The Illinois High School Association's introduction of a state bowling tournament in 1973 made lots of girls happy throughout the state.
It was a landmark decision for girls athletics. Nobody was happier than Margaret Atkins at Abingdon High School.
"We were just thrilled that the IHSA was going to decide state championships for girls sports, " said Atkins, the girls bowling coach who would produce state champions in 1973, 1976 and 1979 along with runners-up finishes in 1977 and 1981. "It was pretty great."
"We didn't know how good we were that first tournament. I found out we had some good bowlers. It was hard to tell when you're just bowling intramural or in Girls Athletic Association postal tournaments."
The first two years of state meets at Peoria's Town & Country Bowl were decided in team head-to-head competition.
"If you lost you were out," remembers Atkins, who coached bowling 11 of her 32 years of teaching.
The Commandos defeated Schaumburg 1,584-1,521 that first year.
"Schaumburg's enrollment was bigger than Abingdon's population," said Atkins. "Our girls were awestruck. But the town and our principal Morris Moore were big supporters of girls athletics."
Arlington Heights (Forest View) won the second state tournament under the direction of Diann Tomaino. The school would also produce state champions in 1977 and 1978 under Warren Myers and secure second-place finishes in 1975 and 1976.
The enthusiasm generated by the first two state bowling tournaments was dampened somewhat in 1975 with the crowning of one of the most unappreciated state champions in history.
Although recipients of the 1975 second-place trophy, Forest View fans had every reason to signal and shout, "We're No. 1."
Dixon won its school's first state championship in any sport by defeating Forest View, 9,749-9,520.
But the Mona Hohm-coached team had four boys in its starting line-up.
Bill Leighty, the Peoria Journal Star assistant sports editor wrote, "A large crowd estimated at 300 packed Town & Country and made it quite evident the sympathy of the crowd was not with the eventual winners.
"Dixon may be one of the most unpopular champions in the history of IHSA athletics, accepting its awards amid light and scattered applause.
"But then perhaps the gallery wore itself down applauding when Forest View's all-girl team accepted the runner-up trophy."
Mary Ellen Taylor, tourney manager for host Richwoods, was saddened enough to comment, "Girls sports are just getting started well on a competitive footing. Here we are in only the third year of the bowling tournament and we have to put up with this."
"In all our years, the girls have never invaded the boys' programs this way."
The IHSA Board of Directors announced the passing of a resolution in May of 1975 that all IHSA-sponsored athletic state meets and tournaments designed and conducted for boys shall be limited to boys and athletic meets and tournaments designed for girls shall be limited to girls.
Coach Dave Seidler's Olympia Fields (Rich Central) claimed the first of its three state crowns in 1980 by downing Dixon 10,136-9,913.
After finishing second to Dixon in 1982, as the tournament shifted to Peoria's spacious second-year center Landmark Recreation, Seidler's Olympians would claim back to back championships in 1983 and 1984.
The 1983 crown again found Dixon on the short end of a 10,871-10,600 court and Rock Island finding the same fate in 1984, 10,435-10,159.
Seidler's teams also earned runner-up honors in 1982, 1985 and 1988. In addition, Rich Central three times placed third.
Seidler remembers the start of his and assistant coach Bud Griffy's successful program.
"I had just left administration and had decided I didn't want to coach football or baseball," Seidler recounts. "There were three junior girls who had lots of junior bowling experience and asked me to go with them to athletic director Charley Colin to see if they could have a girls team.
"We got started too late to compete in the state series in that first season. But in 1980, our first full season, we won the title.
"Our girls were willing to put in long hours and live up to our expectations. And the parents backed us.
"Girls bowling at Rich Central wasn't a social event. The kids were dedicated and the parents didn't interfere or coach during the season."
Seidler feels the support from Colin by providing practice money and help from Richton Bowl for practice and matches greatly aided his program.
"A big element in our success was my assistant coach Griffy," Seidler said. "He handled basically the freshman and sophomores and developed a lot of 140-averagers that I could fine tune when I got them."
Seidler is adamant that girls bowling was a team sport.
"One thing I remember about all nine of our trophy teams was the great camaraderie they exhibited," said Seidler. "I saw a lot of teams that should have been better than us, but they were very individualistic.
"I believe our girls benefited from working together. It was something they could carry over in life."
Bensenville (Fenton) burst on the state scene in 1985 under the direction of another extremely motivated coach, Al Ostrowski. The Bison relegated defending champion Rich Central to second place by a 10,331-10,191 count.
