Antioch survives cut

ROCKFORD — Antioch rolled to a quick start on the opening day of the IHSA state girls bowling tournament at Cherry Bowl in Rockford on Friday.

And a boost late in the day from Sarah Gagnon and Samantha Dvorak helped the Sequoits return for another day.

Antioch opened with a 1,035 and was in fourth place. The Sequoits then tossed games of 928 and 988 for a 2,951 total and sixth place.

But the afternoon was completely different. The Sequoits tossed games of 897, 854 and 954 for 2,705, dropping them to 11th — but their total of 5,656 earned the Sequoits a spot in the top 12 teams that will bowl six games today.

Plainfield Central (6,210) has a 22-pin lead over Machesney Park Harlem (6,188) after the first six games.

“We bowled well this morning and thought we would be in fourth place after the morning session,” Antioch coach Jeff Childress said. “We had multiple bowlers miss spares and were off track (in the afternoon).”

The Sequoits were on the on the bubble after five games and needed help off the bench from Gagnon (177) and Dvorak (174).

“Both of them delivered and put us over the hump,” Childress said. “You never know. We could get hot and sneak up in the top 10 (today). Our goal was to make it to state and then see if we could make it to the second day.”

Gagnon and Dvorak have competed off and on throughout the season — and they took advantage of their opportunity Friday.

“It was exciting and different,” Dvorak said. “By the sixth game, everybody was getting frustrated. Getting new bodies out there brought ourselves up.”

Stevie Lindberg led Antioch with a sox-game total of 1,215 and a high game of 233. The Sequoits’ other scorers were Allyson Mathias (1,188), Symantha Rolph (1,136), Katy Bain (894, five games) and Kelsey Schreiber (872, five games).

Vernon Hills’ Randi Stone stood sixth after a morning series of 693 (247, 212, 234). Over the final three games, Stone tossed games of 148, 247 and 155 for a 1,243 (19th).

“Honestly, the first game I was flipping out and never thought I would be here,” Stone said after her first appearance at state. “I was trying to keep up with the pace.

“Making the second day, I’m thrilled about it. It’s just like another day of bowling. I’m hoping to be in the top 10.”

Jodi Gawlik of Schaumburg fired a 300 in the final game of the morning session. She rolled a six-game total of 1,456 that included three-game series of 743 and 713. Gawlik leads the individual standings.