Here is a look at girls bowling teams in The Herald-News area for 2025-26.

BOLINGBROOK

Head coach: Steven Hughes

Top returner: Payton Zulfer, sr.

Top newcomer: Valerie Kay, fr.

Worth noting: Zulfer was a sectional qualifier last season for the Raiders and is drawing collegiate interest. ... Coach Hughes: “Our team goal is to make it out of regionals as a team and not just have individual qualifiers.”

JOLIET CENTRAL

Head coach: Steve Perion

Last season’s record: 3-11

Top returners: Savannah Hargrow, so.; Annabelle Guzman, so.

Top newcomers: Stephanie Butler, fr.; Lily Dyche, fr.; Morgan Brown, fr.

Worth noting: The Steelmen will be relying on several young bowlers this season. ... Coach Perion: “This year we are a very young and inexperienced group compared to our competition in the conference and in the area. However, since Day 1, the girls have showed up every day and worked hard to improve. That is all I can ask for. I really look forward to seeing their growth at the end of the season and over the next few years.”

JOLIET WEST

Head coach: John Lizzio

Last season’s record: The Tigers scored 104 out of 110 possible points during their Southwest Prairie Conference season.

Top returners: Samantha French, sr.; Mia Antomez, sr.; Malorie Berry, sr.; Emily Michon, sr.; Gianna Mendoza, jr.; Angela Mihajlovic Demco, so.; Jordyn Jinks, so.

Top newcomers: Shailyn Perryman, fr.; Charlotte Wegner, fr.

Worth noting: The Tigers finished second in the state last season to Harlem, with French taking 11th as an individual. ... French was all-SPC the last two seasons, while Antomez, Berry, Michon and Mendoza were all-conference last season. ... Coach Lizzio: “In the last three years, we have won conference, regionals and sectionals, and have one state title and two second-place trophies. This year, we are focused on us and nobody else. Our goals are to stay focused, be more together and have a strong mindset.”

LINCOLN-WAY CENTRAL

Head coach: Kari Abrahamsen

Top returners: Lilly Dedic, sr.; Nicole Leser, jr.; Alyssa Adkins, jr.

Top newcomers: Sara Messlein, jr.; Madalyn Messlein, sr.

Worth noting: Both Dedic and Leser advanced to the sectional as an individual for the Knights last season. Dedic missed state qualification by 10 pins. ... Not only are Sara Messlein and Madalyn Messlein sisters, but they are also both left-handed. ... Coach Abrahamsen: “Lily Dedic had a great day and experience at the sectional. The goal this year is to get both her and Nicole Leser to state. Alyssa Adkins saw some varsity time last year, and you can’t count out the Messlein sisters, either.”

LINCOLN-WAY EAST

Head coach: Brian Shannon

Last season’s record: 6-4

Top returners: Abby Bojan, sr.; Abby Craig, jr.; Grace Bohms, sr.

Worth noting: Craig was All-Southwest Suburban Conference and a state qualifier last season for the Griffins, while Bojan and Bohms were both sectional qualifiers. ... Coach Shannon: “We had three individual sectional qualifiers last year and Abby Craig made it to state. We have an amazing group of seniors that hopefully can bring us to state as a team this year.”

LINCOLN-WAY WEST

Head coach: Scott Ullian

Last season’s record: 7-1

Top returners: Allison Whalen, sr.; Madison Tippett, sr.; Michelle Schmitz, sr.; Erin Paul, sr.; Paige DeBella, sr.

Top newcomers: Eve Brkovic, so.; Michaela Vinci, so.

Worth noting: Whalen advanced to the second day at last year’s state tournament for the Warriors, while Schmitz was the Lincoln-Way Cup champion and DeBella has signed with Lewis University. ... The Warriors qualified for state last year for the third straight season and took fifth in a national high school tournament over the summer. ... Coach Ullian: “The outlook for our team is very good. These five seniors have been bowling together now for three years, so the chemistry is very good. All of the girls have improved a lot over the summer and look forward to a great year. Our two sophomores, Eve and Michela, will definitely contribute to the varsity team as well. The girls have the end of season goal to make it to state four years in a row. Also, our goal is to finish the same or better in all of our tournaments this year.”

LOCKPORT

Head coach: Lynda Siezega

Last season’s record: 29-7

Top returners: Taylor Lane, sr.; Grace Szmerglaski, jr.; Brooke Stroud, sr.; Alyvia Matiasek, jr.; Abygail Michalski, jr.; Abby Ormins, so.

