Hononegah bowling team brings home State Championship

JEAN SEEGERS PHOTO The Herald Terry Andreas (holding sign) and a large crowd of well-wishers waited for the Hononegah bowling team to arrive at the high school Sunday evening, Jan. 29. The team won the IHSA Bowling Championship in O’Fallon, Ill. Team member Nick Sommers won the individual title.

By Jean Seegers
REPORTER
The Hononegah Boys Bowling Team came home victorious after winning the IHSA Boys Bowling Championship, Jan. 28, at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon, Illinois. This was the team’s second title in four years, finishing 420 pins ahead of Free-port who came in second.
Senior Nick Sommer captured the individual state championship, rolling a score of 2,715. On the final frame, Nick threw three strikes to win the IHSA State Individual Championship to go along with the team title. Nick is a three -time NIC MVP and a high school record holder with a highest ever average of 254.2
The Hononegah team cruised to victory scoring 12,611, beating out NIC 10 team Freeport. “ They won an incredible 12 tournaments this season, a feat never before attained in the history of high school bowling,” Hononegah Head Coach Brad Sommers said. “This team has cemented Hononegah bowling as a true powerhouse,”
Sommers is the father of Nick and Nick’s brother Jake. Jake is also a member of the Hononegah Indians Bowling team.
The championship team returned home the following day. Local police and firetrucks, with sirens wailing, led the parade from the Walmart parking lot, down Rockton Road and into the parking area at Hononegah High School.
The team and their coaches stepped out of their bus to the cheers of dozens of waiting fans and family members including Nick and Jake Sommer’s grandparents John and Nancy Sommers.