BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Sports Writer
Senior Drew Sagowitz opened his bowling season as OAA Singles Champion.
He bowled games of 166, 212 and 268 to qualify fourth in the tournament with the Clarkston Boys Varsity Bowling team. He defeated three opponents in match play rounds to become champion.
Sagowitz said going into the final match he thought about how far he had come.
“I knew I had the talent to take first place,” he said. “I told myself once I got in the championship match I already had second place locked up, and I am going home happy whether if I win it or take second. It was nerve wrecking. I was very nervous. My whole team was there. I really wanted to make them proud because they look up to me. I wanted to play that leadership role. I stuck with what I knew, executed, and I came through.”

His personal goals for his final season include averaging over 220 and leaving a legacy with teammates.
“I have already hit averaging 200 which is amazing,” Sagowitz said. “I want to leave a legacy with these guys. I want them to remember me for who I am and what kind of leader I am to them.”
Sagowitz began bowling when he was five-years-old when he went out there and grabbed a ball.
“I never let go of it. I stuck with it. I guess I just came out of the womb bowling,” he laughed. “I love every part of bowling.”
He added he enjoys bowling because of the bonding with his teammates.
“There are so many personalities on the team I probably would have never talked to these guys,” he said. “Because we share one thing in common it brings us close together like family – I love that part. I can go to them about anything and talk to them about anything. I can do anything with them.”
He added when he isn’t bowling or studying he is hanging out with his teammates.
Sagowitiz plans to study computer science when he goes to college.
“Computer science is very broad,” he said. “I can go anywhere with it.”
He added it would be nice to bowl on a collegiate level but he would love to bowl just for fun.
“As great as bowling collegiately sounds there’s so much competition,” he shared. “I think bowling is more for fun. High school has the perfect balance of fun and competition.”
His advice to aspring athletes is bowling is a very mental sport.
“For me, it’s so natural, I can just go up there and throw the ball. It’s gives me an advantage,” Sagowitz shared. “Some people have to think about what they have to do. They know they have to execute. It’s such a mental sport because you could be striking all day, then miss the spare and your whole mind is asking what’s going on. You have to have a strong mental game to be good at it. They start breaking down, they can’t hold themselves together.”

  AOW, Athlete of the Week