Apollo’s Raleigh Shelton has signed with Midway University to continue her bowling and academic career. Joining the school’s bowling team as a sophomore, she has helped lead them to team Regionals three times and has recently qualified for the Region Tournament this year as an individual. A year ago, Shelton was named the team’s most improved player and this season she has the fourth highest average on the E-Gals of 155.
The senior spoke with multiple schools, including the University of Evansville and the University of Louisville, but acknowledged that Midway’s size was a perfect fit for her.
“Their team was very welcoming,” Shelton said. “I clicked very well, and I know one of the guys on the team. It was comforting to have somebody whom I know in a way. …When I visited there a second time, we got a tour of the school, and it was really cool to see. It has a small classroom ratio, which works better for me, because I get overloaded easily.”
During her sophomore season, she realized she had a chance to bowl collegiately, and after two years of grinding, her recruitment process picked up this school year. While she was open to attending college outside of her home state of Kentucky, she wanted her next destination to be three-to-four hours from home, so she could still see her family.
“So, I did have a list of schools that I wanted to check out, but when we went to Miday, I liked the drive and the campus,” Shelton said. “When we left, I looked at my mom and told her how nice a school it was, and I didn’t want to go anywhere bigger. It was perfect in a way.”
With her decision behind her, Shelton can solely focus on the remainder of the high school season, acknowledging that a huge weight is off her shoulders. She also plans to study nursing.
