It’s a great day to be a Harlem Huskie.
On Saturday, the boys bowling team captured its second state title in the past three years, while the competitive cheerleading squad took first in the Large Team division of the Grayslake North Sectional, the first time a NIC-10 team has placed first at sectionals in that bracket.
The Harlem bowlers finished with 12,851 pins over the two-days tourney in O’Fallon to edge second-place Minooka (1,2714). The Huskies, who led after the first day, never relinquished that position and averaged 214.2 over the 60 games to wrap up the title. Harlem also won it all in 2017.
The Huskies’ Noah Mandujano took third individually, averaging 228.3, while Ethan Pash was fourth at 227.2 and Josh Roth was 10th (220.2). Also representing Harlem at state were Alex Cleaveland, Cody Lawrence, James White, PJ Mellies and Devon Schwanke.
The title marked the 9th overall bowling crown – boys and girls – in school history.
Hononegah, the defending state champ, finished 6th, while the Auburn Knights were 10th. Auburn senior Matt Siegel placed 11th individually with an average of 219.1.
For all the state bowling results, click here.
And make sure to tune into Sportsfan 1330 at 7:30 am Monday, as Harlem bowling coach Nick Whitmire will join Randy & Co. to talk about his team’s amazing run. You can hear it over the air at 1330 AM, streamed at sportsfanrockford.com or download our app and carry it with you wherever you go.
CHEERLEADING
The Harlem cheerleaders are headed to next weekend’s state finals in Bloomington-Normal after performing to a score of 90.53 at Grayslake North. They will be joined at state in the Large Team category by Guilford, which placed fifth with a score of 87.47.
Also advancing to state is Boylan, which placed fourth in the Medium Team division with a score of 84.11.
In the Co-ed Team division, Belvidere North began its quest for a third straight state title by winning the sectional with a score of 94.53.
And Rockford Lutheran, the defending Small Team state champ, advanced again in that category after placing second with a point total of 83.37, just behind first-place Johnsburg (88.57). North Boone was fourth (80.91) and Byron fifth (79.80) to also advance to state.
DANCE
Genoa-Kingston finished 11th in Class 1A at the IHSA State Dance competition with a score of 81.86. Joliet Catholic won with a score of 95.68.
WRESTLING
The Hononegah Indians captured their sixth straight NIC-10 title on the strength of four individual champs: Zach Fausel (126), Giovanni Cassioppi (145), James Bowers (195) and Kaleb Etnyre (220).
Hononegah finished with 198 points, with Freeport taking second (67.5), East third (145), Belvidere Co-op fourth (125), Harlem fifth (118), Boylan sixth (101.5), Jefferson seventh (64), Guilford eighth (47) and Auburn ninth (34).
East also had four individual champs: Eh tah Sor (106), Saw Htoo (113), Carson Olofson (132) and Aydin Guttridge (285).
Other individual champs were Belvidere’s Presley Beasley (120), Harlem’s Kyetin Lindquist (138), Cadence Hecox (182) and Chad Richards (160), Boylan’s Austin Abitua (152) and Freeport’s Major Dedmond (170).
— Randy Ruef, Sportsfan 1330