Lemont's Kyra Udziela to Compete in Third Straight IHSA Girls' Bowling State Finals

Lemont High School senior bowler Kyra Udziela has earned one final chance to compete on the state’s largest stage. Her performance at the IHSA Lockport Sectional on February 14 was good enough to earn an at-large berth to the 2015 IHSA Girls’ Bowling State Finals, which will be contested at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford on February 20-21. Udziela will become just the third girls’ bowler in school history to make as many as three IHSA State Finals appearances.

Udziela had a six-game pinfall of 1,208 (201.3 average) at the sectional, which was contested at Lockport’s Strike n’ Spare II. She placed 14th individually, and fifth among bowlers whose teams did not qualify for the IHSA State Finals.

Sectional champion Lockport (6,372), T.F. South (5,732), Andrew (5,715) and Lincoln-Way West (5,510) all advanced from the sectional to the state finals. Head coach Mark Hollatz’s Indians finished eighth of 12 teams. The sectional’s top four teams advance to the state finals, as do the top five individuals who are not a part of a qualifying team.

Lemont advanced to sectional competition after finishing third at its own IHSA Regional - also was contested at Strike n’ Spare II - on February 7. Udziela was second individually with her six-game total of 1,332 (222.0 average). Seniors Brooke Gabor (958; 159.7 average), Monique Mitrani (961; 160.2 average) and Alex Wyatt (1,078; 179.7 average) and sophomore Kyla Owens (1,033; 172.2 average) all contributed in regional competition.

Udziela also tied for second in the individual standings at the South Suburban Conference-Blue Division meet on January 31, totaling 1,230 (205.0 average) over six games.

Udziela, who signed a National Letter of Intent with St. Francis (Pa.) University in the fall, will find the surroundings familiar at The Cherry Bowl. As a sophomore in 2013, she advanced to the state finals as an individual and ranked among the top ten before ultimately settling for a 28th-place finish among 150 bowlers with her 206.2 average over 12 games.

In 2014, Lemont advanced to the state finals as a team for the first time since 2008. While the team did not advance past the first day of competition, Udziela moved on as an individual and posted a 200.3 average over 12 games to place 52nd individually. She enjoyed a record-setting campaign as a junior, posting a school-record 205 average for the season while also earning three medalist finishes - at the SSC Meet, IHSA Regional and IHSA Sectional - in as many weeks.

Lemont’s best individual effort at the state finals was a fifth-place finish by Tammy Jordan ‘94 in 1994. Jordan is the only bowler in school history to make four IHSA State Finals appearances, doing so each year from 1991-94. Udziela and Jenny Petzoldt ‘07 (2004, ‘05, ‘06) are the only other Lemont girls’ bowlers to appear in three IHSA State Finals.

Udziela will begin state finals competition with two three-game series on February 20; round one begins at 9:45 a.m., and round two follows at 1:30 p.m. The top 12 scoring teams after the first two rounds, as well as the top 30 scoring individuals from non-advancing teams, will advance to the second day of competition on February 21. Round three begins at 9:30 a.m., while the final round starts at 1:15 p.m. The awards session is slated for 4 p.m. on February 21.

Cherry Bowl is located at 7171 Cherryvale North Boulevard in Rockford. Admission is $10 each day.

Girls’ bowling is the seventh Lemont High School sport to be represented in IHSA State Finals competition this year. The cheerleading squad was fourth at the IHSA Medium Division State Finals; the girls’ cross country team was fourth at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; the football team was the IHSA Class 6A State Runner-Up; the boys’ golf team tied for ninth at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; freshman Alex Knutte competed at the IHSA Girls’ Swimming State Finals; and several wrestlers will compete at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals from February 19-21.