Women’s bowling team readies for substate on Monday

One pin.

That’s all it takes for an entire bowling season to fall apart.

One year after their state streak came to an unexpected end during the 2024–2025 season, the women’s varsity bowling team is back — and they are chasing a comeback fueled by resilience, growth and a whole lot of unfinished business.

After qualifying for State year after year, the Tigers fell short at last season’s state qualifying meet. The loss ended a run that had become almost expected and forced the team into an offseason defined by reflection, rebuilding and motivation.

To some people, bowling looks simple.

Roll the ball. Knock down the pins. Repeat.

In reality, competitive bowling is anything but simple.

Bowling head coach Scott Holman said meets are often quiet and tense, with games decided by the smallest mistakes.

At the annual All Metro Meet against East High, West High and Columbus High, Holman reminded his team of what truly matters.

“None of this matters other than boosting your pride,” Holman said. “None of your scores in the past or future meets matter. It’s all practice for the state qualifying meet next week. All we need is to bowl 2,600 as a team.”

At Substate — the official women’s state qualifying meet — one missed spare can change the momentum, and one bad frame can decide an entire season.

High school bowling is scored by total pins, not wins and losses. Every athlete’s score contributes to the team total, meaning consistency matters more than power. One open frame can outweigh multiple strikes.

When the postseason arrives, there are no second chances.

No reset button.

The challenge entering this season went way past last year’s disappointment.

The team graduated several seniors, including standout bowler Maggie Goodwin, a huge contributor to the varsity lineup. Her graduation left the team short a varsity spot and forced a rebuilding process for a program used to stability.

New athletes were asked to step into roles left behind by graduating seniors — a change that brought opportunity, pressure and a big and fast learning curve.

During a meet against East High, East’s women’s varsity head coach Travis Hoyning recognized that growth firsthand.

“You have grown so much as a bowler since your sophomore year when I saw you last,” Hoyning told one Cedar Falls athlete. “I can see why you are throwing anchor.”

For many bowlers, the jump to varsity meant adapting quickly to tougher competition, higher expectations and the reality that the team now relied on them too.

When the 2025–2026 season began, practices took on a sharper focus. They were mainly focused on spare shooting, communication and controlling emotions on the lanes — because in bowling, mindset can matter just as much as the physical part.

Seniors like Lila Williams and Jenna Waltz are often heard repeating the same phrase:

“A good attitude equals a good outcome.”

As the season continued, confidence grew alongside consistency, with the team knowing postseason success would depend on every bowler contributing when it mattered the most.

With the state qualifying tournament approaching, each meet has carried more and more importance — not just for scores, but also for mental preparation.

At the All Metro Meet this week, Cedar Falls women’s varsity placed second, finishing just behind Waterloo West High School. Several seniors also earned individual placements, including Jenna Waltz, Lila Williams and Kaitlyn Eckhoff.

At Divisionals, the Tigers faced Dubuque Hempstead, Dubuque Senior, Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Cedar Rapids Prairie and Waterloo West, finishing second with a team score of 2,570 —  30 pins lower than the 2,600 goal set by Holman and the team.

Still, every frame has been prepared for what matters most.

At Substate this Monday, Cedar Falls hopes to bowl between 2,600 and 2,700 pins in pursuit of a return to the state tournament.

For a team that has always been built based off of tradition, consistency and the sound of pins crashing, the road back hasn’t been easy, but this season was never about rewriting last year — it was about proving it didn’t stop them.

And when the balls start rolling at Substate, one thing is for sure: Cedar Falls isn’t chasing the past anymore. They’re chasing State.