Boys bowling: Mendota’s Landon Bauer hoping for top-10 finish at state

Last winter, Mendota’s Landon Bauer made school history as the first Trojans bowler to advance to the second day of the IHSA state tournament.

Now a senior, Bauer earned a return trip to state with a fourth-place finish at the Rockford Jefferson Sectional with a 1,382 six-game series.

The Trojans finished just two places and 57 pins shy of a team state berth.

“It means a lot [to return to state],” Bauer said. “My goal this year wasn’t to make it as an individual, but to bowl as best as I could to get our team there.

“My performance at sectionals personally was very much what I wanted to do. I wish that my second and third games I could have contributed more, but what happened is over with.”

He’ll bowl Friday at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon with hopes of advancing to Saturday’s final round once again. Last season, Bauer placed 50th with a two-round, 12-game score of 2,430.

“My goal is to perform at my best and finish top 10 my last year competing in Illinois,” Bauer said. “I think what will be a key to success this year will be to focus on what I want as much as possible and the support I am going to have means everything to me as well.”

Bauer said he thinks his experience from last year will be beneficial this time around.

“I think being able to go last year definitely will help me because I let the nerves get to me too fast last year, and I want to pace myself this year,” Bauer said.