It’s that time of year again. It’s time for the winter sports to come around. These sports are: wrestling, boys and girls basketball and girls and boys bowling. It’s time for the kids that worked hard in the off-season on these sports to shine in what they do best.

Wrestling and basketball are both a bigger sports than bowling, bowling doesn’t get much attention. But why? Why does bowling not get the attention and glam like the bigger sports? In the past two years bowling has blown up from where it used to be. This year the girls welcome a new head coach to the team, coach Kevin Wisniewski, replacing former head coach Amanda Dvorak of seven years. Wisniewski is also an assistant coach for the North High Football team. Both the girls and boys bowling teams will be almost all a senior team including seniors Eli Repp and Cameron Hansen. Hansen who has been bowling since he was little, taught Repp how to bowl just under two years ago. “I remember when I first got into bowling, I got my first bowling ball and shoes and a bag. I joined my first league and averaged around 80 pins a game, since then I have grown and now I average almost 200 pins a game. I’ve came a long ways in that short period and plan to keep getting better” said Repp. “Between last season with North and this upcoming season, as we call it the ‘off-season’, I’ve bowled in three leagues and practiced almost two games every day, and I think that’s part of the reason why I’ve gotten so much better” Repp stated.

Cameron Hansen who participates in almost every sport he can, including bowling, football, track and field and baseball. Hansen has been bowling for the Polar Bears for all four years of his high school career, but two years, Hansen’s sophomore year, was his biggest of his career so far. Hansen was the first boys bowler from North to make it to state in ___ years. Hansen went into the districts meet, bowled a 288 and a 235 to be the only boy from North to qualify for the state tournament. Hansen is now a senior bowler for North with one goal, to make it back to state. “I push myself to be great, not just for me but for my team and my coaches” said Hansen. “It felt great to make it to state but it was kind of weird knowing I am one of the few boys to ever make it to state for the boys bowling team” Hansen stated.

Wrestling is also welcoming a new head coach to the team, coach Cody Swim. Along side longtime coach Gregory Holland. Holland has been coaching wrestling at North since 1984. As usual North will combine with Hoover High School for the 2016 season. Seniors Josh Rattray and Chase Williams have been wrestling for North for all four of their high school careers, but both have been wrestling for nine years total in their life and plan to go out with a bang for their senior year. “My goal for this year is to win and to place for state” said Rattray.  Both wrestlers have been working their butts off during this off-season to get stronger, faster and better. Rattray said after his high school career he plans to wrestle for Grandview College. Junior Shadrach Zarwie has been wrestling for two and a half years but during the pre-season nationals he placed third in the state.

The boys basketball team is coached by head coach Chad Ryan. Ryan has been the head coach for North for nine years. During the 2014 season coach Ryan and his boys had a 20-3 season making it all the way to sub state but stopped short of the state championship. Seniors Ben Hayes and Keon Lowe have been playing for North all four years and getting better every year.  Lowe said “who inspires me the most, probably myself, my teammates and my coaches. I want to push myself to my full potential and be the best that I can for my team.” Hayes said “I have been playing since he was in third grade when his parents got him into basketball when they put up a sick hoop in his backyard.” Both Lowe and Hayes have one goal for their senior year and that is to win the metro and to win the state championship. “That would be pretty amazing” said Lowe.