Undefeated La Salle-Peru girls bowling aiming for state title

With plenty of experience returning, the La Salle-Peru girls bowling team set some lofty goals at the beginning of the season.

So far, the Cavaliers have achieved them all with an undefeated dual record, Interstate Eight Conference regular season and tournament championships and titles at the Hawk Classic and Cavalier Classic.

But their biggest goals are still to come with the postseason starting Saturday.

“At the beginning of the year, the team set goals of what we wanted to do. We wanted to be conference champs, and we have a goal of being state champs as well,” L-P coach Jim McCabe said. “They continue to focus on that as a team, and they’re working together to make that happen. They’re very pleased with what they’ve done so far and are looking forward to what we have coming in the next few weeks.”

McCabe and senior Maria Pawlak attribute the team’s success to all the players contributing.

“We have really learned how to work together as a team and pick each other up,” Pawlak said. “We also seem to bowl a lot better when we’re having a lot of fun.”

The Cavaliers have had four players – Pawlak, Isabella Weber, Olivia Weber and Makenzie Hamilton – lead the team in scoring, while those four plus Christine Ricci have finished No. 2 on the team in scoring at a meet.

Pawlak, both Webers, Ricci and Hamilton all placed top 10 at the Interstate Eight Conference Tournament and four Cavs average 174 or better, while the entire top six averages 161 or better.

“I think the key to the success this season has been all the girls have learned to work together and pick each other up when one of them is down,” McCabe said. “Everyone is not going to have a perfect game every day, but when somebody is having a tough game, the others step up and fill the gap.

“We’re not relying on one or two bowlers. Bowling in a regular meet with six people, we have four or five who can all step up to the plate and do as well as any other on a given night. The depth that creates is fantastic. If it comes down to having to rely on one or two people to bring in the high score every day, it puts a lot of pressure on them and sometimes the results aren’t as good. Now, they can go out there and be relaxed knowing they’re going to support each other.”

The Cavs begin their postseason journey Saturday at the Minooka Regional at Channahon Lanes.

“Our goal is to have fun and win,” Pawlak said. “Our goals were to be undefeated and take the team to state. Our mentality is we will be there day two of state taking home hardware. It’s the mentality we’ve had all year, and I believe if we keep that mentality we will be there as a team.

“I really expect everyone to have fun and give their best effort.”

If the Cavs finish among the top four teams Saturday, they advance to their own sectional on their home lanes at the Illinois Valley Super Bowl in Peru.

“That’s a good help,” McCabe said. “We don’t have to get up and travel, so the girls don’t have to get up quite as early and have another hour to hour and half to get ready. It’s on our home lanes, so we’re familiar with them and how they react over time. That helps out. There’s also a little hindrance [being at home] because there tends to be more people there who you know. It could work for you or against you, but we’re working to make it an advantage.”

Another top four finish at the La Salle-Peru Sectional would send the Cavs to the state tournament at Cherry Bowl in Rockford on Feb. 18-19.

It would be L-P’s first trip to state since 1974-75.

“Our goal is to end up as state champions,” McCabe said. “We’re doing what we have to do to get there. This Saturday the goal is to advance from the regional to the sectional then the following week from sectional to state. Then we’ll go to work to get the job done when we get to the state finals.”