Amanda Cortese aiming for big finish
Hoffman Estates High School bowler Amanda Cortese is used to seeing her name in the local and not-so-local newspapers.
That's what happens when you bowl a 300 game, which Cortese did last year.
That's what happens when you bowl a 700 series, which Cortese has done more than once in her high school career.
That's also what happens when you lead your team to second place in state, which she did in 2005, and then to the state title in 2006.
Last year Cortese won the Mid-Suburban League title, following her twin sister Natalie as conference champion, and she also broke the league record with a 221.78 average.
However, things weren't always easy for Amanda.
At the end of her freshman year, she only bowled two games at state on Saturday.
As a sophomore, she fell to ninth in the MSL with a 187.78 average and bowled a very respectable 14th at state, third best on her state championship team.
But after a subpar sophomore season, Cortese came back with a vengeance last year.
She was in the top two most of the MSL season and then finished second individually at state with a 222.3 average as Hoffman rallied from ninth to fifth place.
"I think the biggest thing was just having confidence in herself," said Hawks coach Dan Pfligler. "Her junior year, she just took things in stride. She took every game, every tournament in stride."
"I think I knew college was coming around last year and I wanted to do well," said Cortese who, along with her sister, signed Tuesday with Central Missouri University for both their bowling and academic skills.
"I was more confident than I ever was before, and I was more determined than I ever was and it started to show."
It wasn't a new ball or new equipment that helped Cortese to physically get her game back.
In fact, she found out that less was more.
"I did change a few things," she said. "Last year I took off my brace. This year I stay behind the ball and that gives me more power than I've ever had before."
As a result of the changes she has made, Cortese has become a different bowler.
"Around my junior year I got used to it and my goals were raised," Cortese said. "My goal was always to bowl 610 every time. Then a little higher, a little higher.
"I just want to go out every time and make the best shot I can."
Girls bowling
Scouting report
Teams to watch: The usual suspects -- Hoffman Estates, Prospect, Schaumburg, Conant.
Top bowlers: Hoffman Estates twins Amanda and Natalie Cortese; Schaumburg's Samantha Kelly, Hailey Schneider, Kathryn Schild, Marilyn and Jodi Gawlik; Prospect's Hannah Wrenn, Holly Field (MSL F/S champion last year); Hersey's Shauna Pauly and Amy Parr; Conant's Pam Wawryzinsky; Rolling Meadows' Lauren Jacobs, Jackie Carbery; Palatine's Katte Wax; Fremd's Noelle Falk, Ashley Landowski.
Three questions about the upcoming season:
1. Can anyone overtake Hoffman Estates, which has won the Mid-Suburban League title the last three seasons?
2. Can Hoffman's Amanda Cortese hit the 800 mark, which she has said is one of her individual goals?
3. Will anyone, such as Fremd, Rolling Meadows, Palatine and Buffalo Grove, break into the solid top three of Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates and Prospect?