Shane Arteaga of Metea Valley takes on an increasingly rare role in the high school scene. What do football, shotput, and bowling have in common? Metea Valley’s Shane Arteaga plays all three. This story is sponsored by Fair Oaks Ford and Fair Oaks Lincoln.
Shane Arteaga – Metea Valley’s Triple Threat
During the fall sports season, the triple-sport athlete wore number 73 on the football field, contributing to every offensive play as the starting center and serving as the offensive line team captain.
“Football gives me the strength. Every day for football, we had morning lifts, we’d be going at it at 5 a.m. every day, and just really that toughness and grit keep on working at it, every morning,” Arteaga said.
For the past two winter sports seasons, Shane has traded in his football cleats for bowling shoes.
“Straight after the day football ended, I immediately started the bowling season,” says Arteaga.
Arteaga bowls for The Valleys Co-op, a program in just its second season, made up of Metea Valley students, as well as bowlers from Waubonsie Valley and Nequa Valley. Just like on the football field, Shane sets the example for leadership and sportsmanship, while keeping his teammates loose and having fun on the lanes.
“I think this year, he’s stepped up even more in a leadership role. He bowls first, and he sets the tone. When we start every match, after we talk about our objectives and what we want to do for the night, then I turn it over to Shane, and he does his getcha going, rousing of the troops,” says The Valleys’ Head Coach Kathy Wonsowski
In the springtime, Shane will finish his senior year by once again throwing shotput for Metea’s Track and Field team.
Track and Field, bowling, and football may not seem similar, but each requires mental focus and physical strength to be successful, Arteaga says.
“Football is a lot of hitting and so much physical demand. Bowling is a lot more mental compared to track. Track kind of combines them both, track’s a little physical and mental. The ball for bowling is fifteen pounds, and the ball for shotput is twelve pounds, so you gotta be pretty strong,” said Arteaga
Football, bowling, shotput, bring individual focus, and teammate connections to Arteaga
The three also allow Arteaga to experience both a team environment and individual achievement in different ways.
“Track, it’s similar to bowling, compared to football you have a whole team around you, for track it’s just you out there, when you’re throwing shotput in the ring you’re the only one who’s going to be at fault if it goes bad, just like bowling it’s just you up there you don’t have anyone else to blame,” said Arteaga.
But whether he’s snapping a football, rolling a strike, or heaving a shotput, Shane says it’s the teammates and connections that keep him involved in so many sports. That’s likely why, in May of 2025, Shane’s classmates voted to give him the Sportsmanship of the Year Award at Metea Valley following his junior year.
“I think Shane is very motivated. He is a huge sports fanatic, he loves to be involved with people, he’s very social, and he loves the team environment. It’s part of his personality, it’s who he is,” said Coach Wonsowski.
“You’ve got to have fun. You can’t be so serious always, you’ve got to have fun with your teammates, you’ve got to build these connections that you might not otherwise build. That’s what high school is all about, building these connections that will hopefully last you forever. I think I have built those connections,” said Shane.
For more prep sports stories and highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.
