FREEPORT — Talk about a postseason presence.

Freeport's high school bowling team has been making itself known in that regard.

Yellowjacket senior Mark Livingston won the PA Western Regional singles championship in electrifying fashion recently, rolling a 299 in the championship game to defeat North Allegheny's Dylan Scheidler by 106 pins.

Livingston averaged 217 for his five-game series that day. During the regional team competition the next day, he led all bowlers with a 279 game and 774 series.

The 299 was no big deal to him.

“I've had a few of those,” Livingston said. “I'm not even sure how many.”

He's rolled four perfect games in his young lifetime, two of them sanctioned.

The Yellowjacket girls defeated Greensburg Salem, 2-1, to win the regional team title.

Mark's younger sister, Mackensie Livingston, a Freeport freshman, shot a 569 series during the team regional competition. Teammate Julia Cummings, a sophomore, shot a 571. Cummings also rolled a 237, tying Burrell's Lydia Flanagan for high game of the day.

“I was really surprised,” Cummings said. “I didn't bowl my best during singles and that was disappointing.

“The next day, I just found a line and went with it.”

The regional singles and team tournament were bowled at North Versailles. That same house will host the Pennsylvania State High School Bowling Championships this weekend.

Mark Livingston and the Freeport girls teams will be participants.

“I like that. We're more comfortable there,” Cummings said. “Winning the team championship was super fun. That was such a good time for all of us.”

Mackensie Livingston is averaging 181 this season. Mark is carrying a 226 average after averaging 216 his junior year.

Cummings averaged 194.6 as a freshman and is averaging an even 200 this year.

“I'm excited to be going to states,” Mackensie said. “I'm hoping to go there and win singles one time before I'm done (with high school).”

The Livingston siblings and Cummings come from radically different bowling backgrounds. Freeport High bowling coach Tom Livingston and his wife Danielle, have no background in the sport themselves.

“We put our kids in the Wildlife youth program (at Wildlife Lanes in New Kensington) and they just took off with it,” Coach Livingston said. “When Mark got to high school, we wanted him to have a team to bowl on.

“My wife approached the board and we got the ball rolling that way.”

Tom Livingston wound up as coach. Mark Livingston brought some bowlers.

“A couple of friends he had in high school, some guys he bowled with growing up, they all joined as freshmen,” Coach Livingston recalled. “Now we have six seniors this year. We'll have to rebuild next year.”

Mark says he has “no idea” whether he'll bowl in college next year.

“If he finds a program that works out for him, he'll do it,” his father said.

Either way, Mark is carrying momentum into the state tourney.

“I'll show up and whatever happens, happens,” he said.

Cummings' father has bowled in leagues twice a week and had an average over 200.

“He got me started in bowling and I love it,” Cummings said. “I'd love to bowl in college someday. That's my goal.

“I can still improve my mental game, shrug off a missed spare, things like that. My coaches are trying to get me to do better that way.”

Mackensie Livingston bowled solely in the Saturday youth league when she got started. She's expanded her participation since.

“I started doing travel leagues, more junior leagues ... I bowl quite a bit now,” she said. “I've been following my brother that way.”

This year's Freeport bowling season will be hard to follow in general. The Yellowjacket boys are graduating six seniors, the girls two.

“We've got some younger bowlers coming up who hope to fill their shoes,” Coach Livingston said. “The interest is definitely there.”