The season came to a close last weekend for the boy’s bowling team, but the loss in the IHSA Sectionals did not sour the great memories created during the vastly successful season.

When asked to summarize the year, team leader Mario Gelfuso said, “Great job! Do it again.” This phrase was the team’s motto. For the boys, these wise words first uttered by their coach, Jordan Zimberoff, recognized their past accomplishments while pushing them to do even more.

The season got off on the right foot at the kickoff tournament hosted by Sycamore High School. Junior Jordan Soto astonished the crowd, bowling a 1154 series in his first ever meet in a Viking uniform. Soto ended up placing 11th overall.

This strong performance set the team up great for the beginning of their conference schedule. Strong performances from Gelfuso and fellow senior John Zupke carried the Vikings to early triumphs over Streamwood, Elgin, and Larkin.

The stakes grew higher as the team headed into their Thanksgiving weekend tournament. This competition was their biggest of the year, composed of 48 teams, including many of the state’s best. The Vikings registered their highest-ever team finish at this event, breaking into the gold tier after the morning (the gold tier is composed of the top 14 teams after their first 3 games). The boys then continued their hot streak into the afternoon, passing another team on their way to a 13th place finish. Coach Zimberoff was proud of this performance, telling the team afterwards that he could not be happier with the result.

Buoyed by their success in over Thanksgiving break, the Vikings were confident heading into their Christmas tournament, which was held at their home bowling alley. Despite many unlucky breaks, the team battled back to finish 7th. The highlight of the day was provided by senior Max Spencer, who bowled a 279 in his first game.

The conference schedule turned difficult in the new year, with the Vikings losing bouts with St. Charles East and St. Charles North. Despite these tough results, the team members kept their heads, and perhaps delivered their best performance of the year in their last home meet of the season. It may have been Senior Night, but junior Ben Hertel stole much of the attention by rolling a 225 to wrap up his 576 series on the day, his first varsity meet. This may not have been the team’s highest series, but Hertel performed well above expectations and may have been the difference that night.

With their regular season complete, the next step on the road was the IHSA Regional competition. 3 Vikings fought through a deep field of competitors to qualify for the next round. Seniors Mario Gelfuso and John Zupke along with junior Jordan Soto celebrated their success out on the lanes, taking pictures in front of the team flag.

The IHSA Sectional may have been the end of the road for the three remaining bowlers, but each top performer put up great scores. Zupke and Gelfuso both finished with series of over 1200, while Soto was just below that threshold. The boys shook off this tough defeat and are now looking forward to the team’s end-of-the-year banquet next week.

The memories from this year’s bowling season will last a lifetime for each team member.