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11/4/2005 For most people, the bowling center is a place associated with children’s birthday parties or a weekend outing with family and friends. Few visit the bowling alley on a daily basis, let alone come close to the vaunted “300” scores, which adorn center walls. For freshman bowler Michelle Peloquin, trips to the local lanes are part of daily life and the scores on the walls are mere reminders of her skill with the bowling ball. While Peloquin admits bowling is not a common sport for young children to pick up, for her it was a natural fit since her father, Steve, was a bowling enthusiast. “My dad has bowled all of his life,” Peloquin said. “He would bring my sister and me with him to the bowling center when we were younger, and that is how we got into it. “I started bowling when I was five. I did a few junior leagues. I started bowling competitively when I was 11 or 12 and have never quit.” Steve Peloquin is an assistant bowling coach at Sacred Heart University and Peloquin’s older sister, Nicole, bowled for her dad at Sacred Heart. However, Michelle decided to stake her own path by attending Vanderbilt. “I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go for college,” she said. “A lot of the other schools for bowling have more established programs, but none are as good as Vanderbilt for academics. I wanted a good combination of both, and this was the only place.” In addition to seeking the best education possible, Peloquin chose Vanderbilt because she embraced the challenge of building up the Commodore bowling program, the University’s newest varsity sport. Not one to back away from challenges, Peloquin already has decided she will pursue one of the University’s difficult pre-medicine majors. Between her rigorous academic load and competing in a varsity sport, Peloquin does not enjoy the free time relished by most Vanderbilt freshmen. “(Doing both) is difficult,” Peloquin said. “I don’t have that much time to do things I want to, but I am enjoying everything I am doing. I would rather do something academically that I really like than something that takes less time but that is less challenging.” Vanderbilt Bowling Head Coach John Williamson is amazed at her ability to do everything she wants and do it all so well. “She is a perfectionist,” Williamson said. “She is as dedicated and serious as they come to academics and to the sport. She has the passion to excel that any coach likes to see. She is a hard-working young woman who is goal oriented and driven.” Somewhere in between her demanding classes and trips to the lanes, Peloquin also must find time to become accustomed to bowling as a team sport. Prior to playing for Vanderbilt, Peloquin never bowled as part of a team. “College bowling is completely different than the bowling I had done,” Peloquin said. “Everything I had done before this was individual. It has been hard to get used to but that is why we have had some warm-up events. It is a very supportive atmosphere since it is five people rather than just yourself.” After shattering the school record with a 750 series in the first match of the season, Peloquin and her teammates have the Commodores poised to compete with many of the more established bowling programs in the nation. While fans will not be able to see the bowling team in Nashville until the Columbia 300 Music City Classic in March, they should not be surprised if they someday see Peloquin’s name next to a “300” at a local bowling establishment. As Coach Williamson says, she is a perfectionist. By Jennifer O’Neill |
