Sterling junior Sarah Doughty won the IHSA state bowling title on Saturday at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford by 186 pins. She is the program’s first girls bowling state champion according to IHSA.org records, and first state medalist since Erin McDonnell took 10th in 1994. Wendi Meyer took second in 1982 and Deane Meyer was fourth in 1983.

She finished with a 12-game total of 2,770 for an average game of 230.8. That is the fifth-best individual state tournament score according to IHSA.org records, and most since 2014.

She finished in first after taking the lead on Friday, using an 800 three-game series to help grab the top spot. Her 800 was the best individual series score at the state tournament. She rolled a 298 in her fourth game.

“This was an achievement for the record books,” Sterling coach Loren Wolf said. “She is very consistent in her form. We just had to keep her in the right bowling ball and the right area of the lane. Obviously this is the greatest accomplishment of my 11 years of coaching the girls team.”

Wolf also coached Doughty to a state title in middle school.