High school bowling: Previewing teams from around Kendall County

The high school bowling season gets underway next week. Here are previews of teams from around Kendall County:

GIRLS

Oswego

Coach: Dan Okoren.

Top returning players: Savanna Jourdan, sr.; Lani Breedlove, so.; Lexi Dallaca, jr.; Katelyn Watson, so.; Evelyn James, jr.; Lily Ratledge, sr..

Key newcomers: Hailey Jourdan, fr.; Madi Watson, fr.; Amber Lymenstull, fr.

Worth noting: Despite having a young team last year with no seniors on varsity, Oswego finished third in both the regional and sectional tournaments to qualify for state, where the Panthers finished 21st. Breedlove led the team in average (196) as a freshman, and bowled her first 300 perfect game in August at the ISYL Illinois State Scholarship Tournament. Savanna Jourdan, Oswego’s team captain, will be bowling in college at Lewis University. Dallaca earned a varsity starting position in the middle of last season after transferring from Waubonsie Valley. She worked on improving her game this past summer at the Kegel Training Center in Lake Whales, Fla. Katelyn Watson, James and Ratledge were all varsity contributors last season, while Hailey Jourdan, Madi Watson and Lymenstull are all freshmen with bowling experience.

“We have a great mix of veteran leadership and new/young talent,” Okoren said. " Although the IHSA just announced that there will not be a state series for bowling, the SPC is still one of the best bowling conferences in the state and we expect to be very competitive.”

Oswego East

Coach: Jeremy Hillman.

Top returning players: Danya Dannoura, sr.; Gabriella Murillo, sr.; Analucia Navarro, sr.; Johanna Zaportiza, jr.; Kissy Zaportiza, sr.

Worth noting: The Wolves placed fourth at regionals and fourth at sectionals last year, qualifying for state, with a lineup with zero seniors. Kissy Zaportiza bowled an 1,179 at regionals and an 1,159 at sectionals and leads the returners. However Samantha Rodenbostel, who rolled an 1,127 at regionals and an 1,142 at sectionals, opted to graduate early and attend college, leaving a huge void. Joanna Zaportiza made it to day two at state last year after the team failed to advance. Seniors Navarro and Murillo look to make a push for all conference honors this season.

Oswego East’s program has qualified for state 10 times since 2007.

Yorkville

Coach: Julie Renda.

Top returning players: Taylor Patterson, sr.; Cheyanne Patterson, so.; Leia Barron, jr..

Key newcomers: Madisyn Bradford, sr; Amanda Hansma, fr.

Worth noting: The Foxes last year qualified their entire team for state for the first time in program history, taking second place at both regionals and sectionals with since-graduated Allison Nape the individual regional champion. Taylor Patterson bowled a 1,032 series at regionals and 1,127 at sectionals. Bradford, signed to bowl collegiately at St. Ambrose, is back after missing all of her junior year due to injury.

BOYS

Oswego

Coach: T.J. Arnold

Top returning players: Ben Kuehner, jr.; Parker Lymenstull, sr.; Adam Schmalz, so..

Key newcomers: Anthony Gallandez, fr.

Worth noting: The Panthers come off a roller coaster season, finishing 5-5 in conference matches with a third-place finish at the conference tournament. Oswego advanced to sectionals with a third-place finish at regionals, but came up short of qualifying for state. The Panthers graduated one senior, Kevin Cherven, but returns their high average man in Kuehner, an all-conference bowler as a junior who rolled a 1,311 series at regionals. Lymenstull showed flashes of brilliance last year, shooting a 1,308 series at the conference tournament in a fourth-place finish. Schmalz has varsity experience with a 1,115 series at regionals last year and Gallandez league experience.

“We look forward to what this year brings,” Arnold said. “It will be vastly different because of our late start and likely lack of tournament play. This year more than any other our primary goal is to get through the season safely while still having fun and winning games.”

Oswego East

Coach: Steve Henning

Top returning players: Liam Fitzpatrick, sr.

Worth noting: The Wolves last year took second place at regionals led by individual champ and senior Isaak Izzi, were fifth in the Southwest Prairie Conference varsity standings during the regular season with two all-conference bowlers and took third place at the Minooka Invitational. This year’s team will be led by Fitzpatrick, the lone senior who earned conference points in four matches last year and bowled a 1,227 at regionals. Of the 15 returning bowlers, seven have increased their average by over 20 pins and four have increased their average by over 10 pins.

“We’re trying to fill the gap left behind by two stellar seniors,” Henning said. “There’s lots of jockeying for the five spots after [Fitzpatrick]. The SPC is one of the top conferences in the state. Pushing into that top four for varsity and top three for JV is possible with a lot of potential on the lanes this year.”

Yorkville

Coach: Kendall Sims

Top returning players: Caden Fairless, sr.; Dale Horstmann, so.; Jacob Stillmunkes, sr.; Everett Duffy, sr.; Dylan Middendorf, jr.

Worth noting: The Foxes are ready to hit the lanes with five of their six bowlers back from last season, finishing fifth at regionals to just miss sectionals. Team captain Fairless, an all-conference bowler last year, is a three-time sectional qualifier who bowled a 1,275 series at regionals. Horstmann comes off a standout freshman season as he also qualified for sectionals with a 1,205 series and made all-conference. Stillmunkes, Duffy and Middendorf provide depth.