Twins helping Basic compete on the lanes

By Sean Ammerman

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 | 7 p.m.

Basic seniors Shaunna and Suzanna Padderatz admit they are not the most coordinated athletes on the bowling team.

The 17-year-old twin sisters developed their love of the sport for just that reason.

They always seemed to feel more comfortable at the bowling alley than on any other court.

"I'm really accident prone in other sports," Shaunna Padderatz said. "Any sport where the ball flies, it ends up hitting me in the head. But bowling is something that comes more naturally to me."

After learning a few tricks from their father, once a bowling-league regular, the girls turned serious about bowling when they were in middle school.

The sisters are competitive with each other, both averaging about 170 a game, but one would never know by watching them.

Basic coach Joe Stellavato said the key to the girls' success is their ability to stay calm under pressure and willingness to practice year-round.

"They are as even keel as it gets," Stellavato said. "They don't get upset and they're very focused."

In addition to bowling, the Padderatzs both play viola in the school orchestra and have a 4.1 weighted grade point average.

They bowled their best match in Basic's 7-2 win against Coronado earlier this season. Shaunna Padderatz had a 512, and Suzanna Padderatz rolled a 504 in what was Coronado's first loss in three seasons.

The sisters are aiming to help Basic improve on its one-and-done performance last season in the playoffs.

"We are definitely much more consistent this year," Suzanna Padderatz said. "In the past we would have just two or three good bowlers. This year all of us are pretty strong."

With the season at its midpoint and Basic jockeying for playoff position, the sisters will need to bowl more consistently than ever.

As of Jan. 4, Basic sits atop the Southeast Division with a 52-2 record, however Stellavato said he will forfeit 30 of those victories by the end of January. Each match is broken into nine games.

Basic competed with an ineligible bowler during some of its initial games of the season, Stellavato wants to be proactive by forfeiting the games won by the bowler.

"We're in a situation now where we have to beat everybody," Stellavato said. "We know that we're better than what are record will show, but we'll have to prove it."

Forfeiting the games was a huge blow, Shaunna Padderatz said, but the team has battled back to win all of its subsequent matches easily.

"Everyone was so mad because we had never been in first place before," she said. "It took a while to get on track again, but we got it back. If we continue to bowl like we did in the first half of the season, we can make it to the (Sunrise Region postseason)."

Sean Ammerman can be reached at 990-2661 or [email protected].