Top newcomers: Grace Berg, fr.; Jenna Wilson, fr.; Beth Smith, fr.; Rhiana Jones, fr.

Worth noting: The Porters finished seventh in the state last season. ... Lane has been All-Southwest Suburban Conference three times, while Matiasek has been All-Conference twice and was All-State last year as a sophomore, finishing third in the state. Szmerglaski and Stroud have both been All-Conference once. ... Coach Siezega: “Our goals for this season are to make sure everyone improves, we make it to state, and finish better than we did last year.”

MINOOKA

Head coach: Mickey Resner

Top returners: Sophia Oberding, sr.; Kylie Steiner, sr.; Kayla Henry, sr.; Emma Dyxin, so.; Catie Fleetwood, so.

Top newcomers: Haylee Gabriel, fr.; Jill Todd, fr.; Violet Gendermen, fr.; Kylie Lewandowski, fr.; Carmella Mareci, fr.

Worth noting: The Indians finished third in the Southwest Prairie Conference last season, and took eighth in the state. ... Oberding was All-Conference last season and is committed to Southern Nazarene University, while Steiner enters her third season as a varsity bowler. ... Gabriel, Todd, Gendermen, Lewandowski and Mareci were part of a team that finished second at IESA state last season. ... Coach Resner: “We have had a fortunate run at being able to qualify for the state tournament, so one of our goals is to make it back to there again. We are working towards that goal by making sure that we are using each week to get better. We want matches and tournaments to be used to compete, while also being used as learning experiences to be ready for the postseason.”

PLAINFIELD CENTRAL

Head coach: Connie Roberts

Last season’s record: 6-5-1

Top returners: Addison McGrath, so.; Madeline Barnes, sr.; Payton Henderson, sr.

Top newcomers: Faith Koz, jr.; Oliva Schuler, so.; Tailen Brummel, so.; Lucia Budrik, fr.

Worth noting: The Wildcats finished 10th in the state last season. ... McGrath averaged 185 and was named All-Conference. ... Coach Roberts: “This season we are continuing our momentum from last year’s return to the state tournament. We have been focusing hard that we are a team and we are as successful because we work as one. We trust everyone. We are working towards finishing in the top half of every tournament we are in and receiving points in every conference match this season.”

PLAINFIELD EAST

Head coach: Jordan Tiritilli

Top returner: Brooke Bozych, so.

Worth noting: Bozych is the third in a line of sisters to bowl for the Bengals. She finished fourth in the Joliet West Frosh/Soph Invitational and sixth at the Morris Charles Butterfield Invitational. ... Coach Tiritilli: “We have almost a completely new team this year, with five new bowlers joining us, most of whom are freshmen. From the first few weeks, we have seen a lot of good potential and improvement from our new girls, all of whom have not bowled before. It will be exciting to see where the season takes us. Our goal this year is to build and create a strong team bond while picking up a few wins along the way.”

PLAINFIELD NORTH

Head coach: Marissa Ramirez

Last season’s record: 8-5

Top returners: Kaylee Leprich, sr.; Ella Urso, sr.

Worth noting: The Tigers qualified for sectionals as a team last season and were just 18 pins shy of qualifying for state. ... Coach Ramirez: “We have 11 newcomers to our team this year, and I’m very excited about the potential this group brings and to introduce them to this sport. This season, our goals for our upperclassmen are to bring home some hardware from tournaments and push us toward competing at a higher level, bringing positive energy, work ethic and leadership for the younger players.”

PLAINFIELD SOUTH

Head coach: Brady Renner

Last season’s record: 4-8

Top returners: Hayden Justis, sr.; Melissa Heaton, so.; Anna Smith, sr.; Natalie Alvarez, jr.

Top newcomers: Brooklyn Bosgraaf, fr.; Carolynn Hammond, fr.; Shamiah Clayton, fr.

Worth noting: Justis was a sectional qualifier for the Cougars last season.

ROMEOVILLE

Head coach: Luis Gil

Last season’s record: 3-9

Top returners: Madison Kautz, so.; Randi Cudia, so.

Top newcomers: Dakota Petraski, fr.; Siari Alcaraz, fr.; Berenice Abunzez, fr.

Worth noting: Cudia was the team captain last season as a freshman and was the only Spartan to earn a medal when she finished in the top five at a JV invitational last season. ... Coach Gil: “Our goal this year is to continue developing our young talent while still staying competitive in a very challenging and competitive conference.”