Paramus Catholic bowler Nikki Vucak is one of The Record’s 50 seniors to watch during the 2013-14 school year.
Nikki Vucak found the beat early in her high school bowling career and has been carrying it on ever since.
The Paramus Catholic right-hander needed less than two months on the varsity to become the first Paladin girl to bowl a 300. She achieved the feat in a January 2011 Big North match against Northern Highlands and, at the time, joined Immaculate Heart’s Dyanne Robles (1999) as the only girls in Bergen County history with perfect games.
With her fourth varsity season on the horizon, Vucak still can recall the experience clearly.
“It was a lot to take in, because I was young; I was a freshman, and I hadn’t experienced high school bowling completely at that time,” the Garfield resident said recently. “Back then, I hadn’t bowled in counties or states or any big tournaments yet. But now that I’m going to be a senior, I realize how big [an achievement] that was.”
And it was hardly her last. As a sophomore, she finished 12th at sectionals to qualify for the state singles finals and help PC win the North Group 3 title. Last winter, she fired several key strikes in the Baker round of the Bergen tournament, as the Paladins captured their first Bergen title since 2001.
Vucak, 17, is using this summer to prepare not only for the upcoming season but beyond, too. She recently returned from the Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo in Sterling Heights, Mich., a showcase for high school bowlers aiming to continue their careers at the next level.
“It’s a three-day bowling tournament, and there are a whole bunch of college scouts there watching you,” said Vucak, who carried a 189 league average last season.
“I do want to bowl in college, and as of right now, I’m looking at Monmouth, Sacred Heart and LIU [Brooklyn],” she said. “I’m also interested in Valparaiso and UPike [University of Pikeville] in Kentucky” – the latter school being this year’s runner-up at the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships.
Closer to home, Vucak is competing in a Sport Shot league at Fair Lawn Lanes over the summer. “That’s all they bowl on in college,” she said, “they’re different oil patterns from regular house shots … to my knowledge, we also bowl on Sport Shots in counties and states.”
Come the fall, she will be back in her Saturday morning league at Parkway Lanes in Elmwood Park, where she has been a regular since age 7.
Vucak’s extracurricular interests away from the lanes center mostly on music. She is a drummer for the Paramus Catholic marching band, jazz band and concert band, as well as captain of the drum line.
And when December rolls around, she and fellow four-year varsity Paladins Ameera Khan and Teresa Sandberg will look to keep the beat going for the defending Bergen champs.
“I’m looking forward to all the big high school tournaments this year,” Vucak said. “I have a lot of fun bowling with all the girls on my team.”
Email: tartaglia@northjersey.com