Boys Bowling: Andrew becomes first three-time state champ

Updated: January 28, 2012 8:16PM

The tension couldn’t have been greater, nor the stakes higher, for Sandburg senior Joey Kopera Saturday at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon.

Kopera entered the 10th frame of the final game of the boys bowling state finals knowing he needed 28 pins to become the first Sandburg bowler to win a state championship. He responded by tossing three consecutive strikes to complete a 257 game and capture the title.

Kopera’s two-day total of 2,733 (227.8 average) was good for a three-pin victory over Herrin’s C.J. Kirchner in the closest finish in state history. Lake Zurich’s Mike Schmitt, the 2011 runner-up, rolled a 300 game in the fifth round and wound up third, 27 pins back. Andrew’s Josh Powell was fourth, 29 back.

“It was so nerve-wracking,” Kopera said. “I needed eight on my last ball. I was shaking like crazy and that was the first time that I’ve ever been nervous bowling. I just had to take a couple of huge, deep breaths and really calm myself down, and then I went for it.”

Kopera won conference, sectional and state titles this season, a rare feat. The way he capped it, leap-frogging five people in the final game, made it that much sweeter.

“To end it with three straight strikes, that was unbelievable,” Kopera said. “I just had to keep faith in myself. I knew what I had to do and I accomplished it. It’s so unreal.”

So was the fact that Orland Bowl, produced the individual and team champions. Andrew, Sandburg’s District 230 sister school, became the first three-time winner, knocking down 12,821 pins. That included 6,546 on Saturday.

The Thunderbolts, who beat Vernon Hills by 169 pins, registered 1,196 in the last game as all five bowlers scored at least 214, including a 258 by Powell and 256 from junior Kyle Krol.

Powell finished with 2,704, while Josh Dory was seventh (2,671) and Krol 24th (2,537). Kyle Damon took 43rd (2,458) and Justin Finnen was 47th (2,451).

“This is the first time an Andrew team has won state with two people placing [in the top 10],” Powell said. “That was awesome. We went into that last game and talked a little bit and cheered for each other.”

For Vernon Hills, it was the second straight runner-up finish and third trophy in the past seven seasons. Sam Fink led the way by taking 13th (2,636). Eric Swanson was 18th, (2,579), Alex Winter placed 27th (2,529) and David Goldberg took 48th (2,447).

Romeoville broke into the top five for the first time, finishing fifth with 12,303. For the second straight year, Lake Park was seventh (12,253) and Plainfield Central eighth (12,087). Richards took ninth (12,007), and Lake Zurich was 10th (11,992).

Other local bowlers who medaled were Bartlett senior Dan Wolniak (sixth, 2,677) and Romeoville senior Corey McReady (tied for 11th, 2,644).

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