On February 20 and 21, junior Sarah Doughty played a total of 12 games in Rockford for the individual girls bowling IHSA State Finals. Doughty placed first overall, taking the title of “State Champion,” with a 226-pin lead.

 Doughty reached her big goal of the season by becoming the state champion. With the successful season and the opportunity to participate in the tryouts for the Junior Team USA, she has set herself up to reach for many more goals.

  Doughty said, “It was very amazing compared to last year. I feel like the energy was higher.”

  Doughty managed to finish her first day with an 800 series, finishing the first day overall with a 1,497 series. On the last three games of the second day, she ended with a 705 series.

  At the start of the season, Doughty made the goal to get over a 215 average this season, which she broke by just a few pins.

  Doughty shared, “It was a great experience. I don’t think I’d change anything about it. It’s the highest level of bowling you see in high school and the energy is high compared to anything else.”

  Throughout the season, Doughty broke several of the S.H.S. girls bowling records. The records include the best individual high six-game series along with breaking the 800 series. Doughty broke the high all-time average and beat the most 1300 most series.

  Another goal to mention is that the day before regionals, during practice with the rest of the varsity team; she had managed to get her first 300. Doughty had almost done the same thing at state, just two pins shy of her second 300 of the season.

  Whilst at state she ended the 12-game total with a 2,770 individual score. She earned the most pins since 2014, gaining the fifth-best individual state tournament score. 

  Now that the girls bowling season is over, she has upcoming tournaments this weekend, as well as Junior Gold in Minneapolis during the summer.