There was big success and big progress.

When the two were combined, that was the story for Cathedral High School bowling in 2021-2022 – a season in which the girls and boys programs both achieved preseason aspirations.

That was particularly true of the boys team.

Irish boys bowling in 2021-2022 not only improved throughout the season, the program reached a level of success in the regular season and postseason it never previously achieved.

And it nearly reached an even higher level.

“We’re real proud of the boys,” Irish bowling coach Mark Noe said. “It was the best season ever. Very proud of them. No doubt about it.

The Irish boys – after a 7-3 record during the season with a third-place finish in the Indianapolis East conference – registered a third-place finish at the team sectional, qualifying for the team regional for the first time in program history. Senior Charlie Schenck capped a successful season and career by placing sixth in the sectional with a 195 average; he averaged 215 for the season.

Noe called Schenck – a two-time All-Conference selection – a “great kid, and a great bowler.”

“He was the foundation,” Noe said. “We could rely on him for a high game most of the time. Ninety-nine percent of the time, he was knocking out 200s, 220s. He’s a great kid.”

The sectional finish qualified Schenck for the Kokomo regional, where he narrowly missed qualifying as an individual for the semi-state round.

The Irish in the sectional were led by: Senior captain Nick Rodecap (180 average), junior Antonio Arroyo (193 average), junior Hunter Browning (160 average), junior Alec Irwin (184 average), junior Charlie Valentine (155 average) and junior Isaac Alerding (164 average).

“We had a good, balanced team,” Noe said. “Everyone did their thing when they needed to do it. It was a lot of fun. We were real proud of the boys and how hard they worked.”

Noe said the success was a result of the work and desire of bowlers in the program, with offseason work and focus yielding in-season and postseason results.

“We’ve never had so many kids in the offseason like we did coming into this season,” Noe said. “The coolest thing was the boys really matured and took it another step. I could not be more proud of these young men, for sure. We’re really happy for them.”

Added Noe, “They work hard in the offseason and this was a result of them working hard. We could have gone on, but we just didn’t quite pull it together. We were close. We could have won the regional but woulda, shoulda, coulda. We had a great season.

“It was a great season. Great kids and a lot of fun.”

And Noe said while Schenck and Rodecap will be missed, a strong group of underclassmen can form the foundation moving forward.

“When you’re losing two of your superstars, they’re averaging 200 a game, they’ll have to pick it up – and they will,” he said.

The girls program finished 1-8 for the regular season, finished sixth of seven teams in the sectional and competed in a deep conference.

“They improved, and I like the fact that they want more,” Noe said. “They see it and they want to do more to improve themselves.”

Irish girls bowling was led by freshman Anna Brennan (130) and sophomore Jules Hollis (125), with sophomore Rachel Rodecap, sophomore Maya Marshalleck and junior Sydney Moore also key.

“The big thing about the girls is they had a good disposition,” Noe said. “We had a fun season. Both teams get along well, and we’re just all growing. That’s the bottom line. The girls are just going to keep getting better. The guys know the losses will hurt, but they’ll step it up.

“It’s getting better. Next year, we’ll have jayvee and varsity both. It should be nothing but positive from here. We’re real proud of the program.”