Wong girls, not related, double up for Hinsdale Central

• Reprints

They are not related, but Zoe (left) and Caitlin Wong have become major contributors to Hinsdale Central's girls bowling team. | George M. Wilcox~Sun-Times Media.

Updated: February 20, 2012 9:08AM

Hinsdale Central girls bowlers Zoe Wong and Caitlin Wong are not twin sisters, aren’t even related and don’t even live in the same suburb.

But they have become good friends, and even act like sisters, though neither has a female sibling.

“People think we’re sisters, but they’re surprised when we’re not,” Caitlin Wong said. “Our guidance counselor, Mrs. (Gia) Maniscalco, mixes us up all the time.”

The two Wongs also have become very good bowlers for Hinsdale Central, though neither one ever bowled competitively until reaching high school.

The pair of sophomores finished among the Red Devils’ top four scorers during Saturday’s Hinsdale Central Invitational, held at Suburbanite Bowl in Westmont.

Freshman Veronica Cothard (984 pins) finished 24th to lead Hinsdale Central. Meanwhile, Zoe Wong (944) was 32nd and Caitlin Wong (813) placed 51st over six games. Maggie Jablonski (941) was 33rd.

Hinsdale Central (4,542) finished 10th overall.

When Caitlin Wong was a freshman, she convinced Zoe Wong to try out for the bowling team. Caitlin considered going out for the volleyball team, but changed her mind.

“I thought, ‘Maybe I should do a sport in high school,’ ” Caitlin recalled. “I got Zoe to try out with me. It went from there.”

Caitlin Wong lives in Willowbrook and Zoe Wong resides in Hinsdale.

Red Devils coach Sanskruti Patel, a social studies teacher, has taught Caitlin.

“As their coach, I would say that Zoe and Caitlin do have different personalities,” Patel said. “Although both of them are incredibly bright, intelligent, and very hard-working, Zoe has this very sharp sense of humor that I love. I had Caitlin in class and was able to see firsthand how sincere she is, and how incredibly helpful she can be to others that need something. Overall, I’m just really impressed by both of the young ladies and feel very lucky to have them on the team.”

Zoe Wong has the higher scoring average between the two, shooting in the high 130s. In the Red Devils lineup, Cothard is typically the lead bowler in each frame, while Caitlin Wong and Zoe Wong rank 2-3.

The Wongs first met when they were in eighth grade. They attended a Christian summer camp in southern Wisconsin. Zoe then invited Caitlin to her family’s church, the Chinese Alliance Church, in Wheaton. They continue to attend the same church.

“We started bowling to have fun. We joined the team when we were freshmen. We decided to do it together,” Zoe said. “Bowling on our team, it’s not always about high scores. We’re low-key and have fun.”

Added Patel: “Zoe and Caitlin have both made tremendous improvements since last year. I think part of it is just having more experience, and they have a better sense of the game itself. Although they have not taken any private lessons, they have just been more consistent with their practice and efforts, and their improvement reflects that hard work.”

The Red Devils will compete in the Hinsdale South Invitational at Willowbrook Lanes on Friday. The season’s last major meet is the Leyden Invitational, set for Jan. 28, followed by the West Suburban Conference Head Pin tournament in Willowbrook Jan. 30.