Northwest/Scouting girls bowling sectionals
By Bill Esbrook
Twelve girls bowling sectional tournaments will take place Saturday, all feeding into next weekend’s state championship meet, held as usual at Cherry Bowl Lanes in Rockford on Feb. 11-12.
The top two teams in total pin count at each tourney will advance to state, as will the top two individuals not part of a qualifying team. In addition, there will spots allocated to six “at-large” bowlers. These tickets to the state meet will not be determined until after all the sectional tournaments have been completed and all the results tabulated. The six at-large qualifiers will have total sectional pinfalls which are the least number of pins behind the last qualifying bowler’s score.
Hoffman Estates sectional
Where: River Rand Bowl, Des Plaines
When: 9 a.m. Saturday
Outlook: Possibly the most competitive sectional in the state is lead by Mid-Suburban League champion Elk Grove. The Grenadiers won a close conference race as senior Caerlina Williams bowled a 300 game at the league meet last Saturday. Williams was fourth in the MSL this year with 202.44 average, and she was ably assisted by four bowlers who all have state tournament experience from 2010, when the Grens qualified by by winning the Rolling Meadows sectional.
Elk Grove juniors Tedra Tado (203.79) and Ashley Dolce (202.95) finished 2-3 in the individual MSL standings and Tado rolled the second-best three-game series of the year (707). Seniors Micaela Powell and Sarah Ray, each of whom were in the MSL’s top 15, complete the quartet as Elk Grove looks for a big series to ride to their second straight finals trip.
Schaumburg finished fourth in the MSL this season but is still a threat behind star senior Jodi Gawlik, who led the league with an impressive 221.95 average. The Saxons won state in 2004, were second in 2008 and fifth last year. Senior Cheryl Halas (190.97 average) returns to help lead the charge. Cheyenne Pfeiffer fired the conference’s fifth-highest game this season (275).
Hoffman Estates, a state champion in 2006, has been improving week-by-week and has a great chance to make it to Rockford. Senior Ashley Femrite bowled outstanding games of 258 and 244 at the conference meet to lead the Hawks to a second-place finish, while Liz Saffold (199.36, sixth in the MSL) and Kailey Schlosser (198.33, seventh) have been solid all year. Saffold also boasted the MSL’s top series this season (748).
Prospect will look for a strong performance to return to state for the first time since 2005. The Knights have the senior leadership to make a big run as Kelly Lawless (201.54), Whitney Schmidt (196.10) and Emily Victor (194.18) were all in the top 10 in league average. The Knights, who were the MSL’s top team heading into the conference tourney, also received inspiring performances from their only starting underclassman, junior Allison Walsh (195.49), and another senior, Mary Styzek (193.92).
Rolling Meadows will be counting on senior Paula Noh, who finished the year in the MSL’s top 20; Fremd senior Jennifer Weber and junior Samantha Rossdeutscher have enjoyed excellent seasons; while Hersey will be led by junior Sam Tres. Senior Barbie Gutwein was Palatine’s top performer this season, Conant is led by junior Sam Picenti and Wheeling’s Gabi Fuentes enjoyed tremendous success in 2011.
Also competing in Des Plaines will be Resurrection, St. Scholastica, Taft, Evanston, Loyola, Regina and New Trier.
Vernon Hills sectional
Where: Brunswick Zone Hawthorn, Vernon Hills.
When: 9 a.m. Saturday
Outlook: Buffalo Grove may not have had the placement it wanted in the Mid-Suburban League this year, but you can’t count the Bison out as they roll against local teams, inlcuding the host Cougars, Stevenson, Warren and Zion-Benton. BG junior Mariah McVay fired a 290 during league play and finished in the top 20 in the MSL with a 188.21 average, as did senior Kara Zukoski (186.97), who also bowled an oustanding 269 game during the year. The Bison will be joined by Barrington, which had its best season yet in 2010-11 and is led by juniors Beverly Dines and Jazlynn Skor.
Elsewhere
Other sectionals around the state will be hosted by Alton (where the field includes defending state champion Collinsville), Fenton (where Leyden will compete), Bolingbrook, Carbondale, Morgan Park, Hinsdale South, Lake Park, La Salle-Peru, Andrew and Winnebago.