Following last season’s sizable successes, Sequim High’s bowling team is hitting the lanes and books once again.

Last year, the Wolves earned their first Olympic League title, and third state academic championship.

Head coach Randy Perry, now in his 17th year coaching the squad, reiterated that Sequim has a good shot to repeat as league and academic champs.

“This year, I definitely don’t see why they shouldn’t repeat,” Perry said from a recent matchup in Port Angeles’ Laurel Lanes, Sequim’s home venue.

“It’s gonna be up to them. I know they’re better than they’re bowling now.”

Sequim opened its season with two losses, but still has plenty of games to roll.

“They’re overachievers and hard on themselves,” Perry said.

The team definitely has varied interests, with players finishing up fall sports, participating in school plays, Irrigation Festival and Clallam County Fair royalty, and more. But that’s part of the appeal to co-captain and senior Skylar Krzyworz, a district competitor last season and an Irrigation Festival princess.

She started bowling her sophomore year at the recommendation of friends Kimberly Heintz and Cooper Hiatt.

“We practice Mondays with matches typically on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you’re still able to have jobs, do school work, and other things,” she said.

She was also on the varsity squad that had a combined 3.895 grade-point-average to top all class 2A teams in Washington state. The Wolves were the second-highest GPA among all bowling teams regardless of classification.

Krzyworz said she didn’t think about joining the bowling team until her friends mentioned it, even though she had done bowling birthday parties in the past.

“I hadn’t thought about joining until then and when my friends find out, they (are surprised and) say, ‘you do bowling?’”

“But when I tell them my scores, they say, ‘that’s high!’”

She bowled a personal best 189 in one game last season.

Krzyworz also likes that bowling is both an individual and team sport.

Perry said it’s more common than not to have girls who have never bowled, nor been on a team sport before.

“They find other teams are very similar to them too,” he said. “While playing you spend a lot of time with each other.”

Being named academic champions last season is “huge,” Perry said, especially when they put so much effort into the sport and other things.

The Wolves’ varsity six earned the program’s third overall academic state title and first since back-to-back titles in 2011-12 and 2012-13, all under Perry’s tenure.

This year’s varsity squad features returning district competitors Hiatt, Krzyworz, Heintz and Victoria Nava.

Perry said he hasn’t been afraid to shuffle bowlers between varsity and junior varsity depending on how their games are going.

He also recognizes that they know what it takes to return to districts and as academic champions.

Bowling is about teamwork, Perry said, that comes down to each bowler because if they miss an easy spare, it could be the difference between going to districts and/or state.

Winter Sports Season Preview 2024-2025

SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL BOWLING

Head coach: Randy Perry (17th season)

Players: Seniors: Keira Morey, Victoria Nava, Kimberly Heintz, Cooper Hiatt, Skylar Krzyworz, Joanna Morales; juniors: Kate Brouillard; sophomores: Mikylah Lanning, Sallie Alhaddad, Sarah Alhaddad, Mya Ostlund, London Forrest; freshman: Emma Rhodes. Team manager: Marcus Byrne

2024-25 SHS bowling schedule

Two games played as of press deadline, both losses.

Monday, Nov. 25 at Port Angeles

Monday, Dec. 2, Klahowya*

Thursday, Dec. 5, at Olympic

Monday, Dec. 9, at Bremerton

Thursday, Dec. 12, at North Mason

Monday, Dec. 16, Port Angeles*

Thursday, Dec. 19, at Klahowya

Tuesday, Jan. 7, at Olympic

Thursday, Jan. 9, at Bremerton

Monday, Jan. 13, North Mason

Thursday, Jan. 16. at Port Angeles

Tuesday, Jan. 21, at Klahowya

* SHS home matches are at Laurel Lanes, 108 W. Eighth St., Port Angeles

Perry notes the Nov. 19 game in Bremerton was canceled and will be rescheduled tentatively for Dec. 10.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Kate Broulliard bowls in a matchup against North Mason on Nov. 21. She is one of a few newcomers to the Wolves’ bowling squad, said coach Randy Perry.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Kimberly Heintz bowls in a matchup against North Mason on Nov. 21.