NILES — Niles bowling head coach Jim Jaynes admits coaching mind control can be difficult.

Already in the middle of the bowling season, he is seeing veteran and novice bowlers alike pick up on the mental discipline needed to do well in the sport.

At the Niles Singles Tournament at Joey Armadillo’s on Saturday, individuals from the team shined, as every bowler could gain confidence from competing for themselves, he said.

Freshman Chevelle Jaynes finished with an average of 159, the highest for the Niles girls team on Saturday, followed by Shelby Jaynes, who bowled a 151, Alayna Duis, who bowled a 150, and Riley Hopper, who bowled a 144.

On the boys side, freshman Trenton Phillips finished with an average of 194, the highest average for a Niles bowler, and second highest average for the tournament. Allegan’s Fletcher Berifuss bowled a 206. Niles senior Drew Gourlay bowled a 190, Matt McKeel bowled a 184, Nathan Ryman a 178, and Preston Sharpe a 169.

In Girls A division bracket play, Brandywine’s Madison Pontius took first, and Niles’ Alayna Duis took fourth.

In Boys A division bracket play, South Haven’s Garret Heath took first, followed by Gourlay, who took second, Sharpe, who took third, and Phillips who finished fourth.

From a regional perspective, a singles tournament can be beneficial for athletes as it prepares them for when they will bowl individually on the second day of the meet.

“[The team] is doing well. I’ve seen lots of improvement,” Jaynes said at the meet. “The new ones are stepping up very well, and I just wish we could get these kids involved before their senior year.”

In his nine years of coaching at Niles, Jaynes said every year he notices an influx of seniors. This year, the bowling program as a whole has grown, as 32 kids are involved — 14 boys and 18 girls. Jaynes was shocked that of the 14 boys on the team, seven were seniors.

Last year, the girls bowling team had a 9-1 record and were conference champions. The boys team ended the season with a 7-3 record and took second place in the conference.

In addition to veteran bowlers, freshmen have joined the ranks, which proves the youth bowling program in Niles is making a difference, Jaynes said.

Seniors Ydalee Sotelo, Shaye Webb and Shelby Jaynes are all four-year bowlers.

“Shelby has been bowling since she was 4. Last year around his time, she shot 300 in a tournament that was not associated with high school,” Jaynes said of his daughter’s performance.

This year, Jaynes’ other daughter, Chevelle, a freshman, will be competing against her sister.

“When Shelby was a freshman, she didn’t ever want her sister to be on her team,” said Jaynes with laugh. Now, the pair are teammates.

On the boys side, senior Drew Gourlay has returned to the sport after previously playing basketball. Gourlay played varsity football and soccer in the fall.

“He asked me if he could come back,” Jaynes said. “Of course, I said, ‘Yes! Why would I ever say no? Let’s go bowl.’”

A returning letterman for the Niles boys side is junior McKeel, who has been with the sport since he entered high school. Jaynes called him a leader of the boys’ squad.

Freshman Phillips is also already making a mark on the program.

“He’s been bowling a long time. His dad is a local bowler,” Jaynes said.

This year, Jaynes said his team excels not only in the bowling alley but also in the classroom.

“I have a bunch of really smart, mathematical kids. They like to analyze stuff and make suggestions on how to do things from a math perspective,” Jaynes said.

However, math does not work in bowling, Jaynes added.

In order to be successful at the high school bowling level, Jaynes said mental discipline is key.

“You can be mediocre physically and if your mental game is tough enough to keep you out of a funk, you can excel,” he said.

In practices, the team works heavily on mental toughness and short memory skills.

“After you throw the ball, you don’t get to bring it back and do it again,” Jaynes said. “You have to let the ball go. Let that one go, move on, worry about the next one.”