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Girls bowling: Minooka taking aim at top
Updated: November 14, 2011 7:13PM
When asked to list his team’s goals for the season, Minooka girls bowling coach Frank Yudzentis is quick to differentiate between goals and expectations.
“We want to win our conference tournament, we want to make the state tournament and it’s a goal to compete for a state title,” he said. “The difference is now we expect to make the state tournament. It’s not just a goal, it’s an expectation.”
There’s good reason for high expectations. After finishing ninth in the state last year, the Indians return three of their top four bowlers and six bowlers with state tournament experience.
“I think that’s going to help a lot,” Yudzentis said. “We’re going to have girls on our roster who most, if not all, have big-time experience. They know how to bowl in front of a big crowd. They have experience bowling at (state tournament host) Cherry Bowl (in Rockford). They want to get to that level.”
Senior Courtney Johnston figures to lead the way for Minooka. She’s the top returnee in the Joliet area after finishing 22nd at state last season, behind just six underclassmen.
“Courtney’s worked really hard for four years,” Yudzentis said. “One thing I’ve noticed is the maturity that’s occurred with her. Maturity and experience are a lot of times what gets an athlete to that next level.”
To that point, Johnston said she’s been working on her “mental game” leading up to the season.
“My physical game has been good and I feel like the only thing keeping me back was the mental game,” she said. “If I made a bad ball and got upset with myself, my attitude would be my worst enemy. I think I’ve improved that and I think it’s going to help me.”
Johnston also should get plenty of help from her teammates. Junior Alyson Lakota and sophomore Emily Koulis had strong first seasons on the varsity in 2010-11. Senior Danielle Musgrave is a four-year varsity starter, and juniors Danielle Grygiel and Alison Warwick also have experience at state.
“Our biggest strength of our team is that we’re together as a team,” Johnston said. “We don’t single one person out. When you realize it’s not just you, it’s your whole team you’re competing for, you work a little harder.”
As talented as his team appears to be, Yudzentis knows the Indians will have their hands full just to survive conference play in a loaded Southwest Prairie.
Coming off a fifth-place finish at state, Oswego figures to be one of the favorites to win the state title this season. Defending conference champion and state runner-up Plainfield Central lost all five of its starters to graduation, but can’t be overlooked.
“Oswego East and Plainfield South are very good, too” Yudzentis said. “It’s a tough league. We look at each of our conference matches as equally important.”
Winning the conference crown seems to be a lofty goal on its own, but Johnston goes further when discussing what she’s ultimately aiming for.
“My goal is for the team to be state champs,” she said.
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