With several returnees from last year’s first official season, senior Ava Haralamos and her Riverside Brookfield High School girls bowling teammates are learning the routines to success.
“It is definitely less pressure for the returnees, knowing how matches and tournaments work and there’s more fluidity due to that,” Haralamos said. “I have improved from last season, now knowing what I need to fix, how to fix it and just having a better idea on how the sport works. I was able to go bowling in the offseason, to work on consistency with my throws and scores.”
The Bulldogs already are ahead of last season size-wise, growing their roster to 21 bowlers from 15 last season. On the lanes, they broke 2,000 pins for the first time in a three-game series for a 2,007 to 1,933 Upstate Eight Conference dual victory over Streamwood Dec. 4.
“It’s been a great bunch and our scores right now at the beginning of the season are reflecting what they were at the end of last season,” RBHS coach Doug Schultz said. “We’re seeing some progress.”
Ten bowlers have returned from last season – seniors Abby Ford, Haralamos, Zoe Jeffcott, Audrey Raymond, Sofia Sanchez and Lucia Vazzana and sophomores Isabella Buczek, Emily Cubas, Amira Glenn and Mia Torres. Team newcomers are seniors Alekse Alijosius and Yemaya Ramirez, juniors Avery Blair, Violet Furey, Alyssa Petrucci, Nicolette Ritacca and Isabel Rosa, sophomores Harper Jesswein and Isabella Readus and freshmen Charlotte Ehrenhaft and Mia Melvin.
Riverside-Brookfield’s Abigail Ford bowls during a match at Bowlero Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Lyons, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Mia Torres bowls during a match at Bowlero Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Lyons, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Audrey Raymond bowls during a match at Bowlero Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Lyons, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark)
The Bulldogs are 1-3 in UEC duals with four team points all from the Streamwood victory. UEC duals award one point for each game victory and two points for each series victory. Against Streamwood, Ford had a team-high 480 series and a 188 in the Bulldogs’ team-best 715 first game. Ford currently has the highest season average in the mid-130s and Torres and Glenn are in the mid-120s. Haralamos and Raymond also have been bowling varsity with others rotated into the lineup.
So far, Petrucci is the lone newcomer to appear in a varsity match, but that may change. The junior varsity outscored the varsity in Monday’s home loss against Elgin at Bowlero in Lyons.
“We have a large group that’s scoring in the same area. Our job now is to get more consistent, bring our low scores up,” Schultz said. “Still being an emerging team, we’re going to be outmatched in a lot of matches. Our goal is not to worry about opponents. The goal is to increase your score every time. We want to see that number keep going up, It’s more of the game within yourself.”
Last season, the Bulldogs were ninth at the 12–team Glenbard East Regional (3,658 pins for six games). Torres (30th, 815, 178 high game), was 51 pins from the last individual sectional qualifier. Haralamos (39th, 739) and Raymond (45th, 699) also bowled six games and Sanchez (365) and Vazzana (340) three each.
The Bulldogs finished 7-12 in duals and seventh in the one-division UEC with a 7-11 dual record and 35 points. Torres (130) and Haralamos (118) had the team’s top averages in UEC play with Torres just missing individual all-conference honors.
“A successful bowling season can be achieved by improving individual and team averages and consistently hitting your marks,” Haralamos said. “We will win some and lose some, but consistency, having fun, and supporting one another is key.”