Traveling to many tournaments, Tyler Keller of HEA is ready for his senior season of bowling
Tyler Keller wants to bowl and become a firefighter.
Rock Valley College in Illinois offers programs in both.
Keller, 17, a senior at Hialeah Educational Academy Charter School, is ready for his senior year of academia and bowling, preparing for that next chapter.
A Hialeah resident, he’s been bowling for the school since 8th grade, and he’s qualified for the state tournament each year.
That’s the goal and then some this season.
To prepare, from March through July, he traveled extensively, competing in various tournaments in U18 boys.
Storm Youth Championships (SYC) in Dallas/Fort Worth (third of 64 bowlers); FYBO Tournament in Ormond Beach (33 games if make finals); Storm Youth Championships in Iowa (14th of 51); PBA Junior Tournament in Mooresville, North Carolina (11th of 46); Junior Gold Tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana (72nd of 1,167; 4 days to make cuts, 10 days total, if make cuts); The Survivor Tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana (54th of 348 to qualify for next year’s Junior Gold Tournament in Grand Rapids, Michigan).
“I love the sport of bowling,” he said. ”It is such a character defining sport. It has shown me how to win and lose gracefully. I have met a great majority of people through the sport of bowling and have made friendships throughout tournaments. I have bowled in other states and with many good bowlers. During these tournaments, my mental toughness and grit has been tested many times. It isn’t easy, but no matter how tough it gets you need to just push through and keep a level head.”
Keller began bowling at age 8, competitively at age 10.
“He found a niche and really liked it,” said his father, Sean. “He tried others sports, everything but football. He tried baseball, basketball, soccer. He really likes volleyball and golf, but bowling is his passion.”
Keller has two bowling averages: sport pattern/league bowling at 190, which converts to 210 for house/school bowling.
His main training centers are AMF Pines with Coach Robert Prymus Jr. in Pembroke Pines; and Strikers Family Sports Center / KTC Kegel Training Center with coach Carlos Tobon in Sunrise.
https://www.kegeltrainingcenter.com/strikers
On the youth circuit, Keller competes throughout Florida, mostly central and north Florida. He plans to bowl at a SYC event in November in Orlando. He brings nine to 12 bowling balls with him to each event to coincide with various oil patterns on the lanes. There is a science and a math to it.
Keller is figuring it out. In 2021, he bowled his first 300 game (813 set) in a tournament at Strikers Family Sports Center.
In school, his GPA is over 3.0.
Keller said: “Bowling at [HEA] has been a fun journey but I’m sad it is coming to a end. I have been bowling with [HEA] since my eighth grade year. I have seen bowlers come and go, and with the ever changing team, I have made great friendships along the way. As the new season approaches, my goal for this season is to have lots of fun and to create great memories and experiences with my teammates. Along with the ultimate goal of helping my team advance to the state tournament, so they can experience what I have experienced in my last four years bowling for [HEA].”
The start to that goal begins Sept. 9 against Dr. Krop at AMF Pines, his home bowling lane.
His dad, Sean, bowled as a youth. He then played football for Hialeah High School. His mom, Justine, cheered and danced, graduating from Chaminade-Madonna High School in Hollywood.
Volleyball
ATM d. Miami Springs 25-14, 25-12, 25-15: Valentina Arcila 8 kills, 3 aces, 5 digs; Livia Gimenez 6 aces, 8 assists, 2 digs; Silvia Fernandez 8 services points, 12 digs.
Doral Academy d. Monsignor Pace 25-18, 25-12, 25-15: Ariel Simmons 6 kills, 4 blocks; Izabela Molina 10 kills, 2 blocks; Sophia Torres 9 kills, 6 aces, 3 digs; Vicky Escuer 7 digs, 3 aces. DOR 1-0.
Florida Christian d. Miami Country Day 25-20, 25-22, 25-27, 25-14: Mikaela King 19 kills, 5 points, 2 aces, 11 digs, 1 block; Briley Wellinghoff 21 points, 2 aces, 12 digs; Joie Diaz 37 assists, 14 points, 2 aces, 10 digs. FCS 1-0.
La Salle d. Palmetto 15-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-23: Carolina Juara 7 digs, 9 kills; Kiara Alietti 18 digs, 2 assists, 4 aces, 1 kill; Angelina Cambo 7 digs, 12 kills, 2 aces; Helena Marquina 1 dig, 1 ace, 8 kills.
Ransom Everglades d. North Broward Prep 25-18, 25-22, 25-17: Juliana Perez 8 service points, 1 ace, 4 digs; Julia Lewkowitz 11 kills, 5 digs, 4 aces; Juliana Williamson 6 kills, 1 ace, 3 blocks.
Golf
Columbus 151, Gulliver Prep 161 at Deering Bay Yacht & Country Club in Miami: Hans Risvaer (Col) and John Marshall (GP) 35; Christian Figueredo (Col) and Matias Saavedra (Col) 38; Krishan Nanda (GP) 39; Victor Herrera (Col) 40.
Miami Herald Fall Sports Preview Forms
Broward and Miami-Dade county varsity high school coaches of Fall sports, preview forms were sent via email last week to athletic directors.
Bowling, cross-country, football, golf, swimming and volleyball.
If you received one from your AD, fill it out the best you can and return it to the person listed on the form by the designated deadline date.
If you did not receive the preview form to highlight your team, email hssports<code_dp>@miami<code_dp>herald.com.
New coaches and award winners
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have new hires, or coaches and athletes who won special awards (local, state, regional, national), email hssports<code_dp>@miami<code_dp>herald.com. Varsity only.
Submit Fall sports results
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have varsity results, top performers and stats for this column, email hssports<code_dp>@<code_dp>miami<code_dp>herald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
