Next week`s state bowling championships at Landmark Lanes in Peoria will have a familiar feel-past contenders like Palatine, Fenton, Rich Central and Leyden won Saturday sectionals to qualify.
It may not have a familiar state champion, though, if Palatine`s score of 5,550 in the Schaumburg sectional is any indication. The Pirates` total was the best of any team in a Chicago-area sectional by more than 300 pins.
Tracy Anderson rolled a 1,334 series to win the individual title, and teammate Natalie Hansen was second at 1,115. Anderson rolled one series of 738 that included games of 268, 246 and 224; it was the best three-game series she`s ever had and the best in the history of the state tournament.
”I really wanted to do well today,” said Anderson. ”I owe a lot of this success to my teammates who yelled and shouted for me, especially during the morning series.”
”Naturally I`m pleased,” said Palatine coach Luanne Macey, whose team won its fifth sectional in 11 years. ”We expected to win, but I can`t recall one of my teams ever rolling for a higher pin total. The girls liked this house, especially Tracy.”
Fenton, which won three state titles in the last six years, advanced by winning at Rolling Meadows with a 5,108 total. Hersey`s Sherry Pielach was the individual winner with a 1,060 total. Amy Walle had a 1,048 to finish second for Fenton, which had a 52-pin spread between its first and fifth bowlers.
”I don`t want to sound cocky, but we expected to win today,” said Fenton coach Al Ostrowski. ”We bowled very well. It wasn`t our best, but it was enough. Last year we didn`t make the state finals. We`re at the opposite end of the spectrum right now. Every girl that bowled today bowled last year when we didn`t make it, so we have to be pleased.”
Rich Central, which also won three state titles in the 1980s, also had a big day Saturday, rolling 5,181 to win its own sectional. The Olympians`
Shilpa Jobalia (1,105) and Brenda Edwards (1,095) finished 1-2 individually.
”I was actually hoping that we could hit around 5,200 for a team score,” said Rich Central coach Dave Seidler. ”I was a little worried after our first two games because we were trailing by 160 pins.
”This team ranks very high among some of the best teams I`ve had here at Rich Central. This is also a team that never stops learning.”
Leyden, which won its own sectional, had the second-best local qualifying score with a 5,243 total. Other top individual scores Saturday were a 1,217 series for Richards` Karen Ferguson at the Richards sectional and a 1,135 series for Rich South`s Michelle Murphy at Rich East.
