Amanda Cortese perfect once more

Hoffman Estates' Amanda Cortese has compiled quite a record for the Hawks bowling team.

Two years ago she became the second bowler in Mid-Suburban League history to roll a perfect 300 game.

Her sister, Natalie, was the first.

Amanda has gone over the 700 mark a number of times and helped lead her team to the state championship two years ago.

In Thursday's 9-0 victory over Hersey, Amanda became the first bowler in MSL history to bowl two 300 games.

It happened in Game 2 and she finished with a 735 series (201, 300, 234) to take over the league lead in average from her sister.

"It wasn't carrying in the first game," Amanda said. "I was switching in the first game and in the second game I stuck with what I was comfortable with."

Even though she has a state team title and a second-place individual finish at state to her credit, there is still at least one goal Amanda would like to achieve before graduating.

"The first time I bowled a 300, I didn't bowl a 700. This time I did," said Amanda, who had only one open all day. "I need an 800. I never got one before."

In the top meet of the night, Prospect kept Palatine pointless this week by handing the Pirates a 9-0 defeat.

"I thought we bowled with them," said Palatine coach Jeff Manz, whose team fell to Schaumburg earlier in the week. "We caught them on a hot day. We had only 6 opens and 20 strikes in the third game and still lost. But I can't be upset. They competed really, really well."

"They didn't bowl poorly," Knights coach Greg Troyer said of Palatine. "We bowled well. It's not like we smoked them. Palatine caught us on a hot day. The last game Palatine really made it a battle. We were within 10 pins with two frames to go, but then we were able to put up some strikes and win the game."

Schaumburg which, like Hoffman Estates has yet to lose a point after five rounds, worked out some minor problems since Monday and ended up bowling a 3,109 series.

"We're learning to play the lanes so we know exactly when to change," said Saxons coach Mark Kelly. "We throw a lot of splits because we're using the wrong equipment at the wrong shot. The last two weeks, we learned how to use the right equipment."