By John Ring
Published in The Burg January 13, 2022
The Galesburg Silver Streaks bowling team won the Western Big 6 Tournament last season on a memorable Saturday afternoon at Abbe Lanes.
It was a nice accomplishment for Coach Dave Sharp and his team and an even better one for the historic, venerable bowling alley in Abingdon. It’s the home away from home for the Silver Streaks and the Owners of Abbe have been gracious hosts. So Abbe was, in effect, Home of the Western Big 6 Champions.
This season, the Streaks are back with a different team that is similar in style but different as well. Sharps’ Streaks have probably the best bowler in the Big 6, a couple of savvy Veterans and two new kids on the block in a pair of freshmen who are getting better as the season goes on.
“The potential is certainly there,” said Sharp about his team of eight bowlers. You can start with
Chloe Day, a senior, who spearheaded the champions last year and recently bowled her first 300 game at a practice. It wasn’t at a Streaks game or even a Streaks practice but a 300 is a 300 is a 300. It’s special.
Right behind her are other bowlers with experience that include Ellee Shinn, who was a major contributor last season and is in 2021 too along with Allisa Schultz.
Two freshmen—Ashley Yoder and Iris Brechbuhler—are the intangibles. “Both come from
families that have bowled but this is really their first competitive season,” said Sharp. “So there are a lot of nerves involved and jitters which are understandable. Both of them will get past it.
We’re trying to transition them from the practice to the game stage. Their practice scores are very high; they just need to get it to the game level and that will come. It’s just a matter of time.”
“I call Ashley ‘Rookie’ and like Iris, they are very quiet kind of kids. I never knew either one of them or met them before this season. With Iris, we changed her stance, her approach, just about everything and she’s taken to it very well. Both of those freshmen are very coachable and are receptive to new ideas in terms of bowling.”
In Galesburg’s last match against Big 6 foe Sterling, the Streaks won by a score of 1984-1686.
Day had the high game of the series with 179 and Yoder bowled a 157 in her third game.
The season has been a busy one for the Silver Streaks and with the combination of covid and the bad weather, has provided a few curves in it but the Streaks are still doing very well.
“We’re getting better and better as a team and so are the freshmen,” said the Streaks coach.
“The potential is certainly there and we’re taking it one meet at a time. Our practices have been good but a little limited especially on Fridays because when we go for events on Saturday, we
sometimes have to leave very early in the morning.”