Schaumburg rolls to Meadows sectional title

Schaumburg coach Mark Kelly said his team saved what he called "our most consistent performance of the season" for the perfect time.

Led by a 6-game series of 1,320 from junior Jessica Halas, the second-best individual performance of the day, the Saxons won Saturday's Rolling Meadows girls bowling sectional to move on to next weekend's state finals.

Schaumburg posted a total pinfall of 5,841, while Mid-Suburban League rivals Hersey (5,758) and Hoffman Estates (5,710) also qualified for a trip to Rockford's Cherry Bowl Lanes, where the state tourney is held.

"This was intense," said Saxons sophomore Adina Contreras. "We came out excited and it was a fun day."

Schaumburg junior Sarah Schwind, who rolled a 244 first game at Brunswick Zone in Mount Prospect, added that the Saxons used their experience to excel.

"I wasn't nervous at all today, really," said Schwind. "We just came out and did what we know how to do."

"I wasn't putting a lot of pressure on myself," said the junior.

"Every game and every frame, I was bowling for the team and not as an individual. It was a little intimidating today with all of the great teams here but I felt that we were peaking at the right time."

Sophomore Emma Wrenn boosted Hersey to a second-place finish with a 1,234 series, while Hoffman Estates made a memorable rally to advance.

The Hawks were locked in a four-team battle for the final qualifying spot entering the last game but shot an outstanding 1,088, the best team game of the day, to best Prospect (fifth), Stevenson and Warren.

Hoffman freshman Allura Magsino, who paced the team's comeback with a 267 sixth game, said that Hawks coach Dan Pfligler was trying not to let his players know what kind of a battle they were in for the final state spot.

"He was trying to keep the scores from us," said Magsino, "so we didn't really know how close it was. We just knew we had to do out best."

"I just kept drinking water all the way through (the last game), I was so dehydrated," added Magsino. "We didn't know we had advanced until our coach told us, 'You're going to state.' I was so excited I was just like 'Oh My God, I don't know what's going to happen next.' "

Jordyn Fera (1,205 total pins, 243 top game), Magsino (1,194), and Azaria Waits (246 in the pivotal final game) excelled for the Hawks.

"I hadn't had a 200 the whole day," said Waits, "so I knew I needed to do my best. Our whole team stepped up."

Individual from the Mid-Suburban League earned 3 of the 5 individual state qualifications as Conant's Angela Anzalone (1,264) and teammate Victoria Domanski (1,249) will move on to Cherry Bowl, as will Barrington sophomore Sarah Tenyer, who finished third at Brunswick with a 1,311, including games of 254 and 245.

Senior Marissa Allen (1,200, 235), who paced Hersey's first advancement to the state meet in almost 20 years, said that the Huskies' trip to Rockford has been a long time coming.

"When we were freshman, to be honest," said Allen, "we were happy to just to make a spare. Now we're confident and we came in with the mindset that we weren't going to let anything stop us from getting to state. We fell just short (by 40 pins) last year, and we weren't about to fall short again."

Huskies coach Julie Arias said that she couldn't be prouder of her team, especially seniors Allen, Delanie Steinweg, and Kait Roscoe.

"This has been three years in the making," said Arias. "It's a big accomplishment."

"This might be the best moment of my life," said Steinweg. "I have to admit, I was bawling."