Sophomore Elizabeth White qualifies for State in bowling

Jennifer Mikrut

Elizabeth White, ‘20, will participate at State for girls’ bowling, which starts this Friday at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford.

At Buffalo Grove’s girls’ bowling Sectional on Feb. 10, Elizabeth White, ‘20, had the best performance of her bowling career, according to coach Jennifer Mikrut. White’s performance placed her second at the Sectional, qualifying her for State, which takes place this Friday and Saturday starting at 9 a.m. at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford.

“I’ve been working really hard all season, and I wanted to do good for our team. We had two other girls there, Cassie [Hyland ‘20] and Jemma [Skweres ‘21], and they did good very good during the day as well. We just had fun and worked as a team,” White said.

To qualify for State solely as an individual, a bowler has to finish in the top five of bowlers not on a State-advancing team. White is the only Conant bowler to make this cut.

White said, “It’s really exciting. It’s also kind of nerve wracking because I’m representing Conant for our team, but I’m going to try and do as best as I can.”

Though White is nervous, she has her coaches and teammates supporting her.

Hyland said, “We’re always there for her. Even though we didn’t make it, we still support her and are still very proud of her.”

Mikrut said she believes that a a big part of bowling is the mental game. “My plans to help Elizabeth succeed at State will be to have her be mentally tough, have a positive attitude at all times, and to block out any negatives or distractions. I will always encourage and motivate her and, most importantly, remind her to have fun.”

One of White’s goals at State is to make it to the third and fourth rounds on Saturday. In order to advance to the second day, White must be in the top 30 of individuals not on an advancing team after the first two rounds on Friday. Points are added from the first and the second round to determine the place.

In order for White to win a medal, she must finish in the top 12 for the entire tournament, with the points being added up from all four rounds.

Mikrut’s advice to White is: “Believe in yourself and always stay positive no matter what. Enjoy this experience to the fullest because, for some, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Your coaches are so proud of you and know you are going to do amazing.”

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