By: James McKeever
A strong finish to the 2004-05 season left the South Brunswick girls bowling team with an 11-14-3 record. Now the Vikings are poised to take the next step and become a winning team.
South Brunswick graduated one senior, Christine Kelly, whose leadership will be missed. But everybody else from the team is back, including Mary Lynn Olsen and Allison Nagle, who earned GMC All-Division status last winter.
South Brunswick’s season starts on Saturday when the Vikings compete in the Bishop Ahr Tournament. The team’s first regular season match will be this Tuesday against East Brunswick at Brunswick Zone Carolier Lanes.
"If we stay positive and focused we can be very competitive," said girls coach Tara Burniston, whose husband, Brian Burniston, will coach the boys team. "Since we have just about everybody back I don’t think anybody will be nervous at all this season. They all have experience."
Olsen and Meghan Nagle are the senior team captains. Olsen is starting her fourth season. She averaged 163 and threw a 244 high game last season. Nagle, who averaged 160 (212 high game) will start for the second consecutive season.
"Mary Lynn always keeps everybody upbeat and Meghan is also positive, always trying to bring the team up," Burniston said.
Meghan’s sister, Allison, led the Vikings with a 164 average as a freshman last winter. Allison rolled highs of 225 (game) and 592 (series).
"Allison is very competitive," the coach said. "She had a big year for us."
Junior Suzanne Bleacher rejoins the team after one season. Burniston said Bleacher’s presence is a big boost to the lineup.
Junior Yasmin Ulloa (150 average, 210 high) learned a lot last year as a full-time varsity player.
Jennifer Tamulevicz, a senior who rolled a 179 in a GMC Tournament victory over Colonia in February, spent last season with both the JV and varsity and has boosted her average by 20 pins, according to her coach.
"The GMC Red Division is going to be tough. It always is," Burniston said. "But if everybody stays healthy, we have a strong group of girls. We just have to maintain consistency."
