Bailey Friars to help build Goshen College bowling program one strike at a time

Greencastle senior Bailey Friars (center) recently signed on to join the new bowling program at Goshen College starting in the fall of the 2024-25 school year. With Friars at the signing were (left) sister Megan, who bowled at Ancilla College, mother Tiffany, (back) father Michael and Maple Leaf bowling head coach Scott Curtis.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

Amidst the final week of the 2023-24 bowling regular season for those competing in the Wabash Valley South conference, two bowlers committed themselves to start something new in the 2024-25 school year.

Greencastle’s Bailey Friars and Lebanon’s Hayden Smith both signed to join the fledgling Goshen College bowling team next year, a program that will begin competing under the direction of Scott Curtis, who joins the Maple Leafs after leaving the same position Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Friars, the last of the 3G children for whom 3G Bowl owners Michael and Tiffany named the lane after, said she began bowling at age four and wanted to compete beyond the high school level, adding she enjoyed what Goshen had to offer beyond the athletic side of the frame.

“I wanted to try bowling in college, on top of my parents wanting me to bowl in college,” Friars said. “(Goshen) also has the major I want to go for, which is graphic design.

“Goshen has a pretty campus. It’s also small enough where I feel comfortable getting around.”

Goshen, located southeast of Elkhart, will utilize Maple City Bowl as its home alley, a place Friars said she would be acclimated with quickly as part of the process of both building up the program and community support for the team.

“The coaches have talked about the requirements we have to participate, the kind of practices we will have and the community requirements we have,” Friars said. “Early on in the school year, we will help with the youth league at the two alleys the school uses to help get kids involved in the sport.

“The school is also signed to have Storm provide equipment.”

Friars added while she had committed before Smith, the two talked during the process and helped the latter make her own decision.

“I had a little interaction with (Hayden) during the process,” Friars pointed out. “I signed with Goshen before she did and she talked to me about my decision before making her own.

“Even before that, we’ve talked a bit while bowling and it does help knowing a familiar face is up there.”

While expecting new challenges in the academic and athletic realms of college, Friars said the distance from home, a drive of over three hours, was going to take some getting used to.

“The biggest switch is living in a very different area,” Friars said. “I’ve done sports in high school, so I know about the balance between academics and competing.

“Being that far away from home is going to be different.”

Greencastle will compete in the Indiana High School Bowling state tournament this weekend and while there were still plenty of frames to roll between now and next fall, Friars said the chance to be part of a new program was one worth diving in to.

“I’m really excited,” Friars said. “I’ve never had the opportunity to see a program be built from the bottom up before.

“I’m really excited to see how it will happen at Goshen.”