Harry Weigle
Anchorage’s Harry Weigle is one of many two-sport college athletes from Alaska.
But he’s unique. He’s the only golfer-bowler combo.
Weigle is entering his third season of competing in both sports for Waldorf University, an NAIA school in Forest City, Iowa.
“I am lucky the competition schedule really doesn’t overlap,” Weigle said.
His two practice schedules do intersect, however, and that can lead to some very long days that require discipline and determination.
“A big thing is communication with coaches and trainers,” he said.
Training for golf and bowling on the same day can be a struggle at times, but Weigle makes it work. It helps that Waldorf provides the tools needed for him to successfully pull off the juggling act.
“My school requires all athletes to train a certain number of hours a week and they assign each team a trainer to make schedules for us as well as training regimens that we have to complete as a team throughout the week,” he said.
“When having to miss practice or training sessions for one sport I end up having to reschedule sessions on my own time to keep up with my coach’s expectations and requirements.”
There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day sometimes, but Weigle likes to stay busy and doesn’t mind the constant work load.
This is the whole reason he came to Waldorf.
He was recruited as a bowler but was encouraged to play golf as well.
“My coach made a great case for the school and that this was a great place to be able to compete at the college level for both sports,” he said.
Weigle, of West High fame, is having the time of his life at college.
“Waldorf has been a wonderful school for so many reasons, but the most important to me has been the friends I’ve made on the bowling and golf teams,” he said. “The teams, coaches, and trainers have all been the absolute best I could have asked for.”
In bowling, Weigle has rolled multiple 300 games and owns averages of 238 for house shots (rec leagues) and 205 for sport shots (college level).
Last season, turned in a solid season that saw him earn a third-place finish out of 71 bowlers at the Mustang Invitational in Sioux City, Iowa. He racked up a four-game series total of 850, just 10 pins from the win. He put himself into contention with games of 233, 169, 234 and 214.
Weigle also posted a top-100 finish at the United States Bowling Congress’ Intercollegiate Sectionals in Addison, Illinois.
He started bowling at age 4. He was an eight-time junior league champion and four-time state champion. He still holds the Alaska junior state record with an 834 series.
“It’s really just like any sport where you put the time in to be good it will get you to college and even the PBA,” Weigle said. “Every day from kindergarten to my senior year I bowled 8 to 10 games every day after school from August to May. Then I also never missed a day of league or any tournaments for over 14 years.”
Alaska has roughly a dozen men and women bowling in college, but there are only a handful of college golfers from The Last Frontier.
“Representing Alaska is one of my favorite things actually,” Weigle said. “Every time you play in tournaments you are almost always looked down upon as the underdog immediately. I even had a guy apologize to me after he found out I was from Alaska.”
He just laughs.
“That’s exactly why I like it. Being looked upon in that light really gives me even more drive to beat the other golfers as well as show them that we Alaskans know how to play.”
Weigle credits his father for getting him into sports. He was a varsity baseball player in high school and earned an international ranking as a table tennis player.
“He taught me everything there is to know about being an athlete and a competitor,” Weigle said of his father. “Without him I would never have accomplished everything I did in my life to this point.”
