March 4, 2021 at 8:12 a.m.
Hodag bowlers come full circle as they prepare for state tournament
Hodag bowlers come full circle as they prepare for state tournament
The Rhinelander/Elcho/Three Lakes club bowling team will have four individual representatives at the Wisconsin High School Bowling Club state tournament at the Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley. Seniors Mackenzie Bourcier and Katrina McCarthy will make their final state appearance and will be joined by junior Kody Litzen and sophomore Cody Bednarz.
It all will take place on the same lanes where Bourcier, McCarthy and Litzen were part of a team that placed second in the middle school team state tournament back in 2016. All four were on a team that took ninth at state the following year in Weston, but had been on separate teams throughout high school. Up until this season, the Rhinelander program had enough bowlers to field separate boys' and girls' squads in the high school ranks. They were all reunited on the same team this year.
"It was awesome to be able to bring back the team we once had in middle school," Litzen said. "It brings back flashbacks of the fun times we used to have as kids, seeing us grow up into who we've become today."
"I think our enthusiasm grew because we had each other on the same team. That was the best part," McCarthy said.
The Hodags were hopeful for another team state appearance this year after the boys' squad took fifth a year ago. But the team finished tied for fourth in a top-heavy District 9 field and failed to qualify this season.
Still the four had strong individual seasons, all placing within the top four of the respective boys' and girls' division standings to qualify as individuals.
"We really did have a strong team," coach Mike Bourcier said. "When you have four kids that are (above) an 80% fill, and the others in the 70s, that is a strong team. But it is a team sport. You've got to have five doing well each time. It's great that we got back to at least singles. We're getting something out of it and we're going to be able to represent the Northwoods here."
All four Hodag bowlers bring with them plenty of previous experience as they head into this weekend's competition. Litzen and Bednarz were on last year's boys' squad that snuck into the state field last year and then rose to the occasion to make the stepladder finals. Mackenzie Bourcier is making her third trip to state as an individual, and was a semifinalist in 2018. McCarthy is back for the second year in a row, and narrowly missed the semifinals last year.
"They've bowled against a lot of these kids when they go bowl these scratch tournaments in the state," coach Bourcier said. "Usually the kids that are at the state competition are ones that are also going to these tournaments and everything. I'm not worried about them having jitters. They're just going to go out there, keep practicing, making their spares and do well."
All the qualifiers will bowl a standard three-game series Friday night in the individual preliminary round. The top 25% and ties from the prelims - roughly 25 boys and 14 girls -will advance to Saturday night's semifinals. From there, the semifinalists will bowl three more games, with the top five advancing to Sunday morning's state finals.
Having competed in the state singles before, both Mackenzie Bourcier and McCarthy have advice for their younger counterparts.
"You can have a plan and be serious about it but, when it comes time to bowl just have fun and don't get in your own head," Bourcier said.
"Don't look at other scores," added McCarthy. "Don't go across because, when you go across, all you're going to see is other people bowling strikes and you're going to say, 'I'm not bowling strikes.' You're going to get in your head and you're not going to do well. So just don't look at other people. Look at yourself. Bowl your own game."
Those are mantras Litzen and Bednarz say they are taking to heart.
"Just bowl my own game and that's pretty much it," Litzen said. "I've practiced for so long. I feel like I'm confident going in. I want to make it as far as a know I can."
"For me, it's just focusing on what to do by myself," Bednarz said. "I won't really have anyone by me, so I'll have to figure it out by myself basically."
All four will be bowling simultaneously during the preliminary rounds. Luckily, Litzen and Bednarz will be starting on adjacent pairs of lanes, as will McCarthy and Bourcier. Mike Bourcier said he and assistant coach Kevin Litzen will take turns watching the bowlers.
"It's going to be tough but we have four capable athletes that can easily do it," coach Bourcier said. "They've just got to make their spares and we will need strikes. You'll need some doubles. You throw a turkey in there and still throw good spares, you can shoot 215-220. With that, there's a good chance you'll make it to the next round.
"Ultimately let's just go down there on Friday, bowl, have some fun, make our shots. That's what we're going to tell them, help keep them lined up, keep them settled down. Then it will go where it goes, however the pins fall."
Rhinelander is three years removed from Darin Bloomquist's triumph in the boys' singles state finals. Coach Bourcier said the ultimate dream would have Bednarz versus Litzen in the boys' championship match and McCarthy vs. Mackenzie Bourcier in the girls' championship.
"Let's get some to Saturday night so we can keep going and, hopefully, bring another state championship home to the Rhinelander area here," he said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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