WATERLOO -- Nicole McCalley has seemingly found the perfect marriage of high marks in school and bowling. And, together, they're whisking her away to North Brunswick, N.J., this weekend.

McCalley, a senior at Waterloo West High, parlayed her 3.9 GPA and 10 years of bowling experience into a trip to the East Coast, where she will compete against 15 other honorees in the Denny's All-American High School Championships being held in conjunction with the PBA Tour's 65th Denny's U.S. Open.

In all, 32 girls and boys bowlers were chosen for the event -- one from each of the varsity level states that submitted student nominations. Bowlers had to have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.6 and significant bowling experience. As a result, McCalley is Iowa's lone representative.

Wahawks head coach Robert Kunkle had plenty of details to put in the blanks when he nominated McCalley, who bowled four years for West and carries about a 170 average.

"I helped him fill out some of the information, but really I didn't think I would get chosen," said Nicole, who followed the lead of her parents, Bob and Cindy, into the sport.

"Pretty much everyone in my family bowls," Nicole said. "I've got aunts and uncles who bowl, a cousin who's on scholarship for bowling (in Missouri) and my grandparents used to bowl."

McCalley and the other 15 girls in the field will bowl eight games each to narrow the field to eight. A round-robin format will then determine four finalists for both the boys and girls.

On Sunday, following the conclusion of the U.S. Open, the high school finalists will take on the very same PBA oil patterns for first- and second-place scholarships of $3,000 and $2,000. The high school finals will be televised by ESPN on April 6.

The funds would be most welcome for McCalley, who is planning to attend the University of Northern Iowa in the fall but is understandably short on funding.

"It would sure help," McCalley said.

Contact Sean Hylton at (319) 291-1428 or sean.hylton@wcfcourier.com