The Salem Community High School Bowling Team has repeated as State Champions.
The team came from a third-place standing following the first day of the two-day tournament to beat Harrisburg for the title on Saturday with a 206.7 per game average over Harrisburg’s 205.9 per game average.
The lone senior on the team, Dominick Winkler, finished with an average of 217 per game to finish 10th in state as an individual.
Salem High Coach Steve Ludwig says it was an exciting come-from-behind victory on the final day.
Ludwig says, “We were 160 out of the lead and we just grinded our way back in and took over the lead with a game to go. The boys played together as a team today, and we were very proud of them. We’re very fortunate, we’ve had a lot of talent, and it’s nice to win back-to-back; we’re one of two teams to ever win the State title back-to-back.”
Ludwig credited Winkler for his senior leadership and for taking the team onto his shoulders in leading the comeback.
Winkler says it was a great way to end his bowling career at SCHS.
Winkler says, “It was a roller coaster today; there were a lot of ups and downs, a lot of games we probably wish we could have got back, but we fought, kept our heads up, everybody kept each other up, great teamwork. It’s one of the highlights of our team, for sure. Personally, it’s always stressful, but it was really good to just be a little bit quieter, take it one shot at a time. You can’t take those shots back, so you just gotta take what you get and make the best of it.”
Winkler finished with a total of 2,604 points. He plans to go to the University of St. Francis on a music scholarship and hopes to bowl for them as well.
Junior Ryan Detering was the team’s number two bowler finishing with 2,490 points, Junior Silas Moats was third with 2,481, Junior Keaton Gullion was fourth with 2,453 points and Rhett Detering finished fifth with 2,374 points.
Superintendent Dr. Brad Detering commended Coach Ludwig for the ongoing success of the program.
Detering says, “First of all, it’s not hard to believe because Steve Ludwig is perhaps the best bowling coach in the state of Illinois. With the time and commitment he puts into the kids, the kids are naturally attracted to him and they come and they commit. When kids do things like that, they are able to accomplish great things. That’s just another example of how they were able to do it today. We’re so proud of the back-to-back state championships for the bowlers of Salem High School.”
The bowling program that started in 2003 has now won three state championships, one second place, and two third places.
A total of five Southern Illinois teams finished in the top 12. Joining Salem and Harrisburg were O’Fallon with a 6th place finish, Herrin in 8th place, and Carterville in 12th place.
