Zaleski sizzles in bowling
By Tom Vartabedian
Staff Writer
Caitlin Zaleski is cooking at Pilgrim Lanes.
She makes pins disappear with the toss of
one ball and her performance is impressive enough to earn her the All-Events title at the Youth Candlepin Championships in
Portsmouth, NH.
Her win gave the Pilgrim Lanes prestige
of its own after Mike Carrington took the boys' All-Events crown.
"I've been around bowling a long time
and never heard of two All-Events championships taken by the same alley," said coach Bart Maderios. "It's truly unique among
youths. Caitlin has a fine future ahead of her if she stays with it."
With Carrington rolling a 127.5 average
over 13 strings- all but one over 100- Zaleski did her part in the girls' division by finishing with a 115 average overall
including single strings of 132 and 127 and high triple of 345. The 115 was 25 pins higher than her normal average.
"Everything fell together," said Zaleski,
a 15-year old sophomore majoring in culinary arts at Whittier Vo-Tech. "It was anybody's victory right to the end."
The title didn't come easy for the Haverhill
resident. With 90 of the best girls entered throughout New England, Zaleski didn't figure she'd come out a winner with
her 90 average.
At the end, when all the scoring was complete,
the prize became hers by a single pin. Along with it came a $500 scholarship to further her education after Whittier.
As a top-flite bowler in the Pilgrim Teenage
League, Zaleski encourages others to follow her example. She's at the lanes three times a week in different leagues,
two of which are adult leagues. One teammate is her mother, Jean, who has all she can do to keep pace.
"The girl I taught how to bowl is now the
one who beats me regularly," said her mother. "The sport has brought out the best in competitive spirit, friends and
sportsmanship. Seeing bowlers like Mike Carrington inspires her."
Zaleski started bowling four years ago as
a student at the Nettle School. She showed up at Pilgrim one Saturday, saw the other kids having a good time, and joined
the fun. Back then, she didn't realize her potential, much less an All-Events crown in a major tournament. A year
ago, she won a state doubles title.
Come March 17, she'll be in Canada for the
Atlantic Coast Tournament with a team of 90 Pilgrim aspirants. In previous years, the local keglers returned home with
the lion's share of awards and numerous titles. Zaleski will be considered a favorite, based upon her last showing.
"She's totally unsung and one of the more
excitable girls you're apt to meet," said Maderios. "Because of her shy attitude, I never expected her to come this
far. We worked with her to become more aggressive."
The best of both worlds serves as an incentive
for Zaleski. She'd like to open a restaraunt in Haverhill some day and also join the Ladies Professional Tour.
"That'll take a lot of dedication and hard work," Zaleski said.
Published on Friday, December 17, 2004
Haverhill Gazette, Haverhill,
MA.
Reprinted with permission.
