Austin Johnson, senior, is not new to bowling. In fact, he grew up around it.

His two older brothers were into the sport and on the MHS bowling team, which led him to develop an interest in it too and to try out for the same team in 2018. 

“I quite enjoy bowling,” Johnson said. “I find that it’s very relaxing, not overly exhausting and I get to work with the team.”

Johnson was diagnosed with a rare condition called aniridia, which is where an individual has a complete or partial absence of an iris in their eyes. Although aniridia can provide challenges to his vision, it certainly won’t slow him down, Johnson said.

“I’ve adapted to it pretty well,” he said. “I’ve worked with coaches and they all support me.”

Johnson also said he is fond of bowling because it is not a defensive sport.

Johnson and other RSD students who are on the bowling team meet at West County Lanes on Mondays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for practices. Sundays are when the team competes, also at West County Lanes.

Corey Johnson, Austin’s mom, likes the bowling club because it allows students to have the ability to get together a few times a week and be social while also being active. 

On Wednesdays, middle schoolers interested in the sport are welcome to bowl with the club.

“Austin has a younger brother who’s in seventh grade and is on the Wednesday night league with him,” Corey said. “It’s kind of a little family thing for us.”

Corey loves to be present to cheer her sons on.

“Like with any sport as a parent, that’s what you’re there to do — support your kid,” she said.

Bowling is a MSHSAA sport, but the team is not officially sponsored by MHS even though eight MHS students participate in league play. All of the coaches for the team are volunteers and some of them were on the bowling team when they were students at MHS. Most of the equipment is donated from local places like West Country Lanes.

Dallas Remy, senior, said he joined the team to play with Johnson. Both were on the team when they placed sixth at State last year, which was a tournament of teams from the St. Louis area put on by MSHSAA.

Remy said it would be nice if the bowling team was treated like other sports teams at MHS, especially because they made it to the State championships. He said when other sports go to State, for example, an administrator makes an announcement over the intercom.

“It kind of sucks for the bowling club because we’re not affiliated, so none of that happens for us,” he said.

But overall, Remy said, the team is a unified front that takes pleasure in what they do.

“Obviously we fight sometimes, but who doesn’t bicker,” he said. “It’s all good fun and we do well and we win.”