Girls Bowling: Sikorski, Kyrk pace Lake Zurich in conference meet

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Lake Zurich's Dani Sikorski, seen here during earlier action this winter, finished 16th at the NSC Tournament on Friday. | Michael Schmidt~Sun-Times Media

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Updated: March 3, 2012 8:12AM

Lake Zurich juniors Dani Sikorski and Erin Kyrk both tried out for the girls golf team for the first time last fall.

While they classify themselves as, “beginners” on the links, they’re veterans on the bowling lanes. Sikorski and Kyrk were the two top finishers for the Bears during Friday’s North Suburban Conference league meet, held at Brunswick Zone Hawthorne in Vernon Hills.

Sikorski placed 16th with a six-game total of 1031 pins, an average of 171.8. Kyrk knocked down 1023 pins and finished 22nd.

Vernon Hills’ Taylor Rigwood placed first (1318), four pins clear of Antioch’s Kelsey Schreiber.

Lake Zurich (4512) finished 10th in the 12-team field. Wauconda (5288) edged Vernon Hills (5258) for the overall title.

Lake Zurich coach Fox is struck by how often Sikorski and Kyrk finish within 10 pins of each other.

“That’s pretty amazing,” Fox said.

“You know that if Dani or Erin has a bad game, they will come back with a good one,” said Fox. “They don’t get mad at themselves; they just go out and do better. That’s neat to see, and they’re always cheering and supporting the younger kids.”

Sikorski said that she and Kyrk try to keep the team focused on the next frame, not the last one. They also stress the importance of having fun.

“No matter how we are doing, we like a good atmosphere,” Sikorski said. “We try to keep it positive. We sing (along) to the music during practice. We have a blast.”

Sikorski relied on consistency during the conference tournament. She didn’t shoot a 200 game, and her lowest score was 159.

“The lane conditions were pretty oily,” Sikorski said. “There’s always room for improvement, but I thought I did a fairly good job.”

Kyrk struggled in the first game of each block before rebounding with strong second and third games. Her final game of the tournament, a 193, was her best.

“Erin can throw a wicked hook, which has always fascinated me,” Sikorski said. “It can go from the one board all the way to the pocket.”

Kyrk said she bowled better when she took off her wrist support.

“I tried that midway through the fourth game and left it off for the rest of the day,” she said. “I (ended up) making the adjustment to how the lanes were.”

On her way: Freshman Aine Mattera opened with a 201, the only 200 game of the tournament for Lake Zurich. She had two low scores (129, 136), but scored at least 174 in the rest of her games.

Junior Caitlin O’Donovan rolled a 176 game.

Youth movement: The Bears do not have a senior in their main rotation, and all of the girls have gained experience and confidence throughout the season.

“They have improved all season long,” Fox said.

On the schedule: Lake Zurich will host an IHSA sectional on Saturday.