April 10, 2008
As the Commodore bowling team looks to repeat as National Champions this week in Omaha, Nebraska, sophomore Josie Earnest reflects on last year’s national tournament and this year’s team.
When Vanderbilt won the national championship last season, what do you remember about that match or tournament?
“I remember the tournament as a whole. When we started out, we struggled a little bit. We bowled pretty well, but it seemed like every team we bowled against bowled a little bit better. We knew that the seed wasn’t that important. Everybody was going to have a seed, and after that, it was match play. Match play last year, specifically Baker, was what we were best at. We were the most dominant team in the nation at that time. Even though we were ranked third, we knew we were the team to beat.
“With that being said, last year when we went into match play, we knew that we weren’t the team with the biggest target on our back. We went out there and we were trying to beat FDU (Fairleigh Dickinson University) and Nebraska. They were the ones that everyone was gunning for. I think it will be a little different this year.
What’s the atmosphere like at the national championship compared to any other bowling tournament?
“I think it’s very different. You can definitely feel the tension down in the pit. There aren’t as many teams. Most of the tournaments we go to, there are between 18 and 24 teams. This is cut down to eight, but they are the best eight teams in the nation. You know every team is going to be hard to beat. Every shot is very important. Every shot builds on the shot before.
“At the same time, you have to consider it just another tournament. I think we’re pretty good at doing that. You can’t put more pressure on yourself to perform, especially at the national championship.”
When there are long days of bowling, is the mental aspect as important as the physical aspect?
“I definitely think the mental game is just as important, if not more than, the physical. I have always been told by more than one person that bowling is 90% mental as long as you have a solid physical game.
“We’re there from 8 in the morning until 5 at night. Usually that last game is the most important. You might be physically drained, but your mental game has to overcome that. I think that’s something our team is very good at doing because we have done a lot of physical training during the week. Because of that, we’re able to have our mental stability up at the end.”
What is the team mindset as Vanderbilt heads to Omaha this year?
“The most important thing is to have fun. That’s one of the things we did a very good job at last year. We were very tense in the beginning last year. You could tell, but we turned things around when we decided to simply have fun. We wanted to win it, but we could only do that if we had fun.
“First we need to have fun, but then we need to realize that the reason we do all of the hard work is so that we can bowl effectively. That’s what makes it fun.”
Practice was a little different on Monday afternoon. What was different?
“Coach (John Williamson) decided to surprise us. Instead of doing our typical workout/practice, we went to play laser tag. It was very intense. I had never played laser tag before. Some of us have bumps and bruises, but it was a lot of fun.
“It helped loosen us up because this week before nationals it is tough for us because it’s the end of the season and of the school year. Everyone’s mind is all over the place. It was a good time to take an hour out of the day and have fun with the team while still competing and doing something that provokes a competitive mindset. My team won, so that was a plus.”
To an outsider, it looks like you’ve had an outstanding season. You averaged a 205. In 82% of your games, you have bowled over 200. Has this been your most consistent season in your career?
“I have always been a very consistent player. I pride myself on that. I don’t get too low, but I don’t get too high. This season, I worked to improve on being even steadier. I want to be there for the team.
“I spent this summer developing the ability to have an extra mental edge. That’s something that separates bowlers from being a steady player to having those highs and lows. You have to overcome that open frame or that split you just got ripped on. I think, `I shouldn’t have left that 7-10 split.’ Now can I overcome that?
“That’s one of the things I grew from last year because I felt like I had a decent freshman season, but I knew there were points that could be improved upon. I think my effort has showed this season.”