Tonawanda's Melissa Large bowling her way to the top of Section VI

When you watch Melissa Large bowl, you notice her calmness.

She releases the ball, all ten pins go down, and she then nonchalantly walks back to her team.

"Very emotionless and that's a good thing," said her coach, Josh Barber. "It holds the team together especially when some people are having bad games."

Melissa has always been a quiet player but one her teammates respect and root for.

As a sophomore on the Tonawanda bowling team, she’s one of their most consistent bowlers.

She's always been a competitor, something she credits to a member of her family.

"My brother did it so I kind of got influenced by him," Large said. "For Tournaments, he gives me tips and everything."

All of that help has paid off.

Melissa is currently averaging a 207 and last weekend, put up the highest average and series on the day in a Section VI Invitational.

"It's a great feeling," she said. "You just gotta keep calm and take it one shot at a time."

Which is exactly what she's been doing and it's paying off.

"She has a real good shot at making the State team."

To get there she needs to have a good showing at Sectionals next week, but regardless of how she finishes, Coach Barber says Melissa's future is very bright.

"She's put in a lot of hard work over the past couple of years and really developed as a bowler," he said. "If she sticks with it and keeps wanting to do it, the possibilities are endless for her."

In the past, Melissa has posted top 20 finishes at Sectionals; 16th as an 8th grader and 13th as a freshman last year.