Coronado High School senior Calee Berry is set to defend her Class 5A state individual bowling title next week, but the road back has been anything but smooth. Berry battled a knee injury that nearly ended her season before it began, yet she enters the postseason ranked fourth in Southern Nevada with a 178.5 average.
Berry won the individual championship in 2025 after entering the tournament ranked fourth, and she believes her experience in high-pressure moments will again be an advantage. “I want to defend those crowns,” Berry said. “But I do not want it to be easy. One thing I really love is competition. That’s when I really pull out my inner beast.”
The Cougars are also defending their team title, though they have not dominated the regular season as expected. Liberty, Shadow Ridge, Palo Verde and Desert Oasis hold the top four team spots. Coronado coach Nicholas Elefantis remains confident. “Any team that has a hot week in the tournament can run the table,” he said. “Anybody can win, and there will be no easy matchups. The women’s side is stacked, but Calee has done it once, and I don’t doubt her ability to do it again.”
Berry’s mental toughness has been a hallmark of her game, but the knee injury has tested her confidence. “I wasn’t even sure at the beginning of the season that I’d get a chance to defend my crown,” she said. “So, I haven’t been as confident just because I’m trying to get back into my physical groove. But I’d say my mental game is my biggest competitor.”
Elefantis praised Berry’s leadership. “Calee leads by example,” he said. “In practices, drills, she’s always going to be setting an example, and with empathy and kindness. It’s almost like she’s an assistant coach.”
Individual postseason qualifying begins Feb. 3, and team playoffs run Feb. 10-13, all at the Orleans Bowling Center. The top three individual bowlers ahead of Berry are Centennial’s Kaydence Milk, Silverado’s Deliarose Colonna and Liberty’s Peyton Manning. Berry said she looks forward to competing against them.
Beyond high school, Berry has received offers from Kansas and Nebraska and is in talks with Howard. She plans to study politics and become a business lawyer. “Anywhere I go, bowling is going to be there,” she said. “It’s way more than a sport to me.”
