As Lockport continues to roll through the girls bowling postseason, the Porters don’t pay much attention to the scoreboard. No matter where they are in the standings, they try to take the same focus into each game.
“It doesn’t matter if we’re in first place or fifth or sixth place or if we’re dead dirt, we have the same mentality each game,” Lockport’s Kierstin Vandenburg said. “We never want to take anything lightly and we take everything one step at a time.”
The host Porters immediately jumped to a big lead in Saturday’s Lockport Sectional, tossing a 1,150 in the opening game. They never took their foot off the pedal, cruising to the team title by 640 pins at Strike ‘n’ Spare II.
The Porters finished with a six-game total of 6,372 to run away from the field. T.F. South (5,732), Andrew (5,715) and Lincoln-Way West (5,510) also advanced to state, which begins Friday at Cherry Bowl in Rockford.
It’s the second-highest score in the history of the vaunted Lockport program, which has won three state titles and Saturday won its 17th sectional title in the last 30 years.
“What a great day,” Lockport coach Art Cwudzinski said. “Being on our home lanes helps. We had great practices all week, and the girls just bowled great again.”
Vandenburg totaled 1,343 pins (224 average) to edge Bolingbrook’s Felicia Montecinos by 10 pins for the individual title.
“It’s a really good feeling and I felt like I really deserved it,” Vandenburg said. “I’ve been struggling through the season and working really hard to be more consistent and I felt like I really sprouted (Saturday).”
Nikki Mendez (third, 1,321), Danielle Mensik (fourth, 1,285), Bailey Delrose (ninth, 1,240) and Paige Reiter (18th, 1,183) also contributed to the Porters’ dominance.
Lockport topped the 1,100-mark four times.
Dani Berrien (10th, 1,237) and Capri Howard (11th, 1,230) led T.F. South, which advanced to state for the second time in three years.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Berrien said through tears. “All week I said, ‘We’re going to state. We’re going to make it.’ Then to come here and make it a reality, it’s great. Spares were huge for us and just the support of all our teammates. We couldn’t do it without all the girls contributing.”
Andrew clinched its second straight trip to state and fourth in five years behind Danielle Stefanski (12th, 1,230) and Jessie Hallas (13th, 1,224).
After struggling to an 807 in the final game, Lincoln-Way West was nearly overtaken for the last advancing spot by Richards, but hung on by 12 pins.
Jessie Schram (6th, 1,261) and Haley Jablonski (17th, 1,195) led the Warriors.
“We didn’t think we were going to make it,” Schram said. “In the 10th frame, I was like, ‘I have to strike out.’ I got a spare and a strike and I thought, ‘That’s it. We’re not going to make it.’ It was really exciting hearing we made it. I really wanted to go to state as a team, not just individually.”
Advancing individually were Sandburg’s Emily Schrader (fifth, 1,279), Richards’ Alexandra Wozniak (seventh, 1,242), Reavis’ Maryssa Meskill (eighth, 1,241) and Lemont’s Kyra Udziela (14th, 1,208).
Steve Millar is a freelance writer.
