The lanes are brightly lit, the rest of the room dim. People stand or sit, watching. Music plays, arcade games ding. Vending machines deliver soda and snacks, thudding when the item drops.  Machines whirr as they return balls while the pins are reset with a soft clunk. The main noise, however, is the thunk when the bowling ball first makes contact with the lane, the silence as everyone watches to see the outcome and the cheers as the girl’s bowling team win their regional tournament.

“[The atmosphere during tournaments is] very competitive,” Veronica Prior, freshman co-captain, said. “and it’s kind of nerve-wracking, but you can’t let that bother you.  You just have to be you and focus and make great shots.”

To prepare for tournaments, the team practices at Allen Bowl on Tuesdays and Thursdays from with an optional practise held on Mondays, when most attend. They also have the option to bowl in leagues for practice throughout the week.

“We just have to get used to tournaments by taking advice from the people who have been [to tournament before],” Darcy Baldwin, junior co-captain, said. “And you have to listen to your coaches, and keep a level head.”

Baldwin has bowled for four years, and Prior for three. They were made captains for grade point average, experience and their ability to energize the team.

“[I have to] be the spark on the team,” Prior said. “When someone’s down, [I] get in their face and cheer them up. [Essentially I have to] keep everyone pumped and positive.”

For many on the team, this was their first tournament, amid iced-out games and this being their first year on the team. Prior said everyone is a family because of the great environment.

“[Whether we] win or lose, it’s very positive,” Prior said. “You want to walk away and think ‘Well we might have just lost, but we did such a good job’. But, if we win, it’s just such an awesome feeling.”