This past February, the North Arlington girls bowling team made history when it won its first ever sectional title. Now, as the Vikings return to the lanes for a new season, the fun that comes with success has carried over.
“That’s what we’re preaching. That it’s awesome to win and they also have a lot of fun doing it,” head coach Paul Marcantuono said. “I think they have a lot of fun and they really enjoy the sport and each other’s company. Winning a state sectional championship was awesome. I think they bonded with that. They’re ready to get back to work and they’ve been working pretty hard in the offseason and the first few practices we had. They’re ready to go.”
Marcantuono returns three starters from last season’s 19-5 team that captured the North Jersey, Group 1 title.
Leading the way is a stellar one-two combination at the top with seniors Alexa Palacios and Jacklyn Burbach.
Palacios rolled a 156.08 average last season, earning a spot in the Bergen County Tournament. Burbach, who averaged 149.85 for the season, really came on strong in the state tournament, averaging 157.1 in those matches.
Following the graduation of Mia Da Silva, who finished in the top 18 in the NJSIAA Individuals Tournament, both Palacios and Burbach are poised to fill the void.
“Alexa’s interested in bowling in college so she’s really focused. She’s practiced a lot over the summer,” said Marcantuono. “Jackie’s one of those players that in any sport, comes through in the clutch. No moment is too big for her.
“They practiced a lot in the summer and their averages are higher than where they left off last year already in the preseason. You can tell they’re a little more comfortable, they’re a little more confident and they worked pretty hard.”
Also returning is senior Skyler McCool, who while a reserve most of the regular season, shined in the state tournament, rolling a 146.5 average in the state tournament, when the format shifted to 5-on-5.
The NJSIAA shifted to that 5-on-5 format for all regular season matches. That combined with the graduations of Da Silva and Theo Major have created uncertainty for the last two spots in the starting lineup.
Senior Jillian Smith, a reserve on last season’s team is in line to take the fourth spot in the lineup.
The fifth spot is completely up in the air as preseason practice has started. Fortunately for North Arlington, last season’s success has led to four seniors coming out for the first time in Lea Thompson, Veronica Lopes, Kim Flores and Gianna Presti.
“Adding that fifth bowler adds a different element to your team, especially for a Group 1 school,” said Marcantuono. “We are lucky to have eight so we can fight for that last spot and they can compete everyday. We’re lucky that we have eight that are ready to compete and it’s great because they’re already pushing each other and helping each other.”
After playing as an independent last season, North Arlington will be part of the Super Essex Conference this season, which means the majority of its matches will be held at Bowlero Lanes in Belleville.
North Arlington opens the season with division matchups against Irvington on Tuesday, Dec. 2 followed by Barringer the next day. On Dec.4, the Vikings travel to Bowler City in Hackensack for a non-conference showdown with Immaculate Heart Academy.
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)