior Sophia Thompson and senior Siofra Pellettieri.
“Sophia is a very consistent bowler and has a good throw on her,” Solis said, adding that Pellettieri is “similar to Sophia in that she has a good mindset. She’s got very good adaptability.”
