Freshman two-hander fires 1,242 series to take fifth overall, reach sectional tournament

DIXON — Having already performed well at Plum Hollow Lanes this season, freshman standout Andrew Powell had confidence heading into the IHSA Dixon Regional on Saturday. Despite the nerves of competing in his first postseason tournament, the two-hander showed consistency throughout the afternoon, finishing fifth overall with a 1,242 series and qualifying as an at-large individual for the IHSA Rockford (Guilford) Sectional at Don Carter Lanes on Saturday, Jan. 21.

“I was nervous but I knew I really wanted to make the sectional tournament,” Powell said. “I thought I could’ve bowled better, but I was able to make it out. My mindset was really important for my success and my teammates were cheering me on. My goals for the sectional tournament are to focus on hitting my mark and not getting frustrated if things aren’t going my way.”

Powell, who won the Interstate 8 Conference Championship tournament this past week, led Rochelle (8-7, 5-3 Interstate 8) to ninth place in the regional with a 5,293 team series total. Senior Evin Odle finished 23th overall with a 1,118 individual series score, while junior Sam Tracey took 29th overall with a 1,057 series. Sophomore Logan Frye and junior Jon Alanis rounded out the varsity lineup with respective series scores of 985 and 891.

Rochelle rolled team scores of 838, 901 and 899 over the first three games of the regional tournament. Powell fired a 223 to lead the Hubs in the first game, while Odle scored a series-best 212 during the second game. Powell added a 201 and Tracey bowled a 191 for the Hubs, who saw Frye roll a 191 and Powell follow with a 190 during the third game.

Rochelle totaled team scores of 953, 871 and 831 over the final three games of the tournament. Tracey’s series-best 219 and Odle’s 203 were the high scores in the fourth game, while Powell’s series-best 237 highlighted Rochelle’s effort in the fifth game. Powell closed out the tournament with a 192 and Frye finished with a 181 for the Hubs during the sixth and final game.