"Heidi Michels was our anchor on the '85 team," Ostrowski said. "She had started in that sport as a freshman and gave our program validity and was the tourney individual runner-up as a senior."
In 1988, the Bison stepped past Rich Central again 10,470-10,452 as Kelly Jacobsen turkeyed out in the 10th frame of the final game.
Fenton's 1989 captain, Amy Cameron, epitomized Ostrowski's system, "She knew we could do it and carry on the tradition even though we had to develop three starting bowlers." Cameron was right — Fenton defeated Burbank (Reavis) 10,233-10,173.
"I had to promise to coach girls basketball
also, but I was thrilled to get the chance to
coach girls bowling in 1976," Ostrowski
remembers.
Ostrowski was fascinated by his bowlers.
"I demanded as much from the girls as I did from the boys I had coached in football, basketball and baseball," Ostrowski recalls. "Most surprising was their dedication and hard work.
"I found them as tough as the boys and didn't dwell on losses as long as boys. They always wanted to move on to the next match."
Ostrowski credits assistant coach Fred Green with helping make his system, similar to Rich Central's Seidler's, produce the success it did.
"We never cut a girl from the team," Ostrowski explains. "Fred taught the basics and when he thought they were ready, recommended I bring them up and help them with the finer points of the bowling."
Other schools with at least two state championships include Dixon 1975 and 1983, DeKalb 1981 and 1986, Roselle (Lake Park) 1987 and 1995, Streamwood in 1993 and 1996, and Lockport 1994 and 1999.
Scores have steadily climbed during the 27 years of the series. It took 24 years before perfection would come to the state finals.
That's when junior Stacy Shapiro rolled a 300 game in the fourth round at Cherry Bowl in Rockford to lead Streamwood to its second state championship in 1996.
Shapiro wasn't a one-game wonder. She eclipsed Park Forest (Rich East) Selena McDonald's state tourney record 245-214-241—700 series bowled in the tourney's first round.
Shapiro started her fourth round with 235 and 224 for a 759 state standard. Shapiro held the overall total record until Rockford East junior Lisa Berg made her mark in 1997.
Rockford East junior Lisa Berg made short work of Shapiro's mark in 1997 with a 614-679-670-666—2,629 as the E-Rabs gained state supremacy over Oswego 11,309-11,054.
1992 state champion Palatine was the first to crack the 11,000 barrier for 12 games when Joe Petrica's team of Tracy Anderson, Michelle Abrahamsen, Natalie Hansen, Kathy Heun and Jennifer Turner combined for 11,072.
Oswego coached by Russ LaChance downed Mt. Prospect (Prospect) 11,666-11,264 to establish the current tournament standard in 1998. Record-setting Panthers competing were Jessica Schmitz, Becky Carey, Katie Breedlove, Christy Constantine and Kari Schwager.
The runner-up Knights set the current three-game series mark in the fourth round when Becky Stoll (644), Amy Ward (639), Jeannie Griggs (618), Jackie Schreiner (612) and Renee Bussan (601) totaled 3,114. The Knights also set the single game mark of 1,084 with Schreiner's 278, Griggs' 218, Bussan's 212, Ward's 191, and Stoll's 185.
A first-time visitor to the state meet will easily understand why February Frenzy would be a great name for it.
The noise level of shouts, squeals, screams, whistles and whatever while the teams are bowling seemingly match that of basketball's "March Madness".
It is similar to the fan approach adopted by the professional Bowlers Association in recent years.
Landmark Recreation Center general manager Doug Homes, who hosted the tournament for 10 years from 1982 through 1991, says of the competition, "It is really exciting with a whole different atmosphere with the crowd and teammate support that it generates. Bowling needs that kind of enthusiasm.
"We hated to give up the tournament due to our commitments to the PBA Winter Tour stop in Peoria.
"When we first hosted the girls, I was extremely surprised. I didn't expect any crowd but our place was always jam-packed."
Peoria hosted the tourney 19 years with Town & Country Bowl opening its doors to the IHSA for the first nine years. Bloomington's Circle Lanes hosted in 1992 before it settled the past seven years at Cherry Bowl in Rockford.
Three different IHSA assistant executive directors have administered the bowling meet: Ola Bundy, the late Charlene Bremberg and currently, Susan Hinrichsen.
Wayne Raguse is a retired sportswriter for the Peoria Journal Star.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Illinois High School Association.