Northwest/Scouting girls bowling sectionals
By Bill Esbrook
Daily Herald Correspondent
Elk Grove is hoping that this will be the year. The Grenadiers were Mid-Suburban League champions in 2011, but fell short of their goal of getting out of sectionals and advancing to the state tournament in Rockford.
Now this season the Grens are back with another talented team in search of the coveted trip to Cherry Bowl Lanes. They won their second consecutive MSL crown and will compete at Saturday’s Resurrection sectional at Habetler Bowl in Chicago, with the goal of becoming one of the two teams who will punch their ticket to Rockford, where the state championship tournament will be held Feb. 10-11.
The Grens are led by senior Tedra Tado, who finished fifth as an individual at Cherry Bowl last season and won the individual MSL title this year with a 200.10 average. Tado will be ably assisted by another terrific senior, teammate Ashley Dolce (198.8), who was third in the MSL individual race and also had the top series in the conference (728).
Junior Abby Nix (175.92) adds some extra firepower for the Grens, whose top competition at Habetler will come from MSL rivals Prospect and Hoffman Estates, which finished 2-3 in the league.
Both the Knights and the Hawks are coming in off state appearances last year, as both teams competed into the second day at Rockford in 2011. The Knights took sixth place with an aggregate pinfall of 11,644 while Hoffman finished 8th at 11,598.
Prospect will be led by senior Allison Walsh, who was second in the MSL with a 199.13 average. Walsh, who already owns an individual state golf championship, will get a big assist from senior teammate Cassie Bach, who was eighth in the league with a 187.08.
Hoffman will look for big efforts from sophomore Sarah Wille (fifth MSL, 195.15) and senior Brittany Gray (seventh, 191.56).
Other local teams competing at Resurrection include Hersey, which has had strong performances all year from seniors Sam Tres and Jess Caraba, who bowled a 241 game in conference play; Conant, which will be led by junior Courtney Slavich and seniors Sammi Van De Linde and Sam Pincenti; Fremd and junior Kayleigh Burnitz and Samantha Rossdeutscher, both of whom could compete for individual advancement; Palatine (junior Anna Lessner, 164.28 average); Rolling Meadows (senior Abbey Hill, 9th in the MSL); and Wheeling (junior Samantha Nowry, 160.18).
Other sectionals around the state:
Schaumburg will be one of the favorites to advance out of the DeKalb sectional, which includes Lake Park and Bartlett. The Saxons surprised a lot of people this year with strong performances from the likes of senior Cheyenne Pfeiffer and sophomores Rachel Vincent and Shannon Maiers. Barrington, which made great strides this season behind stellar play from seniors Jazlynn Skor and Beverly Dines, will also compete at DeKalb.
Leyden will look for a second straight trip to Rockford at its own tournament at Brunswick Zone in River Grove with the dynamic duo of Danielle Trevino and Reba Hall leading the way.
Buffalo Grove will roll at the Lake Zurich sectional and senior Mariah McVay will be among the best. McVay, who has a 300 game to her credit, led the MSL in individual average most of the season and had a league-best 279.
Defending state champion Machesney Park Harlem looks to advance from the Oregon sectional, while 2010 champion Collinsville faces competition from O’Fallon and Troy Triad at Taylorville. Plainfield Central and Oswego are the heavyweights at the Plainfield South sectional, while Herrin should lead the pack at their own tourney. Qualifiers from meets hosted by Hinsdale South, Sandburg, Galesburg and Joliet West will complete the state field of 24.