Sportsbeat: Kowalski?s bowling career will continue at a ranked college

by Peter Jakey–

Let me get this straight. Heather Kowalski, RCHS? 2007 athlete of the year, is going to bowl at the collegiate level and get a break on tuition. Sounds like a tremendous deal to me. One of Rogers City?s premier female bowlers of the last four years, with the assistance of her coach, Brian Bannasch, went on the Internet and found a college program that?s not that far from home. Maybe I should go on the Internet and find a college program that will give me a tuition break for watching ESPN?s SportsCenter. Why not? Heather is going to be pursuing a secondary education, while doing something she loves, why can?t I?

All kidding aside, Kowalski is going to be joining a University of Wisconsin at Whitewater team, which is ranked 12th in the country in Division III. Whitewater also has played in national tournaments a few times. White Water is located southeast of Madison and southwest of Milwaukee. It may seem far to some folks, especially with $3/ gallon gasoline, but it?s better than the alternative of New Jersey and Maryland, some of the other programs she was considering. Michigan does not have a collegiate bowling program. Heather will be traveling the eight-and-a-half-hours across the upper peninsula, and then south through Wisconsin, for registration next week.

KOWALSKI HAD an impressive career for the Huron bowling program. Her senior season did not go as well as well as her freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons, however. When Kowalski placed seventh as a junior, she bowled the best game of her career, rolling 10 consecutive strikes. Kowalski remembers her knees shaking at the line as she went for a 300 game. Her final score was a 287. This was at the Michigan High School Athletic Association state finals. Kowalski said one of the exciting aspects of the White Water program will be the travel. There will be some long bus trips to Montana and Alabama and places in between, but there will be some plane trips to New Jersey and Florida as well. There will be tournaments across the United States.

Practices start in October. And for everyone who believes it?s going to be all fun and games, she?ll have to get in the weight room and swim once a week. Beyond her workout program and studies, that?s where the fun

and games comes in. For that, I think she?s kind of fortunate. Kowalski will be pursuing a Para-legal certificate to some day work as an attorney?s assistant. She has a friend who has gone down a similar career path. ?I could not be prouder,? said her mother Cheryl Kowalski. Her father is Joe Kowalski.

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The race is on between Cleveland and Detroit. I believe these American League heavyweights will battle into the last week of the season. Interestingly enough, Cleveland has been impressive without their MVP candidate from the last couple of years, Travis Hafner, playing his best ball.

Both clubs have weak bullpens, so whichever general manager can find help at the trading deadline will probably get to the finish line first. As much as I am rooting for a turn around, I don?t think Todd Jones is going to be there at the end of the season. He?s more lucky than good these days. If guys are not hitting lasers at fielders, he is giving up lots of runs and ball games.