Emily Gaines
By the Numbers
203: Current high school average
289: High game
759: High series
Season Highlights
Holiday Tournament All-Tournament Team
Kick-Off Tournament All-Tournament Team
CENTERVILLE — No way — no how — Emily Gaines was not going to join a parent/child bowling league with her dad and younger sister.
“My sister really wanted to, but I was being stubborn,” Gaines said. “I was thinking it was a geeky sport and I was dreading it.
“But I absolutely fell in love with bowling. I appreciate now that my dad convinced me to do it and, I guess, I owe my sister. Yeah, I definitely owe her.”
Flash forward seven years and Gaines, now 18, is carrying the highest average on the undefeated, 7-0, Centerville Elks girls bowling team with a 203. She is third in the Greater Western Ohio Conference behind Troy bowlers Alicia Simpson and Michelle Spencer.
“She is a very aggressive bowler and throws a great ball,” Centerville bowling coach Greg Coulles said.
The right sport
Gaines, however, didn’t always throw a great ball. She didn’t even throw it the right way.
“She was a pitcher, playing fast pitch softball, and the way pitchers release the ball caused her to throw a back-up ball when she was bowling,” Emily’s dad, Jim Gaines, said. “It took her more than a year to get her to stop throwing that way.”
As the only senior on the Elks girls’ squad, Gaines has embraced the leadership role she inherited after four seniors graduated last year.
“Centerville has always had talented and athletic teams but, with girls, there’s always a certain amount of drama and because of Emily’s experience, we have been pretty much drama free,” Coulles said.
Gaines, however, is quick to share the credit for her team’s camaraderie with her fellow bowlers.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to bowl with my senior season,” she said. “It has really been fun, and that hasn’t always been the case over the years. We are like sisters, a big family, and we really love being with each other.”
While the Elks have had success during all four of Gaines’ varsity seasons, winning state once and finishing second and third, respectively, the past two years, this has been, by far, the most fun season for the lone senior bowler.
“The past few years have been stressful and I haven’t done very well,” she said. “For me, having fun, leads to bowling well.”
Move it on over
Gaines isn’t alone as three of the Elks are ranked on the GWOC top-10 leader board, with the senior in third place and sophomore Allison Mannix (191.3) and junior Nicole Mosesso (190.5) ranked seventh and ninth. Ashley Bowman is not far behind as the junior is 11th with a 187.8 average.
“We hang out together, laugh and have a good time and that helps us as a team,” Gaines said. “We are confident bowlers individually and that makes for a stronger team.”
Jim Gaines has watched with pride as his daughter’s confidence has grown over the years. A bowler, himself, he can even pinpoint the time frame when Emily surpassed him on the lanes.
“She was 16 when she started beating me,” he said with a smile. “I haven’t come close to her high game or high series.”
Contact this writer with story ideas at djunie@aol.com.
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