By NICK BUGLIONE
This past season the East Meadow resident posted monster numbers, including a 219 average that placed him first among all Catholic high school bowlers in New York state.
³He¹s by far the best bowler we¹ve had,² said John Casalinuovo, who has coached the Kellenberg team for the past 9 years.
Meoli¹s growth in the past three years has far exceeded Casalinuovo¹s expectations, and the coach can¹t wait to see what the 17-year-old does next year.
³What he did is ridiculous,² the coach said, noting that Meoli posted a 170 average as a freshman and 195 average as a sophomore, but jumped to 219 this year. ³He just works so hard and he¹s a tough, tough, competitor.²
This past season, which ran from November to February, Meoli essentially carried Kellenberg, Casalinuovo said. He posted the highest series total in the league, which includes seven schools, and bowled a 287, his highest game of the year.
Meoli was named the school¹s most valuable player and the league¹s co-MVP. Though only a junior on a 14-man team dominated by seniors, Meoli is regarded as a team leader, Casalinuovo said. ³The seniors actually look up to him,² he said. ³He¹s probably one of the best kids you¹re going to meet.²
At the state championships, the junior came in second overall, barely beaten out by a student from Buffalo.
³I¹m hoping to do at least as well, if not better, next year,² Meoli said, admitting that even he couldn¹t envision his success coming into this season. ³I didn¹t think I would finish with a 219 average. I figured I would finish around 197.²
Given how much time he spent bowling, however, his success should have come as no surprise. His team practiced every day during the week, and he figures he bowled about six more games every weekend. ³I¹m in the bowling alley at least 12 hours over a week,² he said.
Meoli has had a passion for bowling since he was 5, something he picked up from his grandfather, he said. ³Me and two of my best friends joined a league one year,² he said, and the rest was history. ³My grandpa is a bowler so he started helping me out. I just kept on bowling.
³It¹s more of an independent sport,² he continued, on why he enjoys bowling so much. ³I have to make my own adjustments. I have to realize what I¹m doing to correct my own mistakes.²
Perhaps the pinnacle of Meoli¹s career came on Jan. 24, 2004, when he bowled a perfect game. As he came closer to scoring 300, the crowd and pressure mounted. ³Every time I bowled it would get really quiet and my heart would start beating really fast,² he said. ³I kept on doing the same routine over and over. I tried not to think about it.²
For the feat, Meoli received a ring and plaque, as well as a coveted spot in the Bowling Hall of Fame, alongside others who bowled 300 in a sanctioned game. ³I was in shock,² he said. ³It didn¹t set in until two days that I bowled a 300.²
East Meadow now boasts two of the best high-school bowlers in the state. While Meoli dominates the Catholic schools, W.T. Clarke High School senior Andrew Ghirardi, who this year averaged 229, is at the top of the public school food chain.
And with Meoli and Ghirardi exploring scholarship opportunities at Penn State and St. John¹s, there¹s a chance these two might wind up on the same team some day. ³That would really be fun,² Meoli said. ³That kid¹s amazing.²
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