From 1949 to 1972, the University of Oregon’s bowling program was one of the nation’s finest. Under the guidance of legendary coach Lou Bellisimo, the Ducks won the Western Regional Championship a whopping 18 times and were named the top team in the country in for the 1963-64 season.
But in recent years, Duck bowling has stumbled upon trying times. Oregon went 10 years without participating in a sanctioned tournament, and the once formidable Duck bowling squad had essentially turned into a social event.
That all changed a few years back when University senior Marissa Hill arrived on campus determined to bring competition back to the Duck bowling team.
“I just thought it would be fun to compete in a sport that I like,” Hill said. “I figured as a sport, you should be competing, as opposed to just recreational bowling.”
It took a few years for Hill’s plan to take form, but Oregon gained status as a fully-sanctioned United States Bowling Congress (USBC) team and began competing in tournaments last year.
This season, the Ducks have taken another step forward. The team boasts more than ten members between the men’s and women’s squads and has already competed in one event, the High Sierra Collegiate Classic in Reno.
While the team may not have emerged victorious at the High Sierra Classic (the men finished 15th out of 18 teams, the women fourth out of five teams), Hill was still pleased with the Ducks’ effort.
“The teams actually bonded pretty well during the tournament,” Hill said. “We were able to come together and help each other out and try to improve while at the tournament as well.”
Because of financial and logistical constraints, however, the Ducks were only able to send a minimal number of competitors to the tournament. In future competitions, Hill hopes more participants will help the Ducks score higher.
“If we have more people traveling, we are able to make adjustments if one of the members isn’t bowling well,” Hill said. “We are also able to sub a new member in for that position.”
That flexibility could be key in helping the Ducks reach their full potential. As the team stands now, lack of talent is not an issue.
“There’s a lot of good high school bowling right now in the state of Oregon,” senior and player-coach Ryan Besaw said.
Hill added, “We definitely have the talent to rack up points (in tournament play).”
And it’s Besaw who has the primary responsibility to develop that talent. The No. 1 ranked player in Oregon as a high school senior, Besaw has done an admirable job balancing coaching his teammates and honing his own skills.
“He’s very, very knowledgeable in helping people bowl,” Hill said of Besaw. “He’s really able to see what you can do better to improve your game, and helps with little things like timing errors, footwork, back swing and hand position. Also, he’s a lot of fun to be around and makes it a more energetic practice.”
The Ducks hope several additional months of training with Besaw will lead to an improved finish at the team’s next tournament when they head to the Bay Area next month for the Silicon Valley Classic.
There will likely be around 14 men’s teams and four women’s teams at the event, and Hill hopes that both Duck squads finish in the top half of their divisions.
“I’m hoping for the men to have a top-five finish and the girls to finish in the top two,” Hill said. “I think we can do that if we keep practicing and working to be better bowlers.”
While Oregon is only participating in two competitions this year, that will likely change in future years.
“I would love to be at four tournaments in the future,” Hill said.
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