ST. CHARLES – What a difference a year can make.
In 2016, Lorna Lopez never thought she had it in her to be a bowling state qualifier. This year, the St. Charles East junior made state a reality after posting a 1,166 series at the Fremd sectional tournament Feb. 11.
“It’s crazy how things happen,” Lopez said. “Last year, I never saw myself in this position. I had a 140 average, and this year, I have a 180 average.”
Lopez’s score at the sectional was good for the fifth and final individual state berth. The Saints tallied a team score of 5,100 to finish seventh at the sectional. The top four teams moved on to state.
A 248 in the third game was a big highlight for Lopez. It was also when she believed she had a shot at state – even as the Saints’ hopes of moving on to The Cherry Bowl in Rockford as a team started to wane.
“I hoped to be there with my team, but when I realized the team might not go I realized I had to step it up,” Lopez said. “After [my teammates] saw what was happening in the team standings, they looked at the individual standings to see how high up I was and they came over and started cheering for me.”
Lopez said countless trips to the bowling alley with her dad, working on picking up spares and other intricacies of the sport, helped her raise her average, which in turn eventually led to the state berth.
She had an outing with her dad scheduled Feb. 13 before practicing with East coaches Tom Cole and Brian Wright at Bowling Green in West Chicago on Feb. 14 ahead of state.
“I’m pretty nervous because it’s a new experience for me,” said Lopez, who was scheduled to have practice time at The Cherry Bowl from 3 to 4 p.m. Feb. 16. “At the same time, I’m really excited for it.”
St. Charles North
The North Stars posted a 936 score in Game 4 and a 917 in Game 2 at the Fremd sectional Feb. 11, but a 5,102 total and sixth-place finish had them on the outside looking in at the end of the tourney. The top four teams at the sectional moved on to the state tourney, and Schaumburg nabbed the final team spot with a 5,496 pinfall.
Burlington Central
Senior Lizzy Barton had a high game of 226 in the first game at the LaSalle-Peru sectional Feb. 11. She finished with a 1,091 score but missed out on advancing to state tournament.
Senior teammate Olivia Cassata posted a 954 score (193 high game) at the sectional.
Geneva
Senior Maddie Voss competed at the Oak Lawn sectional Feb. 11 but did not advance to state.