Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week-Ben Christiansen

Senior bowler Ben Christiansen enrolled in Oswego East as a freshman, and like most freshman, was slightly timid and shy and unaware of what his future would hold. Thankfully, Ben recognized and took advantage of the various athletic and academic opportunities East has provided. Bowling, academics, and a supportive family and friends have provided him the means to transition into a confident young adult who has a defined career path. Ben's leadership to the bowling team has been integral to the season's success, and his athletic achievements coupled with that leadership are why he was chosen as this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Ben began his competitive bowling at the young age of 6, but it was not until hardship fell in the 7th grade in the form a broken wrist that Ben would morph into the bowler he is today. The adversity of injury is something most athletes overcome at some point in their career, but for Ben it was a blessing in disguise. After recovering, Ben was forced to alter his bowling form, a change that helped lead to the success he has had up to this point.

Amy Christiansen, Ben's mother, says, "While Ben is not a flashy person in general, his bowling is quite flashy." She continues by saying, "He bowls utilizing a two-handed approach, a style most popularly used by a professional named Jason Belmonte. The style is more challenging for a bowler as they get taller (Ben is 6'4"). When he throws the ball, the ball hits with such force that without even looking I can tell if the ball has struck correctly just by the sound of the collision."

As a four year varsity bowler, Ben has had plenty of opportunities for success and improvement. As a sophomore Ben was an all-conference bowler, which was also the last year the team made it to the state tournament. Ben has used his experiences to grow into one of the Wolves’ leaders, something that did not come naturally for Ben.

"Ben is more the quiet type who would let others take control," says Amy. She adds, "The bowling team changed that in Ben. That team became his home, and he rose to the occasion of making that home better for everyone. He would assist younger bowlers who were working on technique and helped recruit more bowlers at Frosh Fest and Future Wolves Night."

Individually, Ben has had success on his own, placing 191st out of 1,000 in a national tournament in Detroit last summer, and has a season-high one game score of 299. Ben is hopeful the team can reach the sectional tournament, something they failed to do last season, and he and fellow senior Isaak Izzi are hopeful they can earn the right to compete in the state tournament as individuals.

Other than bowling, Ben's interests include travel and his future career path, aerospace engineering. Ben and his family have been fortunate to travel all over the world, visiting 14 different countries as well as countless states in America. "Our parents felt like we would benefit from seeing the world and be well-rounded," says Ben.

"I think these experiences have opened Ben's eyes as to how fortunate we are to be living where we are," says Amy. She goes on to add, "As Americans, I think it is easy to forget that not everyone else lives life with the comforts that we take for granted. These travels have shown Ben that not everyone in the world has things that we take for granted such as clean drinking water and electricity."

As a senior, Ben has already been accepted to the Aerospace Engineering program at Iowa State University, which is where he will attend in the fall. "I always enjoyed building and designing things like building rockets in boy scouts," says Ben.

Unsure of his future as a young freshman, Ben was encouraged to follow his interests by his parents. "When Ben arrived as a freshman, he had no idea of what he wanted to do with his life, but discovering how things work has always intrigued Ben," says Amy. She goes to add, "His father (Eric Christiansen) and I encouraged him to take an engineering class to see if that field might interest him, and boy has it. Ben has taken nearly every engineering class that OE offers and has participated in Project Lead the Way for 4 years. We are so grateful that OE has opportunities such as this that students can explore before going to college."

Ben's Honor's Engineering Design and Development teacher, Tony Holub, believes Ben is a special student, saying, "Ben's sincerity in all he pursues stands out-he is the consummate professional in the classroom. He is eager to learn new content and will apply this information in exciting and engaging ways. Also, Ben holds meaningful conversations with fellow students and teachers and works well independently and collaboratively."

Not only does Ben impress in the classroom at OE, but Tony believes he possesses the skills and demeanor necessary to succeed in the field beyond college, saying, "Aerospace engineering requires attention to detail and a strong commitment to excellence daily. Ben shows this in both my class and bowling with his perseverance and positive temperament. He will ask important question and put in the necessary time to maximize anything he investigates. These traits will benefit him greatly in aerospace engineering."

Ben's growth as a person, athlete, and student is a reflection of his hard work and perseverance. As Tony Holub says, "Ben is an excellent role model and thoughtful student. He truly exemplifies the excellence, academics, spirit, and tradition that OE seeks in all its' students." As someone who has learned how to become a leader, Ben advises future Wolves' looking to follow in his path to, "Enjoy the experience and get to know yourself as a person." Ben and his teammates will look to create new experiences and memories as they march to the end of the season, and we at OE wish them the best of luck.