Huntington Unified Bowling Enjoys Great Season

Huntington’s full first season of varsity Unified bowling has set the stage for a growing and successful program. The Blue Devils have gone from piloting the sport to putting a team in competition against Section XI opponents. Coach Lauren Blackburn said it will only get better from here.

Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky and the entire board of education was the impetus behind developing a varsity level program and sponsoring a team. The Blue Devils have been on the ground floor of the sport in Suffolk.

The recently completed season saw the roster swell to 26 young men and women. Unified bowling is a varsity level sport that features Special Olympians paired with general education students, who serve as teammates and assistants on the co-ed roster.

“All of the athletes worked so hard each day at practices and at matches,” Blackburn said. “Every bowler improved their score from the first day of practice to the last match. Many bowlers hit strikes, spares and even doubles during the course of the season.”

The Blue Devils used Larkfield Lanes for their practices and home meets. “The best thing about this team was the team spirit,” Blackburn said. “Everyone was constantly cheering their teammates on and having a really great time.”

Blackburn was both honored and thrilled to coach the team and she gave the team members her all. “Seeing all of the students interact and have a great time made for an incredibly rewarding season,” she said.

Huntington is already formulating plans for the 2024 season. There were only a small group of seniors on this year’s roster so almost everyone is eligible and expected to return. Blackburn hopes to get more regular education students involved to help facilitate the action. Send the coach a message at lblackburn@hufsd.edu if you would like to get involved.

“We will hopefully be returning most of our athletes and will have a great season next year as well,” Blackburn said.