Students participate every Tuesday night in league tourneys

*Factoid:Not interested in joining a league? Bowling and Billiards offers other special events, such as Food Night on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. where $7 gets unlimited bowling and a meal or Cosmic Bowling on Thursday from 8 p.m.-11 p.m.

*Factoid2:For the more serious bowlers, the SIUC Bowling Team will be holding try-outs Saturday at the Student Center at 9 a.m. There will be a $25 fee to try out for the team. Questions? Contact Mike Rivers at 773-354-3261.

With the flick of a series of switches, the bowling lanes in the Student Center lit up Tuesday night. The familiar smack of the bowling ball hitting the pins followed.

It’s official:The 13-week student bowling league tournament had begun.

Bowling has grown in popularity during the last three years among the SIUC student population, said Kathy Dillard, coordinator of marketing for the Student Center.

“We personally see it as retro,” said Dillard, “Everything old is new again.”

In fact, the Student Center hosts a weekly student bowling league for up to 16 teams. The popular venue also hosts a faculty and a mixed student bowling league, as well as various other special events, such as Food Night and Cosmic Bowling.

The leagues are a combination of serious bowlers and students who just come out for the entertainment value.

Erik Peters, a junior from Western Springs studying aviation, attended his first bowling league night Tuesday.

“I got a 78 last time,” Peters said. “I told them I was really good, but I’m not.”

None of Peters’ team, the “Detriot Grand Pubahs,” considers themselves serious bowlers, but they decided to join the league for fun.

As for their prediction on how they will do this semester:”If not first, then definitely second,” said Rob Molloy, a junior from McHenry studying aviation. “Oh wait, at bowling? Probably dead last.”

On the other hand, the “Tres Blancos y un Chino” team members are aiming a bit higher.

“We’ve got high hopes,” said David Tran, a junior from Peoria studying electrical engineering.

“Tres” team member Joe Madej is also on the SIUC Bowling Team and said he is using the league as practice and an opportunity to spend time with friends.

“Within a few years, I actually do plan on going pro,” said Madej, a senior from Downers Grove studying business management.

Even as Madej waits for his turn to bowl, he scans the crowd for potential recruits for the SIUC Bowling team – which is holding tryouts this weekend. During the team’s three-year history at the University, it has placed well in many tournaments.

“She throws a good ball,” he mumbled under his breath. “Don’t mind me, I’m picking up people for the team right now.”

About six of the current members of the team play in the league, including Durante Stokes.

Stokes, a senior from Chicago studying marketing, is famous among local bowling circles for bowling a 300 – a perfect game – last semester and then finishing with a score of 811 for the three-game series.

Paul Deering, assistant manager of Bowling & Billiards, said that was probably the best score the bowling center has seen since the 1970s.

Despite his high skill level, the modest Stokes said he bowls for the fun and competition but doesn’t plan on going professional.

“It’s cool, it’s just something to get away from school,” Stokes said, a sophomore from Jacksonville studying fashion design.

This year is the second time that sophomore April Edwards has participated in the league. Edwards, who is studying fashion design, said the sport is primarily male-dominated, but part of the fun is beating the men.

Deering said this semester’s student league has 12 teams, which is lower than recent years past, but he expects it to pick up quickly.

Through league play began Tuesday, there are four more lanes open, so they can fit four more teams if there is student interest, Deering said.

Reporter Laura Teegarden can be reached at [email protected]