TP_021419

36 | February 14, 2019 | The tinley junction sports
tinleyjunction.com
AREA SPORTS REPORT
Doody wins sectional; Andrew
heads to ‘chaos’ a seventh time
JEFF VORVA, Sports Editor
After a few anxious moments
of waiting for a couple
of other teams to finish
their rounds, Andrew’s girls
bowling team was able to
celebrate.
The Thunderbolts are
heading to the Illinois High
School Association state finals
for the seventh time in
school history and senior
Noelle Doody became just
the second Andrew sectional
champion in school history
at the Romeoville Sectional
on Saturday, Feb. 9, at Town
and Country Lanes in Joliet.
Four teams advance to
state and Andrew claimed
third spot with a 5,461 pinfall
and kept a close eye
on fourth-place Richards
(5,296) and fifth-place Plainfield
East (5,251). Lockport
easily won the sectional with
6,269.
Doody joined Christima
Libs (2007) as the only other
Andrew sectional champ.
Doody rolled a 1,331 sixgame
series, which was the
lowest of the six sectional
championship scores. However,
only 57 pins separated
the six sectional champs
with Joliet West’s Brooklin
Chavez posting the state’s
highest score with a 1,388.
Doody had a 250 in the second
game and a 246 in the
fourth.
“This was positive for myself
and my team,” Doody
said. “I was anxious all week
and I’ve been to state twice.
There are so many high
stakes here and so many talented
girls in this area. You
never know.”
Senior Meghan DeYoung
added 1,039, freshman
Andrew bowlers react when it was announced they finished
third at the Romeoville Sectional and they are heading to
the state tournament. JEFF VORVA/22ND CENTURY MEDIA
Deanna Wiedmyer had a
1,119 and freshman Bryana
Battles rolled a 1,000. Freshman
Hanne Forster shot
an 811 for five games and
sophomore Agatha Droczcz
added a 161.
Last year, coach Katie
Gibson’s T-Bolts finished
13th in the state with Doody
leading the way with 1,198.
They have only one Top 10
finish but it was a big one as
they claimed the state championship
in 2012.
Doody has been to two
state championships. This
year’s meet is Friday and
Saturday, Feb. 15-16, at
Cherry Bowl in Rockford.
“It’s chaos,” Doody said.
“Everyone is so into it 100
percent. It’s noisy with the
cheers and the pins and it’s
an awesome experience.”
DeYoung has some pointers
for the newcomers.
“Just breathe,” DeYoung
said. “Try to treat it like any
other tournament. Don’t
think about it too much. I
didn’t do too well last year
because I was pretty nervous.
I didn’t breathe as
much as I should have. I’ll
take my advice this year.”
Lapera heads to state
Andrew junior Bella Lapera
became the first Andrew
girls gymnast since Jamie
Valla in 2013 to qualify for
the IHSA state meet when
she qualified for the floor exercise
at the Hinsdale South
Sectional on Feb. 5.
Lapera finished fifth and
picked up an automatic
qualifying spot with a 9.000.
Neuqua Valley’s Abby Carlson
was the champion with
a 9.4000.
The state meet is Friday
and Saturday, Feb. 15-16, at
Palatine High School.
Sign them up
Andrew’s Ameer Aqel
signed a letter-of-intent to
play football at Eastern Illinois
University on Feb. 6.
Kadden Heatherwick
inked an LOI for Robert
Morris University.
Adam Jumah committed
to North Central College.
WRESTLING
Area is sending five
grapplers to state meet
JEFF VORVA, Sports Editor
High five.
Tinley Park High School
is sending three wrestlers to
the Illinois High School Association
state finals and Andrew
is sending two.
TP’s Ezekiel Childs finished
third at 220 pounds
in the Class 2A De La Salle
Sectional on Saturday, Feb.
9 in Chicago. Jose Marban
finished third at 170 and Alfonso
Insalaco took third at
113.
Childs, a junior, is making
his second trip to the state
meet, which takes place
Thursday, Feb. 14, through
Saturday, Feb. 16 at the State
Farm Center in Champaign.
Last year, he was 0-2.
Marban was an alternate
his sophomore season and
last season he was nursing a
hand injury and didn’t compete
in the postseason.
Isalaco is a freshman who
entered the sectional with a
15-7 record and lost his first
sectional match on a major
decision to Brother Rice’s
Emmett Connolly before
raking up four straight wins
in the wrestlebacks including
a 10-5 third-place win
over Connolly.
Andrew’s Luc Valdez finished
third at 113 and J.P.
Migawa fourth at the Class
3A Joliet Central Sectional.
Valdez missed a shot at
state last year when he suffered
a one-point loss to
Marmion’s Michael Jaffe.
Valdez entered this season
with more than 100 wins,
but no state appearances.
“This is surreal and amazing,”
Valdez said moments
after beating Lincoln-Way
West’s Johnny Buell in the
wrestlebacks in the match
that sent him to the state
Ezekiel Childs of Tinley Park, shown watching a match
earlier in the season, is back to the state tournament for
the second straight year. PHOTOS BY JEFF VORVA/22Nd CENTURY
MEDIA
Andrew’s Luc Valdez celebrates the win that sent him to the
state finals for the first time in his career.
meet. “It’s great to break
down that barrier. I wasn’t as
confident in previous years
and this year my coaches
and teammates have helped
me believe in myself.”
Migawa was also one victory
shy of making it to state
last year.
“I’m excited,” he said after
his 3-2 win over Minooka’s
Alec Dufour to get him to
state. “This is awesome. I
was just trying to get as many
points as I could in that match
and not let him catch up.”