Natalie Cortese: 'I just want to win'
Four years ago, before Amanda and Natalie Cortese joined the Hoffman Estates Bowling team, Hawks coach Dan Pfligler didn't put their names down on any newspapers' questionnaires and didn't mention them to reporters who asked about his team for that year.
But other coaches in the Mid-Suburban knew, and the cat was out of the bag before the first ball was thrown.
And for four years now, the Cortese sisters have been among the best bowlers in the state. Amanda has rolled a 300 and finished fifth at state one year while Natalie has bowled a few 300's, gone over 800 once and placed second at state last year.
They began bowling when they were seven years old.
"Our parents signed us up for bowling because they bowled and they wanted us to enjoy it, too," Natalie said
Natalie wasn't necessarily good at the start, but it didn't take her long to start taking the sport seriously.
"When I was 10," she said, "I wanted to bowl on the travel league, but you had to be good to be on it."
Natalie has just one motivation to bowl for the Hawks.
"I want to win," she said.
Hoffman has done that plenty of times. They have won the MSL title in each of the last four years. Natalie has won three MSL championships, with Amanda taking it last year.
Natalie has had a goal ever since freshman year. Both will be bowling for the University of Central Missouri next years.
"I just wanted to be on varsity," Natalie said. "You don't get to do as much on JV."
Her first high school meet was a snap. Natalie bowled a 772 series, less than 5 pins off the MSL record. "I knew then what I had to do to get to stay on varsity."
"After I worked with them and saw them bowl 200 series, I knew they were going to be on varsity," said Hoffman Estates coach Dan Pfligler.
They key is, bowl harder.
"It's shown," Pfligler said. "Freshman year we won conference. Natalie bowled something like 209. She bowled a 224 earlier, which was the high in the league. Averages, especially hers, are going up in the conference. I think a lot about Natalie on the team and the passion she has for the game. She just wants to be good at it. She just knows she can be better if she bowls 700s and 224 in the conference.
"She wants to win state. She wants her and her sister to finish 1-2 at state. "
Does she have any fear?
"She's such a team player,"Pfligler said. "Yet she gets a little worried about going to state. I don't know if that's a fear. We know there are good teams out there."
Girls bowling state meet
Where: Cherry Bowl Lanes in Rockford
Schedule: Today, first round at 9:30 a.m.; second round at 1:45 p.m.
Saturday, third round at 8:45 a.m.; fourth round at 12:45 p.m.
Defending champion: Winnebago
Individuals to watch: Seniors Natalie and Amanda Cortese have brought home a fistful of medals during their four years at Hoffman Estates, including at the state meet. They are two of the favorites. Other area bowlers with a good chance are Schaumburg's Samantha Kelly and Marilyn Gawlik.
Teams to watch: Despite finishing second at sectionals, Hoffman Estates still comes in as a strong favorite. So does Schaumburg, the team that finished ahead of the Hawks at sectionals. Other sectional champions who qualified for the state meet are Collinsville, Leyden, Plainfield North, Morris, Salem, Vernon Hills, Sandburg, Lockport, Jefferson and Oswego East.
What they're saying: "We bowled well at the Rockford Invitational," said Schaumburg coach Mark Kelly. "Now it's just a matter of how we handle the pressure."
-- Kathy Rudolph