LP_113017

42 | November 30, 2017 | The Lockport Legend SPORTS
lockportlegend.com
This Week In...
Lockport Township
High School Varsity
Athletics
Wrestling
■Dec. ■ 1 host Bolingbrook, 5
p.m.
■Dec. ■ 2 at Washington Quad,
8 a.m.
Boys Basketball
■Dec. ■ 1 at Lincoln-Way West,
6:30 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 5 at Plainfield North,
6:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Wrestling
Porters take fourth
at Moore/Prettyman
Invitational
Matt Ramos and Anthony
Molton led the way
for the Porters as they
were crowned champions
SOFTBALL
From Page 44
Elly started on the sophomore
team at the beginning
of freshman year, eventually
moving to varsity midway
through the season.
“Both of them are incredible
workers,” Chovanec
said.
Schoolcraft would describe
her best friend as a
vocal leader, while Elly said
she would describe her best
friend as reliable.
Both of these traits will
help them succeed as they
play together at USI next
fall.
“When she’s on the
mound and I’m behind the
plate, we have instincts,”
Schoolcraft said. “We know
what each other is thinking.
It makes it so much
easier because we’ve been
playing for so long so we
■Dec. ■ 2 at Minooka, 2:30
p.m.
■Dec. ■ 5 at Lincoln-Way West,
6:30 p.m.
Girls Bowling
■Dec. ■ 2 at Palatine Invite, 9
a.m. at Brunswick Zone Deer
Park
■Dec. ■ 5 at Sandburg, 4:30
p.m.
Boys Bowling
■Nov. ■ 30 host Plainfield
South, 4:30 p.m. at Strike &
Spare
■Dec. ■ 2 at Oak Forest Bengal
Invite, 8:30 a.m. at Oak Forest
Bowl
high school highlights
The rest of the week in high school sports
just get each other.”
Once college is over, the
pair will have played together
for 10 years.
“I’m excited to see what
college has in store for
Elly and I,” Schoolcraft
said.
Elly said she is most excited
to be a part of the
Eagle family and Schoolcraft
said it would be fun to
make it far in the postseason,
as the Eagles did last
season.
Head softball coach at
USI Sue Kunkle came to
watch a tournament the pair
were playing in and saw
them work together. She later
recruited them as pitcher/
catcher combo.
“They know each other so
well,” Brenda said. “Crafty
knows when something’s
not working and she helps
Elly fix it. They’re really
fun to watch.”
They both immediately
■Dec. ■ 5 at Lincoln-Way Central,
4:30 p.m.
■Dec. ■ 6 at Yorkville, 4:30
p.m. at Yorkville Bowl
Boys Swimming
■Dec. ■ 1 at Lincoln-Way West
Warrior Pentathalon, 4:45
p.m.
■Dec. ■ 5 at Lincoln-Way Central,
5 p.m.
Cheerleading
■Dec. ■ 3 at Sandburg, 9 a.m.
Dance
■Dec. ■ 2 at Minooka Invite,
8 a.m.
in the 113- and 120-pound
weight classes, respectively.
Lockport had a number of
wrestlers seeing their first
varsity action at the invite.
Also helping Lockport to its
Top 4 finish in the 28-team
tournament were Baylor
Fernandes, who took second
place at 152; Mikey
Kaminsky, who took third
place at 106; Zach Reese,
who placed fourth at 160;
Malik Daghash, who took
sixth at 170; and Chris Mc-
Murtry, who came in 10th
place at 145.
fell in love with the campus,
coach and teammates when
they visited USI.
“I’m excited to play with
Elly because I know her,”
Schoolcraft said. “It calms
the nerves I guess knowing
someone, going so far
away and having someone
you can trust and know
that’s going to make it easier.”
The duo has one season
left as Porters that will
start at the beginning of
March.
Last season, Lockport
made it to the sectional title
game. This year, they hope
to make it even further.
As for the future of these
best friends, their bond will
only grow in college as
they take on the game that
brought them together in the
first place.
“[My advice is] take every
moment in, because it
goes fast,” Brenda said.
Athlete of the Week
10 Questions
with Alec Buchhaas
Alec Buchhaas is a senior at
Lockport Township and the
anchor and elder statesman
on the boys bowling team.
How do you think the
season has gone for the
team so far?
I think since the beginning,
we’ve got a lot better.
As a whole, everyone is
getting their shot down and
figuring it out. We’ve put up
some good scores the last
couple of weeks.
How did you get involved
in bowling?
When I was in the first
grade, my sister, Devan,
started bowling at Lockport.
She was a freshman
and just decided to go out
for the team. Then she was
a member of the 2009 state
championship team. So I followed
what she was doing
and fell in love with bowling.
My brother, David, was
on the 2013 state champion
team here at Lockport, too.
So, I followed him, too, and
always thought, ‘One day, I
want to be as good as them.’
So do you three get
together to all bowl
against each other
now?
We haven’t had a chance
to all get together in quite
some time. But when we do,
it’s quite competitive. Still,
until I get a state championship,
I can’t put myself
on the same level as them.
They’re still ahead of me.
Have you ever bowled
a 300?
Yes. Once in a game setting,
and I think five times
in practice. The game setting
one was in the summer
of 2015 in a league at Strike
and Spare II. I’ve bowled
some 299 and 298 scores in
high school.
What do you tell people
who say that bowling
isn’t a sport?
I also play basketball, obviously
not for the school,
and just with my friends. Although,
I played it at Homer
Jr. High. But bowling is
harder, especially mentally.
You have a team depending
on your shot, and [at the
tournaments] it’s an all day
event. Plus, there’s different
oil patterns that you have to
adjust to, so there’s a lot of
physical things, too. But it’s
a lot more mental than people
imagine.
During a typical tournament,
how many bowling
balls do you bring?
I have a total of nine bowling
balls, and I bring six to
every tournament. I also
bring six to the dual meets.
I used to have a spare ball
that I used just to pick up
spares, but like a lot of other
bowlers, I taught myself to
use my regular ball to pick
up spares. That’s because
I could need all six of my
balls, depending on the lane
conditions.
What is your favorite
bowling alley?
Strike and Spare II. I grew
up there and actually used
to work there. I love being
there. I’m used to bowling
there. It’s what I grew up
22nd Century Media File Photo
on, so it’s my favorite.
What have you learned
from Lockport boys
bowling coach Ron
Davis?
I’ve learned a lot in the
four years that he’s taught
me. I just soak up everything
he says. He’s made me from
a good bowler to a better
bowler than I ever thought
was good. He’s just made
me so much better the last
four years.
Do you plan on bowling
in college?
Maybe. Right now, I’m
going back-and-forth between
bowling in college or
getting a job with the union
as a pipefitter.
What is the best thing
about being an athlete
at Lockport?
Definitely the people
that are around the school.
Our principal, Mr. [Dennis]
Hicks, found out I was on
the bowing team. So, now he
always stops me in the hall
and asks, “How’s it going?”
and “How did we do?” Plus,
we have great coaches, like
Mr. Davis, and great things
for recognition of the athletes
of the sports, like our
seasonal award banquets.
Interview by Freelance Reporter
Randy Whalen