Unified Bowling competitors ready for sport’s second sanctioned season in Colorado
Last school year, the first ever CHSAA-sanctioned unified bowling state championships was an historic event that set the stage for the sport’s future at the high school level in Colorado.
The Pueblo East Eagles scored a total of 431 pins at AMF Belleview Lanes to hold off district rival Pueblo Central and claim Colorado’s inaugural team title. Regardless of which team went home with a trophy in hand, the crowning of a unified bowling champ was a pivotal moment for unified bowling in Colorado.
“We were really excited to win and the whole team was happy,” Pueblo East’s Kyle Meyer said. “We are excited for this season and we’re hoping that it will be kind of the same.”
With interest growing and each competitor entering the 2021 season more experienced than before, Pueblo East head coach Chuck Blagg said he expects each season following the last to be increasingly competitive. If the Eagles are to defend their team title back at AMF Belleview Lanes in November, Blagg believes the reigning champs have their work cut out for them.
“In just our area, (Pueblo) Central and (Pueblo) South, they’re all pretty good,” Blagg said. “It should be pretty competitive. It’s going to be fun because we all cheer for each other even though we’re playing against each other. It’s pretty competitive, but it’s also really encouraging at the same time. It’s great.
“When you go to watch them compete, you get a pretty big group down there and it’s an exciting atmosphere, and we’re looking forward to this year’s state tournament.”
Competition and community are the themes when it comes to unified bowling, and those principles will continue to be emphasized as more schools continue to adopt unified bowling programs.
“We are so ecstatic about unified bowling being underway in its second CHSAA-sanctioned season,” CHSAA assistant commissioner Jenn Roberts-Uhlig said. “It was such an amazing experience and opportunity for our students last year and it’s even more exciting to have additional programs participating this year.”
