I had an idea of what I needed to do and what I needed to improve on. My spares were definitely a lot better and when I messed up, I was able to move past my mistakes...”

Cassidy Vincent

DIXON — Cassidy Vincent has grown accustomed to bowling under pressure throughout her four years with the Rochelle Lady Hubs. Entering Friday’s IHSA Dixon Regional at Plum Hollow Lanes as a three-time sectional qualifier, Vincent was consistent from start to finish, throwing a team-high 1,154 series score and clinching a sectional bid for the fourth consecutive season.

“To think that I made it all four years is crazy,” Vincent said. “I feel like I’ve gotten used to the pressure and I don’t think the extra pressure of being at sectionals won’t be as high this time.”

Vincent earned the third at-large qualifying berth and led the Lady Hubs to 12th in a 15-team field with a final count of 4,447 pins. Despite a packed house at Plum Hollow Lanes, where over 80 bowlers filled out the regional field, Vincent opened the tournament near the top of the leaderboard, launching a 579 series with a high score of 212 during the morning session.

“I had a general idea of how the lanes would play out,” said Vincent, whose team bowled at Plum Hollow Lanes for the Dixon Invitational last weekend. “I had an idea of what I needed to do and what I needed to improve on. My spares were definitely a lot better and when I messed up, I was able to move past my mistakes and throw the ball again. That was the main key for me.”

Consistent spare shooting enabled Vincent to remain among the top at-large individuals during the afternoon session, when the senior opened with a 211 during the fourth game and moved closer to medalist contention. After a 172 in the fifth game, Vincent converted a key spare in her final game to seal her sectional bid, making the 2-10 baby split and finishing with a 192 to end the afternoon session with a 575 series, just four pins less than her total from the morning.

Vincent will advance and represent the Lady Hubs (4-12, 3-7 Interstate 8) in the IHSA Oregon Sectional, which starts on Saturday, Feb. 15 and will also be held at Plum Hollow Lanes. Having bowled at Plum Hollow Lanes twice over the last two weeks, Vincent will enter the sectional tournament with extra confidence as she attempts to become an IHSA state qualifier for the first time. If that should happen, Vincent would be Rochelle’s first state qualifier since Katie Dummer.

“I couldn’t even imagine that feeling,” Vincent said. “It’s still surreal that this is my last year. This year has proven that I’m capable of so much more than I was before. I’m hoping for a lot more strings of strikes than I had today, but spare shooting will be just as achievable next week.”

Junior Kylie McCullough rolled a 1,050 series and a high score of 202 during the regional tournament, entering the final game in sectional qualifying contention but falling just 14 pins short of the 10th at-large spot. Freshman Mia Villavicencio added an 817 series and a high score of 181 for the Lady Hubs, who competed without two varsity starters and suffered a big blow in the first game, when sophomore Ava Norris suffered an injury to her right thumb.

“Ava sprained her thumb on her first ball and she was done for the day after that,” head coach Eric Widick said. “Mia needed to come in today because two of our girls weren’t available. I thought our girls did an excellent job. I was very pleased with our young bowlers today. I thought they handled the environment quite well. There were a few times where the girls got a little disappointed, but they bounced back and they kept fighting, which I was pleased with.”

Sophomores Karina Valdez and Paris Washington bowled series scores of 783 and 643 to round out the varsity lineup for the Lady Hubs during the regional tournament. Valdez threw a high score of 150 in the fifth game and Washington’s high score of 130 came in the sixth game.