After the Antioch Community High School bowling team headed to the Round Lake bowling lanes for the NLCC conference, the Sequoits came home victorious with a first-place win. On Friday, Jan. 28, these ladies set out with hopes to progress into sectionals, which will take place on Feb. 16.
“Going into conference, I just wanted to do the best I could,” junior Caitlyn Osborne said. “I had high hopes for my team.”
This year, taking first in the conference is a dream the members have had since the beginning. Not only did the varsity team seal first place, but five members placed in the top 15. The JV team also had an outstanding meet, coming in second place with four members placing in the top 10.
Sophomore Ugne Aleksaite took fourth place in the JV conference meet. Even though she placed in the top five, it did not stop the tension within her mind.
“I struggle to forget what I do wrong in every game, and the pressure keeps building up,” Aleksaite said.
Though there was a lot of pressure and competition going into this meet, the girls bowling team stood their ground.
“Some of the highlights from the conference was the cheering from both our varsity and JV girls, and getting to celebrate the girls who placed individually and the team,” junior Lynea Sekany said.
There is plenty for these girls to celebrate as first in the conference is an outstanding accomplishment. At the meet, the NLCC conference sportsmanship award is given to one member of each team. This year, senior Sidney Tindell received this award and placed 13th individually.
As their dream of taking first in the conference reached completion, the ladies hope to further themselves against their next competitors.
“I think we will do well enough at sectionals to advance to regionals,” Osborne said. “This is our team’s current goal, so we will be working hard to reach this goal.”
The bowling season is not over for these ladies yet; there is still a long way for them to go. Although this team may be small, their hopes are big.
“I think with all the hard work the team has put in and continue to do, they will go to state,” Sekany said.
With sectionals only a few weeks away, the team is preparing for the meet. Going to state has always been a dream for this team, and they are more than capable of achieving it. As this is the last year for most of these girls, this will be a year they will never forget.
