Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week-Troy Sliwa

As of this writing, the East boys bowling team is making school history. Their accomplishment of making it through regionals and sectionals and earning a state playoff berth is a first for the school, and has been the hard work of so many seniors and underclassman, including senior captain Troy Sliwa, who is our Oswego East student athlete of the week.

Troy began bowling competitively at the ripe age of 9, and has steadily improved to become not only an exceptional bowler, but also a leader for his teammates. Assistant coach Frank Johnson describes Troy, saying, “he is very technical, and knows exactly where is playing, what board he hit, and what adjustments he needs to make.” He goes on to add, “[Troy] is a captain this year, and the guys listen to him. He leads stretches before each event, and keeps a level head.”

Troy’s mother, Nadine Sliwa, has watched her son blossom into not only an excellent bowler, but a great person. “I am so proud of him,” says Nadine. She goes on to add, “[Troy] is a team leader and holds himself to high standards and ethics.”

The team finished the regular season at 10-3 and was able to qualify for the state tournament, which is taking place this weekend. Troy was one strike away from bowling a perfect game at Joliet Town and Country Lanes, bowling 11 strikes in a row and finishing with a 295.

Head coach Tim Ochoa and assistant Frank Johnson help keep Troy mentally and physically ready for each contest. “Coach Ochoa does a fantastic job keeping the team hyped up and calm when we need to, and is a great mentor that has the best intentions for the team,” says Troy. As for Coach Johnson, Troy adds, “Coach Frank does the more mentally demanding job of lining up our shots to make sure we stay in the pocket so we have the best chance of striking.”

As a student, Troy is a leader in the classroom and works hard to excel at everything he does. As a senior, he has amassed a 3.8 G.P.A., scoring a 24 on the ACT. He plans on attending a community college for two years before transferring to a University, and is still undecided on a major, but is interested in the sciences.

Paul Roberts, Troy’s advanced placement Chemistry teacher, helped nurture Troy’s love of chemistry, with Troy saying, “I love working on different labs and discovering more about atomic structures and the blueprints that make up the world.” The same mental toughness that makes Troy a success on the lanes has helped Troy succeed in the classroom, with Roberts saying, “[Troy] is a strong student with his lab skills and solving problems in the lab.” He goes on to add, “Troy has a very analytical mind and will excel at activities that require multi-level thinking and come up with a reasonable response/conclusion and solution.”

The East team will look to continue to add to their historical season this weekend, and the community will be pulling for them. Troy offers this advice up for future Wolves, saying, “enjoy high school because the time flies!” Hopefully Troy and his teammates will savor every moment this weekend, and add as many highlights to what is truly a history making season.