WXXV Student Athlete of the Week: Long Beach Bowling’s Lilly Sprinkle
You’ve probably heard of a closing pitcher coming in to seal the deal on a baseball win, but have you ever heard of an anchor in bowling?
That’s the job of this week’s WXXV Student Athlete of the Week, Lilly Sprinkle.
The game of bowling is typically thought of as just another hobby or a casual competitive activity among family and friends, but for Long Beach junior Lilly Sprinkle, it’s continuing a family legacy. “It all kind of started with my dad. He used to bowl when he was younger and then he introduced it to me and he saw ‘oh she’s kind of good at that.’ He taught me everything I know. He’s the reason I am where I am now and I appreciate him so much because without him, I definitely probably wouldn’t be doing this and he’s the reason I’m so good.”
Bowling truly builds team chemistry because you have to rely on each team member to perform to the best of their ability. Each participant’s frame goes into the over-all scoring of the game and that’s Sprinkle’s favorite part of the sport. “My favorite thing about the sport is probably the people and just the sport itself. I mean, I always end up making new friends and I get to spend it with my favorite people, which is my team.”
Sprinkle is the anchor on the Bearcat girls bowling team, which means she’s known for having the highest bowling average and the best performance under pressure.
This past week, Sprinkle led Long Beach to a state championship win with an overall score of 528 points. “Winning state, it means so much to me. It is honestly the best feeling. Being with my team, we’re like a big family, so being with them and being able to win with them was just amazing, and I’m glad I could, you know, have that moment.”
With the Lady Bearcats winning back-to-back state championship titles, Sprinkle gets to add another ring to her collection. “I’m really excited about the ring. I’m just as excited as I was last year when we got them. It’s awesome having something to remind you of all the hard work you’ve put in, and it’s really exciting.”
Lily hopes to earn a scholarship and continue her bowling career in college.
