By: James McKeever
Meghan Nagle, a junior for the South Brunswick High School girls bowling team, is knocking down 20 more pins per game this season compared to last year.
Several factors can be attributed to the increase, but perhaps the most important is the fact that Meghan is now a teammate of someone very close to her: younger sister Allison.
Allison is a freshman on the team. Meghan is a full-fledged varsity member after seeing action in five matches last year when she moved up from the junior varsity team as a fill-in. Together, the Nagle sisters say they bring out the best in each other.
"I’m definitely doing better than last year because I’m bowling with my sister," Meghan said. "My sister bowls amazingly well, much better than I do, and I feel like I feed off of her energy. She makes me try harder."
"We’re very competitive but it makes us bowl better," Allison said.
Meghan recorded a 135 average during the 2003-04 high school season. This year she’s up to 155, with a 212 high game and a 528 high series. Allison is carrying a 165 average, with highs of 219 and 562.
"Meghan has improved a lot and Allison has handled the transition to varsity very well," said Vikings coach Tara Burniston. "There are a lot of reasons for Meghan’s improvement. She’s a little stronger and she has confidence because of the varsity experience she gained last year. But having Allison here has really helped her. And Meghan is a role model for Allison as well.
"They used to joke around that they shouldn’t be on same lane together because they’re so competitive. But that competition has motivated them to do better. They’ve both been very consistent."
While the Nagle sisters love bowling, the sport does not consume their free time year-round. Both girls participate with South Brunswick’s marching band in the fall. Meghan is a color guard member while Allison plays the clarinet. In the spring, Meghan competes in track and field as a shot put, discus and javelin thrower and Allison will try out for the softball team, hoping to play third base.
In what was billed as a rebuilding season for the Vikings, Burniston’s bowlers have held their own and have a 5-5-2 record.
South Brunswick’s girls and boys bowling teams have been idle since Dec. 21 due to the holiday break. The Vikings resume play on Monday with tri-matches involving South Plainfield and Middlesex. The boys team has a 4-6-1 record, winning two of its last three matches.

