Lemont's Kyra Udziela Earns Individual Title at IHSA Girls' Bowling State Finals

Lemont High School senior Kyra Udziela enjoyed a dream ending to her high school bowling career. Udziela won the individual championship at the 2015 IHSA Girls’ Bowling State Finals, which were contested on February 20-21 at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford. Udziela, who entered the second day of competition with a slim lead in the individual standings, held off late charges from several competitors to finish first among more than 150 bowlers. She totaled a pinfall of 2,748 over 12 games - good for a 229.0 average. Udziela is the school’s first state champion in girls’ bowling, just the fourth student-athlete in school history to earn an individual state title, and the first Lemont student-athlete to win a state championship in an IHSA all-classes event.

Udziela became just the 13th bowler in state history to average better than 225 pins per game in state finals competition. Her 229.0 average is the eighth highest in IHSA Girls’ Bowling State Finals history. O’Fallon’s Natalie Goodman holds the state record for average in a state finals; she averaged 238.9 per game in 2011.

Udziela entered the second day of state finals competition with a narrow 13-pin lead. Her advantage swelled to as many as 80 pins in the third round. She came out of the gates with a blistering 277 in the first game of the series. She settled for a 638 series after following that up with games of 203 and 158, and led by 30 pins entering the final round.

Despite throwing a 218 game to open the final round, she found herself tied in the individual standings after 10 games. However, she wrestled back the lead with a 247 effort in the 11th game, and held a 39-point advantage entering the final game. Udziela’s 248 effort in the final game of the afternoon series gave her a 713 series in the afternoon - her best of the weekend - and locked up the title by 85 pins.

Udziela held off Lockport’s Kierstin Vandenburg, who totaled 2,663 pins (221.9 average) over 12 games to finish as the runner-up. The two are quite familiar with one another, as they competed in the IHSA Regional and IHSA Sectional the two previous weeks and share the same home lanes - Strike n’ Spare II in Lockport. Stevenson’s Kaitlyn Rudy (2,639; 219.9), Leyden’s Ashley Kriston (2,632; 219.3) and Oswego East’s Abby Ragsdale (2,622; 218.5) rounded out the top five.

Lockport, which entered the final day of competition in fourth place in the team standings, roared back to earn its fourth state championship. Collinsville finished second, while Waubonsie Valley followed in third.

Udziela led paced day one of the state finals after averaging 232.8 over six games, which included the first 300 game of her career. She ranked fourth after the morning session on the first day after shooting a 704 series; she bookended a 258 game with 223 games in the first and third games of the series.

However, it was the opening game of the afternoon session that provided her with a memory for a lifetime. Her perfect game not only was the first such effort of her career, but also vaulted in her into first place in the individual standings- a position she would not relinquish for the remainder of the tournament. She finished the second round with a 693 series, following up her 300 game with scores of 232 and 161.

Udziela advanced to the state finals after averaging 201.3 over six games at the sectional, which was contested at Lockport’s Strike n’ Spare II. She was 14th individually, and fifth among bowlers from non-state qualifying teams. Only the top five individuals from non-qualifying teams advance from the sectional to the state finals, and Udziela’s state finals berth came with fewer than 10 pins to spare.

Udziela helped head coach Mark Hollatz’s team advance to the sectional competition, as Lemont finished third at its own IHSA Regional - also contested at Strike n’ Spare II - on February 7. Udziela was second individually with her 222.0 average over six games.

Udziela also tied for second in the individual standings at the South Suburban Conference-Blue Division meet on January 31, averaging 205.0 over six games.

Udziela, who signed a National Letter of Intent with St. Francis (Pa.) University in the fall, was no stranger to the IHSA State Finals. 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.

Prior to Udziela’s championship effort, 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 joins a select number of Lemont student-athletes who have won individual state championships. Nick Bromberek ‘00 won the 200- and 400- meter dash events and the long jump at the 2000 IHSA Class A Boys’ Track and Field State Finals. Angel Cabral ‘10 won the 285-pound title at the 2009 IHSA Class 2A Wrestling Individual State Finals, and both Cabral and Matt Leibforth ‘10 (135 pounds) won titles at the 2010 IHSA Class 2A State Finals.

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 competed at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals this weekend.