Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week-Kassy Krahulik

Last season former Wolf Kiana Krahulik capped off an amazing bowling season by finishing 2nd overall in the state tournament, the highest finish since alumni Giselle Pross finished the 2012-2013 season as an individual state champion. Apart from Kiana, the Wolves were dominated by senior leadership, meaning this season provided an opportunity for others to step up to carry on the tradition of success started long ago. Kiana's sister, junior Kassy Krahulik, has taken on the reigns of anchor bowler and is helping lead a younger but very talented squad, which is why she is this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Although Kassy was in her older sister's shadow, she also managed to carve out her own individual accolades the past two seasons. As an individual, Kassy was named an all-conference bowler and placed 51st overall at the state tournament last season, high enough to rank among the top 5 sophomores in the entire state. This year she is hopeful she, and Wolves can return to the state tournament, a feat that would put the Wolves at the state tournament for five seasons in a row.

Kassy and Kiana have always been close, and that relationship has helped Kassy blossom into the bowler she is today. "One of the things that can be said about Kassy having Kiana as her older sister and being able to witness first hand that Kiana has accomplished has only encouraged Kassy to set goals for herself," says Tanya Krahulik, Kassy's mom. She goes on to add, "Kassy is very confident and wants to succeed, and has the determination to want to be as good as or even better than Kiana."

Head coach Jeremy Hillman witnessed first-hand how Kiana was able to help Kassy reach her potential. "I think Kiana knew the buttons to push to get the most out of Kassy," says Jeremy. He goes on to add, "As sisters, they were able to talk bowling outside of the alleys more frequently than most."

Coach Hillman believes Kassy's background as talented softball pitcher gives her a mindset needed to anchor the team. "[Kassy's] athletic background is in softball as a pitcher, so she has been trained to bottle her emotions during a competition," says Hillman. He goes on to add, "As a coach, a player who has that mentality can help when things are not going how you hoped, though this is something we are looking for her to improve upon."

So far this season the young and talented Wolves squad has not been able to put together a long stretch of consistent play, which can be frustrating at times, but gives the Wolves plenty of hope that if they peak towards the end of the season and state tournament, they will no doubt be a force with which to be reckoned. "Kassy has moved from anchor to leadoff to help take some of the stress off, and see if she can get the team going," says Hillman. He continues by saying, "We are also lucky to have fellow junior Maile Harper to bowl anchor for us. These two are our only upper-class athletes. I am excited to see how the season finished up and really excited to see what the future has in store."

Kassy's success comes from her drive and determination to succeed. "One of the things that we are most proud of with Kassy is that she is very driven," says Tanya. She goes on to add, "[Kassy] knows what she wants and is determined to make it happen no matter what." Kassy credits her coaches as a big reason why she continues working to improve, saying, "Hillman is energetic, motivating, and serious when he needs to be. He's always there to pick you up and has high expectations for each individual."

As a student, Kassy uses that same determination to vault herself to the top end of her class. Kassy's 3.8 G.P.A. and enrollment in numerous rigorous courses put her in a position to have a lot of choices about where to attend college. As of now, she is favoring school somewhere in the south, as the weather and family are a big draw.

Although she is undecided about a future major, Kassy enjoys the math classes she has taken at Oswego East, particularly because of the teachers. Her current Pre-Calculus teacher, Adam Thurlwell, praises Kassy's approach to math and her work ethic, saying, "[Kassy] takes copious notes that are very copacetic. I see things highlighted, reviews completed twice as she'll print out extra notes, and notes to herself like, how do I find the inverse?" He goes on to add, "I'm very impressed with her approach and organizational skills. I feel she does all of this because she's driven and wants to achieve great academic success."

Although the Wolves have yet to hit their stride, history indicates the program will continue to see bowlers reach their highest potential. As a junior who has had the opportunity to learn from a sister who was older, Kassy passes this advice to future Wolves, saying, "Be confident in yourself, don't procrastinate, and have fun." When, not if the Wolves get the ball rolling and hit their stride, there is no doubt the confidence and enjoyment of success will help these young bowlers achieve the success they know their supporters and coaches can attain.