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Girls Bowling: Zion-Benton back in action
Updated: January 11, 2012 9:38PM
While this actually happened, we’re going to assume it’s not going to be the norm for athletic teams at Zion-Benton High School.
All Zee-Bee teams were shut down for nearly a week due to a teachers strike, and student-athletes didn’t return to class and to their respective athletic venues until Wednesday.
So what happened? Zion’s girls bowling team was the first in action, and the Zee-Bees caught fire, posting season-bests for a single game and for a series in beating Lake Zurich 2,712-2,276.
Senior Courtney Hallgren bowled her high game of the year, a 265, en route to a 634 series to lead the Bees.
Senior Jessica Capp added a 559, with a 211 in the second game.
For the members of the Zion team, it just felt good to be back wearing the Maroon.
“It feels good to be back. We were able to practice together, but not as much as we would have liked,” said Hallgren. ““I thought we did well. We had a very nice second game (five girls, 1,019 total).”
Hallgren said the time off was not necessarily a good thing for the students.
“I think the seniors were not too happy, because you’re worried about how it’s going to affect graduation,” she said, and then added this regarding the buzz in the Zee-Bee halls: “Everybody is just glad to be back. We have finals coming up, so that’s on everybody’s minds.”
Zion last competed at the Plainfield South Invitational on Dec. 27.
The strike cost it a chance to bowl at the Grant Invitational last Saturday, where Zion has won all but one year it has attended.
It will also cost it a chance to compete in the Lake Park Invitational this coming Monday, because MLK’s birthday, a day off for everybody else, is now a makeup day with school in session at ZBTHS.
Capp said the team tried to get practice work in at their home lanes (Sunset Bowl in Waukegan), despite not being in school.
“We just contacted all the girls and said, ‘Hey we’re coming in, meet us at the bowling alley.’ So, we were able to practice as a team and help each other out, which is better than bowling by yourself,” she said.
Zion coach Bob Voight noted that, “Sunset gives us a good deal. They let the kids bowl for a buck a game. So they were in here practicing.”
The coach did note there may be one positive coming from the chaos of the last week.
“If anything, I’d have say the experience might have brought them closer together.”
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