Scouting MSL girls bowling
Mid-Suburban West
Schaumburg looks to defend its MSL championship and make another trip to the state tournament but the Saxons will roll into the season with a fairly young roster. Schaumburg still boasts standout Jodi Gawlik, who is one the top bowlers in Illinois. Gawlik led the MSL last season with an outstanding 213.77 average and excelled at the state tourney, just missing out on the individual crown. Schaumburg will also count on Cheryl Halas, one of its top competitors last year, and will be seeking good scores from Cheyenne Pfieffer, Savannah Maiers and Katie Schoen as well. “We're a work in progress,” said Saxons coach Mark Kelly.
“It's a long season, but we'll be OK if we continue to work hard, relax and stay focused.” Palatine will have a senior-based squad that includes Barbie Gutwein (a state qualifier in 2009), Rebecca Ruegger and Julianne Borgardt. “We'll have opportunities,” said Palatine coach John Burke. “The key is to get off to a good start early and build up our confidence.” Fremd will pin its hopes on seniors Gabby Burnitz and Jenifer Weber, while junior Sam Rossdeutscher and sophomore Kayleigh Burnitz should provide solid support. “We're looking to be more consistent in competitions,” said Vikings coach Deb Pietrucha.
“Last year, we'd have a good game then lose focus in the next game and have a poorer score. Consistently making spares is another focus.” Perennial contender Hoffman Estates will count on returning seniors Liz Saffold, Kaily Schlosser and Kara Hartel. Barrington enters only its third year of league competition and will be inexperienced after losing eight seniors to graduation, but coach Sam Raia will be depending on junior Beverly Dines as its team leader. “She's our most consistent player,” said Raia. “She's improved her scores by over 100 pins from last year.”
Jazlynn Skor and Chrissy Graft will also compete for the Broncos, while senior Kristin Burge will lead Conant into battle. “Last year we were a senior-dominated team,” said Cougars coach Jennifer Childress. “This year, we are starting over. We've got a good core of juniors and seniors, but we're in a tough conference. Still we're eyeing a top five conference finish we hope to develop some consistency and unity, but it takes time to be competitive and successful.” Childress will rely on junior Sam Pincenti and sophomore Julie Einbinder to make big contributions.
Mid-Suburban East
Elk Grove may be the class of the conference this season. The Grenadiers came on strong last year, finishing second in the MSL and qualifying for the state tourney, and one of the main reasons was the incredible performance of Caerlina Williams, who excelled all season and had the league's top game with a 279. Now Williams, a senior, is back and hungry for more as she leads a strong cast that includes Ashley Dolce, Tedra Tado, Sarah Ray, Micaela Powell and Dana Ohm. “Last year was a great learning experience for the girls,” said Grens coach Kim Sander. “They all believe that this season, if they stay focused, they can advance to state again.”
Buffalo Grove will frame its campaign around standouts Mariah McVay and Shayna Rarick. “Maria and Shayna have the goal of finishing among the top bowlers in the MSL,” said Bison coach Jean Tripam. Wheeling lost five outstanding bowlers to graduation, but senior Gabi Fuentes is back for another run, along with seniors Betsy Jerbl, Mel Pawlik and Karina Gonzalez, junior Rebecca May and sophomore Sam Nowry. “We lost a ton of experience and competitiveness,” said Wildcats coach Beth Anderson. “Now we need to concentrate on individual improvement and consistency in order to build our team scores. We have nine new bowlers and there is a lot of potential in that group.” Hersey will look to its only senior, Sara Marzano, as a inspiration while Prospect will be a force as usual.
“We're returning a lot of varsity experience this season,” said Knights coach Greg Troyer. Third-year varsity player Whitney Schmidt will be out front while Emily Victor and Allison Walsh, both starters last year, return. “Everyone on our team this year is highly competitive,” said Troyer. Mary Syrzek and Kelly Lawless will be looking to excel for the Knights as well. Two seniors, Paula Noh and Taryn Hampton, lead the charge for Rolling Meadows. “We're a young team,” said Mustang coach Karen Ellingsworth. “It'll be an up and down season for us.”