Freshman has been key to success of OTHS girls bowling team
Racking up impressive pin counts with the regularity of a seasoned veteran, OTHS freshman Natalie Heltne is this week’s top athlete. The 15-year-old kegler has been a key factor in the Lady Panthers’ rise to the top of the Southwestern Conference standings entering the final two weeks of the regular season.
Teaming with freshman teammate Mary Orf, Heltne has catapulted the varsity girls team into the conversation as one of the top squads in the metro-east — a position that few had predicted at the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
Recently, the Lady Panthers freshman, the daughter of Julie and Nate Heltne, demonstrated her importance to the team’s success in a critical face-off against the Collinsville Kahoks. With both teams entering the match with undefeated league records, Heltne led O’Fallon with a phenomenal 713 series and a team-high game of 279. Although her best performance to date, OTHS coach Garrett Spencer has been impressed with his freshman bowler’s consistency and aggressive approach on the lanes.
“Natalie is only a freshman, but she has played a very important role for us,” Spencer said. “Bowling against one of our toughest competitors (Collinsville), she pulled out her best game and series of the season. Currently she is averaging 208 in SWC matches and just keeps getting better.”
“I love participating in bowling because all my friends from middle school play,” Heltne said. “Bowling brings out my spirit. I began in the sixth grade in the weirdest way. All I did was come home one day and said I’d like to try out for bowling. I have come a long way since then, and it has a lot to do with bowling every day. I was in Junior Gold for the last two years, and I enter every tournament or league I can to experience different approaches to the game.
“Also, I think that I have had a lot of good coaching from different coaches, which has helped me,” the O’Fallon freshman added. “I take all the advice from my coaches and decide if I like it or I will modify it to improve my game. Overall, competing in bowling has helped me think through problems instead of finding the easy way out. I try to stay positive when I’m frustrated and can’t figure out a shot to execute. I breathe, concentrate and stay calm, trying not to rush things. This approach works when I’m on the lanes or any other situation.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2017 at 10:13 AM with the headline "Freshman has been key to success of OTHS girls bowling team."