I definitely felt that McKendree would be the place for me. Everyone there is so nice and it’s a smaller school, so everyone there is like a family.”

Faith Adams

From the moment she first visited the McKendree University campus in Lebanon, Rochelle Township High School senior Faith Adams knew that she had found her future home. Adams has since signed to continue her academics and her bowling career at McKendree next year.

“I definitely felt that McKendree would be the place for me,” Adams said. “Everyone there is so nice and it’s a smaller school, so everyone there is like a family. The bowling coach is incredibly nice and McKendree has a great team, so I figured McKendree would be a great choice for me. I’m definitely looking forward to meeting new teammates and experiencing a new point of view.”

Adams grew up bowling in Rochelle, competing in the bumper league at T-Byrd Lanes before moving up to the youth league and eventually competing with the high school team at RTHS. The daughter of Randy and Chris Adams, who are both bowlers, Faith rolled with the Lady Hub bowling team for all four years of high school, spending all four years on the varsity team.

“Both of my parents bowled for a while and my dad still bowls,” Adams said. “What I enjoy most about bowling is knowing that one bad ball doesn’t ruin my whole game and I can move on from my mistakes and get better each time I bowl. I started in bumpers and worked my way up. My friends really inspired me to continue on because they made the sport a fun place for me.”

Adams, who intends to study chemistry at McKendree, was the only senior on the Lady Hub bowling team this season to spend all four years with the varsity team. Adams was named Rochelle’s High Game Award winner as a senior as well as the Sportsmanship Award winner during her junior season, when she helped the Lady Hubs qualify for the IHSA Sectional.

“I’m definitely a really positive person who’s always there for her teammates,” Adams said. “I’ve improved greatly with the assistance I received from my coaches. It was a really fun experience being on the high school team. We were always laughing and enjoying ourselves… If I didn’t have the experience I had on the varsity, I wouldn’t be continuing my bowling career.”

Adams helped lead Rochelle to a 10-6 overall record and a fifth-place finish at the IHSA Regionals during her senior season. Adams also helped the Lady Hubs to a 9-7 overall record during her junior season, where Rochelle took fourth in the IHSA Regionals.