For Allison Wheeler, regionals felt different from the start. The Lumen Christi Catholic School junior walked in focused, but she didn’t realize she could actually win until after the first two games. When the scores were posted and she saw her name at the top, everything changed.

She finished the day with scores of 134, 178, 212, 124, 139, and 164. Her third game—a personal best of 212—was the moment everything seemed to click.

Even when Clinton bowler Sierra Welch briefly took the lead, Allison stayed composed. Instead of letting the pressure take over, she reminded herself to keep her focus. “One frame at a time—that’s what got me through.”

She says bowling is just as mental as it is physical. “Earlier in the season, I would get frustrated after a bad shot. Now I’ve learned to reset and move on, and that made all the difference.”  Allison credits teammate Cecelia Saucedo and coach Suzy Thayer to help her to learn not to dwell on bad shots.

That mindset paid off.

Allison has now competed at States in Taylor, where she continued to perform at a high level. But for her, this season wasn’t just about winning—it was about growth.