Trinity seniors Celia Alejandre and Faith Lawson were both disappointed with how they bowled during the regular season.
Instead of panicking, the friends realized they could change their fortunes Feb. 6 at the Resurrection Regional.
“It was a rough season, but I wanted to bowl my heart out,” Lawson said. “I had the mindset that I was going to do this. I knew I had to lift my average and improve from where I had been bowling if I wanted to make it to sectionals.”
Lawson and Alejandre earned individual berths at the Rolling Meadows Sectional Feb. 13 at Brunswick Zone in Mount Prospect, while Trinity placed seventh to miss advancing as a team.
Alejandre led the Blazers with a six-game series of 1,085 (181 average), and Lawson rolled 1,081.
“My regular season wasn’t going too well, but I pulled myself together,” Alejandre said. “I just tried to stay positive. During the season I kept getting down on myself every time I had a bad frame or shot. I knew it meant a lot to me and my team that I get as many pins as possible so I tried to push forward and do better. Fortunately, I was able to bowl better and make it.”
Lawson, a Bellwood resident who averaged 165 during the regular season, will be competing in her third straight sectional.
She was a member of Trinity’s sectional-qualifying teams the past two seasons, while Alejandre participated last season at sectionals as well.
“I’m so happy for Faith and Celia,” Trinity coach Tricia Spohnholtz said. “I know they both have the talent and desire to perform well.
“Faith has had a lot of success bowling in her high school career. She didn’t give up. She was truly determined and focused and came through. Celia has really been steady the second half of the season and has been improving each week. She had a great performance.”
Alejandre, a Garfield Ridge resident who didn’t start bowling until her freshman season, is a member of the National Honor Society for art and Spanish.
“I feel accomplished,” Alejandre said. “I try my best in school and try to balance playing a sport and academics. I’ve been pretty good at managing my time to do both. I’m Hispanic, so I like learning Spanish and the culture. I want to eventually be fluent in it. Art is more of a hobby that I enjoy doing.”
She’s honored to be bowling at sectionals with Lawson.
“She is a big part of the team,” Alejandre said. “We’ve bowled together since freshman year and she is one of my closest friends. We both try encouraging each other and really wanted to make it together.”
Note
Trinity’s sectional bid was hampered by an injury to senior captain Marianna Sanchez. She bowled with a torn tendon in her biceps and was unable to perform up to her ability.
“She’s the foundation of the team,” Spohnholtz said. “She’s been working with Celia and Faith all year and I don’t think they have the scores they did without the leadership of Marianna. It’s so sad because she’s truly been a leader all four years.”
Ken Ryan is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
