Fairbanks High School bowling captains Hunter Johnson, left, and Trevin Rausch practice at Marysville Lanes. The 2017-18 season will mark the Panthers’ debut as a varsity sport at the school.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
––––
The sport of bowling is not new at Fairbanks High School.
What is different as the 2017-18 season enters its initial stages, is the status that is being afforded the school’s boys and girls teams.
For the past three years, bowling was viewed as a club sport at FHS.
This winter, Panther bowlers will now be considered varsity athletes.
“The process was that we had to be a club sport for three years,” said Hunter Johnson, who is the captain of the Lady Panther team. “The board of education then approved us as a varsity sport.”
The program not only has new standing within the community, it also has a new coach.
Jeff Ungerer, who has been a chemistry teacher at Fairbanks High School since 2006, takes over the program that had been coached the past three years by Alison Boggs and Connie Nicol.
“By being a varsity sport, we are receiving the full support of the school district,” he said.
“And,” joked Ungerer, “as a varsity sport, we are getting the full faith and commitment from Larry Morris (FHS’ athletic director). We get the full power of Larry Morris behind us.”
“Now that we are a varsity sport, more people are talking about Fairbanks bowling,” said Johnson, a senior who has been a member of the team for the past three years. “When we were a club sport, I don’t think too many people took us seriously. Maybe now some people will come and watch us bowl.”
As a varsity sport, travel to away matches will be much easier.
“We didn’t have any busing to those matches when we were a club team,” said Johnson. “We had to drive ourselves everywhere by car-pooling. We will now have district transportation to those away matches (as a recognized varsity team).”
Ungerer has no previous coaching experience, but said Morris approached him several months ago about taking on the duties.
“Bowling was a part of my physical education curriculum when I was a student at Wooster-Triway High School,” he said. “I’m not a regular bowler, but that’s when I learned how to bowl.
“I think I was Larry’s last resort,” laughed Ungerer. “That’s OK…. I’ve been the last resort in other people’s lives before, so I’m used to it.”
Ungerer said he talked Morris’ offer over with his wife Jamie (who is a nurse within the Marysville school system) and his son, Madden, who considers himself a Panther assistant coach.
“They said they didn’t care if I coached,” he said. “They only told me that I better be good at it.”
Morris said he wanted to hire a coach who was already in the high school and who could relate to Panther students.
“Jeff has had success with other extra-curricular activities in our building as the advisor for the science and ski clubs,” said Morris. “We wanted someone who could market the program and generate interest to both boys and girls.
“Jeff will pick up the technical aspects of bowling as he goes along,” said Morris. “We also feel he will generate a good relationship with Marysville Lanes (the team’s home base) and the other coaches in the area.”
While Ungerer likes to joke, he is serious about the Panthers’ goals for the season.
“We want to win both the boys and girls championships of the Ohio Heritage Conference,” he said. “However, we also want to have fun.”
Winning conference championships in their first season as a varsity sport may depend on how quickly some lesser-experienced bowlers pick up on the game.
“A lot of kids came in here not knowing how to bowl,” said Johnson. “I try to help them as much as I can.”
Both Johnson and Ungerer feel the sport will continue to grow at Fairbanks.
“As more people get into it, I feel it will,” said Johnson.
“There seems to be a lot of buzz about bowling at Fairbanks right now,” said the coach.
Ungerer, who previously taught at Columbus Bishop Ready High School, said he is making a full commitment to Panther bowling.
“I love the kids at Fairbanks and this is my home,” he said. “The opportunity to build a varsity sport from the ground up is very exciting to me.”