NL_012617

38 | January 26, 2017 | The New Lenox Patriot SPORTS
newlenoxpatriot.com
Eric Ullian wins sectional to help lead West to state
Knights miss final
qualifying spot by 47
RANDY WHALEN
Freelance Reporter
For Eric Ullian there simply
had never been anything
like this feeling.
“It’s better than anything
I’ve ever done,” Eric said.
The “it” Ullian was referring
too was being the
individual champion of the
Plainfield North boys bowling
sectional on Saturday,
Jan. 21, at Town and Country
Lanes in Joliet.
Not only did the Lincoln-
Way West senior roll his
best-ever six-game series of
1,425 to win the individual
title of the sectional, but it
happened the day before his
18th birthday. And the best
gift for him was the fact it
helped the Warriors to advance
to state for the first
time ever as a team.
“We’ve thought we had
better teams in the past,” he
said. “But on this team, the
chemistry is just on top. We
just pick each other up and
have the best mindset. This
[whole experience] has been
an extra birthday present.”
Someone close to him
agreed. That was his coach,
who also happens to be his
dad, Scott Ullian, who is
in his first season as head
coach.
“It’s emotional,” Scott
said of seeing his son qualify
for state as the sectional
champion. “He just missed
going to state by 16 pins
as a freshman, and I’m so
proud that Eric can finish
his high school career on a
special note in going with
the team.
Eric held off LaSalle-Peru
senior Nate Stubler (1,386 -
high of 259) by 39 pins to
win the title.
“I can’t even comprehend
this,” Scott added. “I’m so
happy for the boys to make
it. We knew this sectional
was tough and [the teams]
weren’t far apart. I just can’t
say enough about these
guys, it’s so fun to coach
them.”
After the tournament was
over, the team congregated
in a room at the lanes and
brought out a big birthday
cake. Jan. 21 was senior
Noah Selof’s 18th birthday,
while the next day brought
Eric’s birthday and also
sophomore Mike Nork’s
16th birthday.
Their present was the
trip to state Friday, Jan. 27,
and Saturday, Jan. 28, at
St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon.
That came courtesy of a
second-place overall finish
at the sectional.
Minooka won the title,
its third in the last four
years, with a six-game total
of 6,179. Lincoln-Way
West (6,078) was second,
while Morgan Park (6,059)
was third. Lockport Township
(6,009) placed fourth,
Sandburg (5,917) was fifth
and Oak Forest (5,900) was
in the sixth and final team
spot.
The top six teams, along
with the top seven individuals
who are not on
a qualifying team, go to
state. Bolingbrook (5,876),
Andrew (5,872), Lincoln-
Way Central (5,853), Oswego
East (5,702), Chicago
Christian (5,689) and Joliet
West (5,624) rounded out
the other 12 teams that were
at the sectional.
In addition to Eric’s 1,425
– which included at least a
205 in the first five games
and a high of 278 in game
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2, Lincoln-Way West only
used five bowlers. The others
were Nork (1,215 - high
of 234), junior Caleb Kirby
(1,172 - high of 214), senior
Nick Baber (1,144 - high of
204) and Selof (1,122 - high
of 225). Junior George Dennison,
freshman Cameron
Jablonski and junior Alex
Kubitz didn’t bowl for the
Warriors.
While Lincoln-Way
Central finished ninth, the
Knights were only 47 pins
behind the final qualifying
team, which was Oak Forest.
To make matters worse,
the Knights top bowler on
the day - sophomore Jack
Davern (13th overall, 1,257
- high of 226), missed tying
for the final individual
qualifying spot by 10 pins.
“Jack just missed it,”
Lincoln-Way Central coach
Coley O’Connell said. “But
we used seven guys overall.
We struggled, but we didn’t
quit. We kept battling.
“We were 9-3 in dual
meets on the season and we
won the Plainfield North
Baker Tournament to open
the season. We’re looking
to return all of our starters
and had only one senior on
the team.”
The rest of the Lincoln-
Way Central scores were
junior Trevor Amir (1,225 -
high of 246), freshman Alex
Nolan (1,203 - high of 264),
junior Steven Plane (908
for 5 games - high of 224),
freshman Austin Zaker (761
in 4 games - high of 221),
junior Ricky Wesel (317 in
2 games - high of 173) and
senior Michael Mitchell
(182 in Game 5). Freshman
Tommy Martini didn’t bowl
for the Knights, who had the
second highest team score
in a game with a 1,125 in
game two.
Providence’s Jordan
Chavez (12th, 1,265 - high
Lincoln-Way West’s George Dennison warms up before the
Plainfield North boys bowling sectional Saturday, Jan. 21,
in Joliet. Seamus Scanlan/22nd Century Media
of 262) just missed the cut as
he finished two pins behind
Lincoln-Way East junior
Colton Marks for the final
individual qualifying spot.
Chavez, who placed 12th
overall, is listed as the first
potential “at large” bowler
that could advance from
this sectional to state. That
would be nice for the senior,
who was instrumental in
helping the Celtics get a full
team this season for the first
time in school history.
Lockport was in second
at the morning break and
still in that position after
four games before falling off
a bit the last two. But with
nearly an entirely new lineup
this season, many wondered
if the Porters could make it
back to state. They have.
The Porters, who were the
2013 state champions and
finished in a tie for fourth
last season, will be making
their fifth consecutive
trip to state and 10th in the
15 year history of the boys
state finals.
“At the beginning of the
season, I never thought we
would be in this position,”
Lockport coach Ron Davis
said. “But I have good
kids, they listen and learn.
I’m very happy that we
qualified again.
“We even had a lot of
things going on this [past]
week with ripped thumbs
and kids out with illness.
We had Joe Wagner step in,
bowl all six games and do
an awesome job.”
This season has been a
magical one for Sandburg.
The Eagles won their first
ever SouthWest Suburban
Conference title and followed
that up by winning
the Bremen Regional on
Jan. 14 by 469 pins. But
they struggled in the sectional,
hanging in the sixth
and final spot from games
2-through-5 before moving
up a spot at the end.
Still all that mattered was
the Eagles, who placed sixth
at state last year, made it for
the third straight season and
fifth time since 2009.
“I’m excited,” Sandburg
coach Jeff Kwilose said.
“As long as you’re first or
sixth [in the sectional] you
get there and get a shot.
It was a grind all day. We
hadn’t struggled like that in
awhile, but the kids came
through.
“Most of these guys except
[junior] Alex Zylo have
experience from being at
state last year.”