Dougherty fires 299 to lead Vernon Hills to title

Rockford -- and more specifically Cherry Bowl Lanes -- is fast becoming the favorite destination of the Vernon Hills girls bowling team.

The Cougars, who recently captured their first North Suburban Conference crown, added their first sectional title Saturday and second straight state team berth to a growing list of accomplishments.

The Cougars knocked down 5,730 pins to claim the top spot in the Lake Zurich sectional at Brunswick Deer Park Lanes.

Stevenson picked up second place with 5,641 to earn its first state berth.

Leading the way for the Patriots was Gianna Nichols, who took individual sectional honors with 1,293.

There were other notable first-time achievements -- Wauconda senior Allie Payne and Warren's Dani Thul each qualified for the state meet as individuals.

Cougars senior Alyssa Dougherty finished 1 pin short of perfection, leaving an 8-pin on the last shot of her third game for a 299. Her previous high game was 270.

"I got nervous when I got to the 10th frame," Dougherty said. "When I got the first one (10th shot), I calmed down a bit. Then, I wasn't as nervous after that and it was good.

"On the 12th ball, I threw, it was a pretty nice shot. I thought I had the 300, but I was pretty happy with a 299."

She had just rolled games of 179 and 222 for a 700 in the morning round.

"I didn't know I would have a 700 at all, but when I hit 299, I was like I didn't realize it at first," Dougherty said. "But when I calculated it up to see 700, it was like totally awesome to get it."

Dougherty finished runner-up in the final individual standings with a 1,271.

The other scorers for the Cougars included Danielle McGovern (1,166); Samantha Madsen (1,158); Wendy Inman (1,126); and Nicole Sanhamel (1,009).

The Cougars rolled solid games of 1,091 and 1,007.

"We work as a team really well," said Cougars coach Andra Hjelm. "We've got some girls that have been there before (state). Our goal is to reach the second day."

The Patriots' Nichols was tied with Dougherty heading into the sixth and final game.

Nichols rolled a 184 -- which was enough for first.

"I had no idea I could actually do this," said Nichols, who broke 200 in her other five games and had a high of 236. "I grew up on these lanes and thought I could do well. I just kept focusing and threw a good ball all day."

The Patriots also had support from Amy Flor (1,217); Jenn Lasky (1,239); Christine Wood (970); Jen Martin (792, five games); and Amy Koesters (130, one game).

The Patriots rolled five of six games in the 900's, hitting a 1,013 in Game 5.

"This is the first time we've had five solid bowlers," said Patriots coach Gina Johnson. "These are non-traditional bowlers. They don't soak at the end and they're not afraid of competition. They can stand up with the pressure and encourage each other."

Payne became the first Wauconda bowler to earn a state berth. Payne started the day with games of 259 and 251 en route to a six-game series of 1,195.

"I bowled my best and it worked out for me," Payne said. "I really haven't bowled well lately, but in the last week, I've been able to pick it up. Not sure where it came from. This helps a lot in the first year and it's a building point to go up from here."

The Blue Devils' Thul will be making her first state trip after tossing a 1,222, including a high of 245 and a 221 in her last game.

'Being a senior, you need to go out big," Thul said. "I was keeping track of the scores all day. I knew if I came back with a big game I would have a chance to do it."