2013 Bowling Team

2013 Bowling Team

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The 2012-13 Bowling Team was the most successful bowling team in Glen Rock High School history. It was All Groups, County Champion, Group 2, State Runner-up and North Jersey’s Team of the Year.

In the fall of 2010, a group of Glen Rock High School students and their parents launched a self-funded bowling program at the school. With volunteer coach Joe Serico, the school’s bowling team immediately competed for the NJIC, Colonial Championship in its debut season and then nearly won that championship in the following 2011-12 season.

In its third season of existence, the 2012-13 Bowling Team was the most successful bowling team in Glen Rock High School history.

Led by junior and future Hall of Fame inductee Jake Rollins and senior Tyler Blind, it was an undefeated NJIC, Colonial Champion with a 16-0 record (defeating league rival and Passaic County Champion Pompton Lakes in three separate games); it was Groups 1 & 2 and then All Groups, Bergen County Champion (defeating Groups 3-4 County Champion Hackensack by 156 pins); and it was Group 2, Sectional Champion (defeating #2 Westwood by 468 pins). Finally, it was Group 2, State Runner-up (only 29 pins behind Group 2, State Champion Ewing with the then best score ever for a North Jersey school). At the Individual All Group, State Tournament of Champions, Jake finished fourth.

At the end of the season, the 2012-13 Team was selected as the North Jersey Team of the Year and as the #5 Team in New Jersey (by The Star-Ledger).

The members of the team also received much deserved honors. Jake was named to the Second Team, All-State (by The Star-Ledger) and was named North Jersey Bowler of the Year (by The Record). Jake and Tyler were named to the First Team, All-North Jersey and the First Team, All-County. Freshman Evan Strassberg was named to the Second Team, All-County and senior John Hirakawa and junior Dan Dooner received Honorable Mention, All-County. Jake, Tyler, Evan and John were named to the First Team, All-NJIC, Colonial, Dan was named to the Second Team, All-NJIC, Colonial and senior Jonathan Shin received Honorable Mention, All-NJIC, Colonial. 

Coach Serico, the retired teacher who offered to coach the team because of his relationship with one of the player’s fathers, was named NJIC, Colonial Coach of the Year; Bergen County Coach of the Year (by The Record); and New Jersey Coach of the Year (by The Star-Ledger).

During these first three seasons, the team’s expenses were funded by the members’ parents and by the Booster Club. After the 2012-13 season, due to the number of students interested in participating on the bowling team, Glen Rock High School decided to fund the team.

During the 2013-14 season, with Hall of Fame inductee Bonnie Zimmerman now the team’s Head Coach, senior Jake Rollins led the team to a third-place finish in the NJIC, Colonial. At the end of the season, Jake won the State Tournament of Champions after bowling 12 consecutive strikes for a perfect score of 300 in his final game, thereby being the All Groups, State Champion. The Star-Ledger named him New Jersey State Bowler of the Year and named him to the First Team, All-State. The Record named him North Jersey Bowler of the Year and named him to the First Team, All-County and to the First Team, All-North Jersey.

With Bonnie as Head Coach, Glen Rock bowling has continued to have success with two teams (2019-20 and 2020-21) winning league titles and a third team (2022-23) sharing a league title and then being Group 2, Sectional Champion.

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Coach Joe Serico