Kahok bowlers roll their way to a regional championship
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The Collinsville girls bowlers won the Alton Class 3A Regional Saturday. Photo provided by Collinsville bowling team.
By Mark Jurgena
It wasn’t even close at Bowl Haven Lanes.
Collinsville led from start to finish and recorded the highest series in each of the six games to roll over the competition and win their fourth regional title in five years as they buried the field at the IHSA Alton Regional on Feb. 4.
“They jumped out ahead right out front and stayed there all day,” said longtime CHS coach Sean Hay. “They didn’t really get pushed too much. We were up the whole time.”
The Kahoks put up a 5653 pinfall total to far outdistance runner-up Highland and their 4971 finish. Triad took third at 4627.
Collinsville had only one series below 900 – their final one at 880 – while no other team even reached the 900 mark.
The CHS team advanced to next week’s Belleville East Regional at Bel Air Bowl in Belleville for the sectional tournament.
Individual totals
Not only did they win the team crown, but on the individual side of the tourney Kahok senior Sophie Tottleben took the regional title by one pin over Kahok freshman Laila Jaoko.
The final came down to the final frame.
Jaoko had finished up her round with 208 to make it to where Tottleben had to do work with her final shots.
The senior started with two strikes then got an eight count on her last ball to score 189 and take the title.
Tottleben finished with 1212 while Jaoko fired 1211.
“Sophie did not know how many pins she was up over everybody,” said Hay. “Laila put the game basically to where Sophie needed the first two strikes.”
Tottleben fired the high game of the tournament by shooting 276 in game two.
With CHS doing so well in the team standings, many Kahoks were able to get into the lineup and gain postseason experience.
Caici Buckman finished in 32nd place with 749 despite only throwing four games while Livia Montgomery took 35th with a score of 750 in her four games.
Emily Dahl finished 46th with a four game score of 530.
Taylor Mordis had a three game total of 546 including a high game of 274 and Cindy Freeman threw 493 in her three games.
SWC Tourney
Despite trailing into the final days of the tourney Belleville East was able to pass the Kahoks on the last day to take the SWC crown.
Bel Air Bowl in Belleville – the home house of the Lancers – served as the host. They shot 1057 in the final game while the Kahoks racked up 937.
The Lancers had 11391 pins to beat the Kahoks by a total of 22 pins over the four (non-consecutive) day tournament.
“We bowled pretty much our team average the whole time and I’ve got to tip my hat to Belleville East,” said Hay. “It was their best set of the year. They bowled exceptionally without a doubt and they pretty much needed every pin.”
Tottleben led the Kahoks throughout the tourney with a total of 2482. Her high game was the first one at Bel Air. She fired 257 to begin her day.
Jaoko was next at 2289 with a high game of 214 while Montgomery went 2102 in one less game than the other two. In her final game she ripped off a high of 234.
Buckman shot 1860 for the tourney while Taylor Mordis finished at 1785.
Cindy Freeman shot 688 in four games and Emily Dahl fired 163 in her only game.
Kahok Notes
*-The team regional crown was the seventh in school history for the Kahoks.
*-Going back to their regional winning streak, the only time CHS didn’t win the regional in the last five years was in 2020-21 when there was no state series thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Kahoks swept through their varsity and JV seasons completely undefeated that year.
Upcoming Schedule
CHS will participate in the sectional back at Bel Air in Belleville on Saturday.
Collinsville’s Sophie Tottleben (left) and Laila Jaoko (2nd from left) display their medals for finishing first and second respectively in the individual standings at the Alton Regional.
