Marilyn Gawlik helps Schaumburg take lead
ROCKFORD -- The Mid-Suburban League perennially boasts some of the state's best girls bowlers.
That was evident again Friday during the first and second rounds of the IHSA tournament at Cherry Bowl.
Schaumburg leads the 24-team field with a six-game pinfall of 6,041 heading into today's third and final rounds (six games).
The Saxons are 8 pins ahead of runner-up Rockford Jefferson (6,033). MSL archrival Hoffman Estates is third with 5,913.
Leyden reached the second day of the tournament for the first time since 1993.
The Eagles grabbed the 11th spot by shooting 5,606, 3 pins better than Morris. The top 12 teams advanced.
"For the first day of the state tournament, we bowled really well," said Schaumburg coach Mark Kelly. "In talking with Dan (Pfligler) we wanted to make the Mid-Suburban proud and he wanted to get his (Hoffman Estates) kids bowling well and get my kids to do well. Then we can see who can bowl better."
The Saxons were amazingly consistent, shooting 3,032 in the morning and 3,039 in the afternoon.
The Saxons' Marilyn Gawlik opened with a 688 series, including games of 234, 195 and 259. Her second round was a 675, with a high of 263.
With a total pinfall of 1,363, Gawlik is second in the individual standings behind Salem's Vanessa Wells (1,371).
Other Saxons scores were Samantha Kelly (1,198); Hailey Schneider (1,189); Jodi Gawlik (1,163); Kathryn Schild (642, three games); and Dan DeMaria (486, three games).
Hoffman Estates started slow with an 885, but the Hawks pulled together as the competition went on. They Hawks jumped from ninth all the way to the top spot after rolling a 1,114 -- before settling in third with a final game of 935.
"We had three opens the entire game and the girls had 20 marks in a row a couple of times," said Pfligler of the big game. "They were throwing a lot of strikes and picking each other up. They knew they were climbing up the ladder. They just got into it and took it to the highest intensity level that they can do as a team. This was the third 1,100 in the last few weeks."
Natalie Cortese led the Hawks with 1,296 and is ninth individually. She shot 650 in the morning and 646 in the afternoon.
"I believe it's who gets the 10-pin to fall the most," Natalie Cortese said. "Usually, it comes down to the angle and speed you need to get the pins to mix up more."
Natalie's sister Amanda tossed a 1,218 (31st). Other Hawks included Lisa Papeck (1,161); Mandy Hoglund (1,158) and Heather Knobloch (1,080).
For Leyden, Ashley Henk led the way with 1,246 (20th place); Kaity White (1,083); Danyel Travis (1,058); Michelle Spitzer (886, five games); and Jenny Schauenburg (151, one game).
"It was really close," said Leyden coach Chris Aylward. "It means the world to these girls. None of these bowlers have been here before. I think they might have had some doubt coming in, but we did our best letting them know they can bowl right with everybody else."