Belleville East bowling coach Gene Barrett likes his team's talent, but just as important, he likes its chemistry.
"When Breanna Fowler had her 300 game (Dec. 7 against Collinsville at Bel-Air Bowl), the boys stopped bowling to come down and cheer her on," Barrett said. "That's something that wouldn't be done in the past.
"Something like that helps the younger kids come along. Our (girls) team captain, Kayleigh Marks, sets the tone with her sportsmanship and camaraderie. It brings the team together."
The Lancer girls placed second at the Mascoutah Sectional last season, but placed 19th among 24 teams on the first day of the state tournament and didn't make the 12-team cutoff for the second day. Jessica Kowalski, who led East with a 189 average, is back as a junior and is averaging a team-high 212. Fowler, who has the second-highest average, also had a 712 series against Collinsville. She is joined by fellow seniors Marks, Courtney Brown and Rachel Warhover.
Rounding out the roster is sophomore Sharon Ferri.
The girls, who were 5-1 in dual matches through last week, placed sixth at the Kahok Girls Challenge, Nov. 27 at Camelot Bowl in Collinsville.
"Our first goal is to get out of the sectional, but the ultimate goal is to move on to the second day at state," Barrett said. "The girls feel they can make it to the top five."
East's boys, meanwhile, didn't make it out of the O'Fallon Sectional, finishing 18 pins behind second-place O'Fallon. The Lancers lost four bowlers to graduation, but Jonathon Reinheimer returns as a sophomore after placing 27th individually. This year, he's averaging 225, including a 300 game at the Kahok Invitational on Nov. 13. Jared Symonds is the team's lone senior.
"We have a strong crop of freshmen - five altogether on the varsity and JV levels - so that gives us something to build with the next couple years," Barrett said.
Freshman Thomas Peters is the No. 2 bowler on the team. Other members of the varsity squad are juniors Mike Kawa, Brendon Schembra and Jordon Hendricks and freshman Sean Hoyt.
East had a 3-2 dual match record through last week, with a pair of close losses to Belleville West and Granite City. The Lancers finished sixth at the Kahok Invitational and fourth at the Bulldog Invitational, which was Dec. 4 at Harrisburg.
"The boys have a strong desire to get to state, especially after just missing out on it last year," Barrett said. "Like the girls, they're very receptive to what we're teaching them."
East was scheduled to bowl against O'Fallon on Tuesday at St. Clair Bowl. The Lancers play host to Alton on Thursday at Bel-Air Bowl.
