Boone Grove's Kraushaar ultimate team bowler

Updated: March 24, 2011 2:10PM

Despite only being a sophomore, Boone Grove's Paige Kraushaar has competed in quite a few individual bowling tournaments and done very well.

But if you ask her which tourney was the most memorable, she won't hesitate in giving her answer, and it wasn't an individual event.

"It was more important to make it as a team than in singles," she said, referring to the Indiana High School Bowling state team tourney in which her Wolves advanced to their first state finals this season. "We made school history. It was at least three times a bigger deal."

Who knows how she came up with that three-fold compilation, but it illustrates her fondness of team bowling.

And the 2011 Post-Tribune Girls Bowler of the Year showed it during the last game of qualifying in the Portage Regional at Camelot Bowl.

Boone Grove was on the outside of the top four advancing spots headed into the game, and as anchor, Kraushaar needed to step up big time.

She struck on the first ball of the 10th frame.

She struck on the second ball.

She struck on the third ball.

And the Wolves advanced to their first semistate, and eventually the state finals.

She made it look easy.

Far from it.

"Those were the three best shots of my life ... and the most nerve-racking shots of my life," she said.

Her bowling ability overshadowed her nervousness, which is among several aspects of her game her coach - and dad - can't help but be impressed with.

"As a parent, it's been great watching her develop as a bowler - I can't describe how proud I am of her," said Boone coach Mike Kraushaar. "As a coach, I'm glad she's on my team for two more years.

"Her physical game is strong, but what sets her apart is her mental game. Not many things bother her while she's on the lanes."

Her constant willingness to improve also sets her apart from other bowlers in the region. It led to impressive stats during the season - 205 average (third-high in the area) with a high series of 443. Yes, that's not typo. She was the model of consistency with 15 of her 23 games over 200 and a low two-game series of 376.

She also showed humility by deflecting credit for the team's success.

"It wasn't an all-me thing," she said. "There were times I bowled bad, like in sectionals, and they held me up."

That attitude epitomized the chemistry of the Wolves this season.

"As the reality of being a competitive team became clear, all the girls really embraced the concept of team first," Mike Kraushaar said. "They were able to push each other and help each other because they all wanted the same result - team success."

Of course, the mark of a true standout leader such as Paige is to make her teammates better. In Boone Grove's case this season, the teammates reciprocated and made her better too.

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