The Luna bowlers include (from left): front — Ashley Probst, Paige Green and Deja Macugay; back row — Bill Green, Will Hutchison and Erik Jennings.

LAHAINA — Despite having the distinct disadvantage of competing without a practice venue here on the West Side, the Lahainaluna High School bowling team has made great strides this season to improve upon their position in the Maui Interscholastic League standings.

Led by returning senior captains Deja Macugay for the girls team and Jordan Petersen for the boys, the Lunas rock and rollers have gained wins to move up in the MIL standings for the first time in the four-year history of the sport on the Valley Isle.

Joining Macugay on the Lady Lunas roster are senior Paige Green, junior Jaymee Silva, sophomore returnee Ashley Probst and freshman Natasha Simon.

The Lahainaluna boys team, led by Petersen, is made up of junior Reed Lisk and sophomore Shane Ledbetter.

Both teams are coached by Will Hutchison, Erik Jennings and volunteer assistant Bill Green.

Matches are held at the Maui Bowling Center — the only lanes on the island — and will roll on through Oct. 15.    

Naturally, the Baldwin and Maui High teams that are so close to the Maui Bowling Center lead the MIL, but according to Coach Will, the Lunas are moving up.

“The kids are really getting better and they have great competitive spirit, and I’m having a fun time watching them improve. MIL bowling is experiencing growth, and more fans are coming out each week. For our team, we’ve seen more support than ever before, and it’s fun to see them cheering for us. And I’ve never met nicer people than the staff at the Maui Bowling Center — they’re terrific,” he said.