WDHS Bowling Preview: Brown Looks for Continued Success

With the football team still competing, it may come as a surprise to some, but the winter athletic season officially kicks off today as the boys' and girls' bowling teams take to the lanes against Cherry Hill East.

The Eagles compete out of the Olympic National, with each program filling out a varsity and JV roster. The teams have a combined 24 bowlers this season, a higher number than usual, giving head coach Aaron Burr plenty of depth to work with.

The girls’ team is anchored by standout Morgan Brown, who rolled her way to states last season, garnering a First-Team All-Olympic National selection on the road to qualifying. Now in her junior season, Brown has looked better than ever during the preseason, according to Burr.

“She’s been averaging 215 a game during tryouts,” Burr said. “She’s bowling really well right now."

Brown emerged as one of the area’s top bowlers last season and is hoping to be even better this season. She believes becoming one of the top bowlers in the state can become a reality.

“I feel Morgan is set to have an incredible year,” said Burr. “She has set some lofty goals for herself that would be unattainable for most bowlers, but I think she has the talent to fulfill them.”

Meanwhile, the boys’ team has a host of new faces Burr hopes will lead the team to a winning season. Only seniors Ryan Bilger and Bruce Means return from last year’s varsity squad, but Burr has four newcomers he believes can succeed at the varsity level.

“The talent that came out this year, I don’t know where they have been, but there is a great pool,” Burr said. “The new talent will be something to build on, if not for this year, then certainly in the future.”

Below, is a glance at the Eagles' teams for the 2011/12 season.

Boys' bowlers

Coach: Aaron Burr.

Last year: Fourth in Olympic National.

Returning letter winners: Ryan Bilger (sr.), Bruce Means (sr.).

Promising newcomers: Matt Novak (fr.), Jimmy Albert (jr.), Chris Barron (so.), Nick Grassi (jr.).

Outlook: Burr expects the team to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish.  The newcomers bring a lot of energy and dedication, which he is hopeful will translate into a winning season.

Girls' bowlers

Coach: Aaron Burr.

Last year: Second in Olympic National.

Returning letter winners: Morgan Brown (jr.); Stephanie Fanelli (sr.), JaeLynne King (sr.)

Promising newcomers: Sarah Brown (sr.), Liz Pass (so.), Maddie Miller (fr.)

Outlook: With three returning letter winners and the presence of a strong anchor bowler, the Eagles should be in for another successful season. Burr is hopeful that the newcomers can fill in and improve throughout the season.