Dimly lit bowling alleys are where junior Kayla Mitter spends her time playing the sport she loves. Aside from the soft cheers of teammates and parents, the alley usually is quiet without the noise of screaming fans, something Mitter said the team is accustomed to.

“We had one match last year where the [Spartan] Spirit Squad came out, and it was really weird because they were on their ladders screaming at us, and we’re like, ‘What is happening?’” Mitter said.

Mitter said she joined the bowling team her freshman year while looking for a winter sport to participate in. She was persuaded by a former bowling team member who was a senior at the time, and she quickly developed a love for the game.

“[When I first started bowling], I thought it was pretty easy-going,” said Mitter. “So I was like, ‘This is a chill sport. I like it.’”

Mitter said despite being nervous her first time bowling, she realized that she had a natural ability. Her ability allowed her to move up to varsity after only two weeks of playing on the JV team her freshman year. Since then, she has improved over the past two years to become the top bowler on the team.

“I’ve been told that I’ve improved a lot and that nobody thought that a girl on a [Glenbrook North] team could bowl this well,” said Mitter. “I started with a first score of, like, 102, and now my personal best is 235.”

This year, Mitter has been the top individual bowler in two competitions, already topping her mark from the year before. She has a 10 frame average score of 165, and the team has an overall record of 0-2 in meets as of Dec. 6.

Mitter said she still is not satisfied with her score, and her goal by the end of senior year is to bowl a 300, a perfect game.

Matt Izenstark, girls bowling head coach, said Mitter’s work ethic and leadership set her apart from other bowlers.

“If other bowlers were to watch her practice, the effort and time she puts in, that would be something for them to kind of strive for,” Izenstark said.

Junior Sydney Krug said because there are no seniors on the team, Mitter’s teammates look up to her as a leader.

If someone ever needs a tip on how to improve their score or change their form, Mitter knows the “little things” that are able to help make her teammates better, Krug said.

Mitter said aside from competing, being with her teammates is another reason she continues to play. Some of her favorite memories from the bowling team are times spent with her teammates.

“My sophomore year we had this tournament at this huge bowling alley,” said Mitter. “ … I don’t know what happened, but it was so early in the morning and my team was just on, like, a sugar high or something because we had donuts and coffee. Then, the whole day, we were screaming and making jokes, and all the other teams hated us because we were so happy, but that was probably one of my favorite tournaments.”

Mitter said that in the end, her reason for bowling is about more than just being with her friends.

“It’s fun, and I’m really good at it,” Mitter said.