GALION — While a student at Northmor High School, Tyler Bailey started bowling for the Golden Knights’ program as a junior.

That proved to be a good decision for him, as he experienced enough success over those two years to be able to continue competing in that sport at the next level. Bailey recently signed to bowl for Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

“I started bowling as a junior and found I was good at it and schools wanted me, so I decided to just do it,” he said.

And Mount Vernon Nazarene seemed to be the right play to continue his education, as well as his bowling career.

“It feels more at home,” he said. “It’s a small school campus. It was real nice and I felt at home there.”

He noted that when he started communicating with the school, it didn’t take long for him to make a decision.

“Not that long, actually,” he said. “One of their advisors came in and I thought it’d be a great place.”

Bailey, who is undecided on a major, noted that it didn’t really take long for bowling to click with him as a junior.

“It was definitely hard at first learning the different techniques,” he said. “Once I picked them up, I got good. Last year, I was 12 pins away from advancing to districts.”

With only two years of experience, Bailey feels he has plenty of room to improve in the sport.

“The mental part for sure,” he said. “I need to start focusing and slow down and find my line better.”

But practicing the sport is no issue for Bailey.

“I practiced it five or six times a week and after practice, stayed after to work on my lines more and it never got boring,” he said.

When it comes to moving from high school to college, Bailey is looking forward to one aspect of the sport in particular — the additional travel.

“We do get to go out of state a few times,” he said. “I’m excited about that and to meet new bowlers.”