With the boys bowling team entering another promising season, senior Daniel Wuest has taken over as the new team captain.

Entering his fourth season with a previous season average of 147 points, Daniel has a different goal than most would expect of a new captain. When asked how he planned to lead his team to victory, Daniel simply replied, “What’s important to me is that everyone has fun and leaves the season happy with what they’ve accomplished.”

As for his opinion on what makes a good bowling team, Daniel cited communications and friendships as large factors, as they contributed to the team’s ability to cooperate. He went on to say that “a team cannot excel if they don’t believe in what they’re doing and don’t believe in each other.”

Daniel is highly respected by his team. Junior Caleb Hong described Daniel as a good choice for captain due to his experience and ability to motivate others. Junior Romil Parikh  added that Daniel was a great “clutch” bowler, referring to his ability to perform under pressure in critical moments with plenty of experience.

Daniel first started bowling at the age of five when he  joined his mother in a bowling league at Bellerose Lanes. As a child, he often watched his mother bowl with great interest until eventually he started playing himself. They switched to Sheridan Lanes in Long Island when Bellerose Lanes closed. As time went on, his mom’s knee injury and time constraints eventually ended the pair’s days of bowling together. Since then, bowling has become a passion for Daniel.

Aside from bowling, Daniel participates in a number of other extracurricular activities at Townsend Harris. In the offseason, Daniel played the part of Tony Pajamas in the 2012 Freshior SING. He is also an active member of the school’s varsity volleyball team.

As a member of the bowling team, Daniel views the team as a place where he can unwind and make new friends. When asked how the team had changed his life, Daniel replied, “[The bowling team] has enabled me to become friends with people from different grades and people who I would have never expected to become friends with.”