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EDWARDSVILLE – The area has two qualifiers for this weekend’s IHSA girls state bowling tournament at the Cherry Bowl in Rockford.
Sydney Sahuri of Edwardsville and Ashley Westbrook of Alton will be competing as individuals in this week’s championships.
Westbrook qualified with a six-game series of 1,122 in the Collinsville regional Feb. 2 at Camelot Bowl, then qualified for the state meet by rolling a 1,244 set in the sectional Feb. 9 at the S.I. Family Fun Center Bowl in Carterville.
Meanwhile, Sahuri bowled a 1,077 series in the regional to help the Tigers’ team advance to the sectional, then shot a 1,231 series to advance to state as an individual. The Tigers finished 10th in the sectional and did not advance as a team.
In addition to Westbrook and Sahuri, both Hailey Dunn of Belleville West and Karsyn Braasch of Triad will be bowling in the state tournament, both rolling identical 1,227 series in the sectional to advance.
Alton head bowling coach David Meyer had this to say after last week's sectional:
"Ashley Westbrook and Alex Bergin bowled sectionals at Carterville today. Alex has a good day today but had trouble with achieving multiple strikes. Alex averaged 192 on the day and had a total of 1109 for 39th place. Ashley will move on to state finals in Rockford on Friday. Ashley had a total of 1244 for an average of 206. Ashley has a good day and threw the ball well. I am very proud of both Alex and Ashley for the way they bowled and the year they had."
In a dual meet between the Redbirds and Tigers on Nov. 26 at Edison’s Entertainment Center in Edwardsville, Sahuri had a 580 series, with games of 202, 187 and 191, scoring four points in the Tigers 33-7 win over the Redbirds.
Sahuri also was the Tigers’ high bowler in a dual meet Dec. 4 against Belleville West, rolling a 518 set in a loss to the Maroons, and also had a 504 series in a dual meet against Collinsville Nov. 28. In the interview after the Alton meet, Sahuri expressed optimism about the season.
“This year, our team looks really good,” Sahuri said earlier in the season, “for state and sectionals, and all that. We’re playing as a team, our scores are high.”
Sahuri has now advanced to the IHSA state tournament and has also advanced to three consecutive sectional tournaments as well.
Sahuri herself helped carry the Tigers to a successful 2018-19 season and had a goal of improving every day, being the best she and her teammates could be.
“Pretty much just every day, be higher than the rest,” Sahuri said. “Just keep working, just keep pushing forward, and keep getting higher.”Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
