NwestProShop

The event sponsered by the Inland Athletic Association, Jim's Pro Shop (Lowell), Kofoid's Pro Shop,
Olympia Lanes Pro Shop, Plaza Lanes, Right Angle Pro Shop (Hobart), Final Fit Pro Shop (Crown
Point), Grip N Rip Pro Shop (Country Lanes, Lowell), and Galkas Pro Shop attracted 64 entries to
the first annual event. There were 15 high schools represented. The Suburban Conference had
26 entries, the Westlake had 23, 7 represented the Duneland Conference, while 8 Porter-Laporte
conference members participated. Galka's Pro Shop had 12 participants while Jim's Pro Shop,
Kofoids Pros Shop, and Plaza Lanes Pro Shop each had 9 entries.

Lake Central freshman Kaity Galka, representing Galka's Pro Shop, stormed into the stepladder finals as the top
seed behind a strong 221 in the fourth and final game of match-play. Galka then held on in the championship match
against Lake Central teammate, freshman Katie Sexton (Kofoid's Pro Shop), for a 193 - 186 victory. Galka's
tournament run began with a 5th place qualifying score of 506 followed by a steady match-play performance
including games of 171, 178, 182, and 221. Kaity earned an additional 90 bonus pins while compiling a 3-1 match
play record.

Similar to the regular high school season, the girls division was dominated by the State Champion Lake Central
Indians (Galka, Sexton, and Kelly Galka) and state finals qualifier Crown Point, each with three qualifiers. Crown
Point's Megan Fricke (Galka's Pro Shop) finished in third position, losing to Sexton in the first stepladder 177 -168.

Stephanie Edwards and Sarah Lawson were the
other Crown Point finalists. Suburban
Conference schools Lowell (Nicole Vauter) and
Boone Grove (Kelly Clark) were also represented.

Galka was awarded a $250 scholarship while her
pro shop will house the traveling trophy. Sexton
and Fricke were awarded $150 and $125, while,
Kelly Galka, Edwards, and Vauter were awarded
$50.

Lowell sophomore Derek Myers (Grip N Rip Pro
Shop), the top qualifier from Saturday's 3-game
block with an outstanding 667, struggled through
Sunday's matchplay round going 1-3, however,
when given the chance in the stepladder finals,
he found his form, defeating 3rd team all-stater
Charlie Burgess (Lake Central - Kofoids Pro
Shop) 178-169, and then fellow suburban
conference bowler Jeff Yankauskas (Boone
Grove - Jim's Pro Shop) 185-168 to grab the title.
Yankauskas went 4-0 in match play to move
from 6th to the top seed.

Burgess who qualified in the ninth position was given the opportunity to bowl in the matchplay round when Boone
Grove sophomore senstation and 1st team all-stater Lynn Strohl (7th seed) opted to participate in the Northwest
Indiana bowling association junior masters where he had earlier qualified for the championship round. Including
Strohl the Suburban conference had four boys qualify. In addition to Myers and Yankauskas, Lowell's Josh Manis
finished 6th. The powerful Westlake conference managed to place three in the top nine. Andrean's Steve
Thornton finished fourth, while Munster's Ethan Hansen placed 5th. Duneland conference bowler Billy Jones from

River Forest finished 8th, while Laporte junior and Porter-Laporte sectional champion Toby Kraus finished 7th.

Myers was awarded $350 while Yankauskas claimed a $175 scholarship.

In all, there was $1,750 in scholarships awarded and the tournament was considered a success. Though entries
only totaled 64, participation was good considering the several area tournaments taking place as well as the
extremely difficult sport conditions that the event was contested on.