Vincent medals and earns All-Conference for season, McCullough named Honorable Mention

ROCHELLE — Tuesday’s Interstate 8 Conference Championship tournament showed how far the Rochelle Lady Hub varsity bowling team has come from last season. Having already eclipsed their win total from last season, the Lady Hubs secured a third-place season finish in the conference after Tuesday’s tournament, with two bowlers earning All-Conference honors.

Sophomore Cassidy Vincent took home medalist honors for the tournament, finishing fifth with a 1,093 series as the Lady Hubs finished fourth out of six schools with a team score of 5,119. Vincent also received First-Team All-Conference honors for the second consecutive season, while freshman Kylie McCullough was named an Honorable Mention. McCullough finished 16th in the tournament with a 925 series to help lead the Lady Hubs (9-7, 6-4 Interstate 8). 

“It really means a lot to be named All-Conference,” Vincent said. “We’ve really grown from where we were last season and we’ve become really close as a team, even outside of bowling. I thought we did really well with our spares and we were definitely prepared because we’ve bowled on wood lanes all season… We were all supporting each other and picking each other up. We’ve become more confident in ourselves and I think we can be even better next season.”

Juniors Anahi Alanis and Makenzie Liezert rolled series scores of 832 and 814 for the Lady Hubs, who opened the tournament in fifth place after two games. After recording team scores of 805 and 847 to start the afternoon, Rochelle moved into fourth place with a 904 during the third game, where McCullough fired a 170 and junior Faith Adams bowled a series-best 171. 

The Lady Hubs followed with an 886 in the fourth game, where Vincent rolled a 197 while Alanis added a series-best 177 and McCullough totaled a 174. Rochelle locked down its fourth-place tournament finish and its third-place season finish with team scores of 827 and 850 over the final two games. Vincent led the Lady Hubs in the fifth game, shooting a series-best 225 while McCullough concluded the tournament with a series-best and team-best 189 in the sixth game.

Adams recorded a 793 series and freshman Mackenzie Burnett rolled a 712 series for the Lady Hubs, who hosted the conference tournament at T-Byrd Lanes for the first time as members of the Interstate 8. Rochelle will look to finish the season on a high note when the Lady Hubs compete in the IHSA Kaneland Regional at Mardi Gras Lanes on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 9 a.m.

“Sectionals is definitely a goal of mine,” Vincent said. “I thought there were things I could’ve done better in the tournament and I know I can do better. I definitely hold myself to a high standard, but it’s really nice having my teammates with me because they're always there to support me.”