Natalie Goodman is a state champion -- and it all started with Winnie the Pooh.
A senior at O'Fallon, Goodman rolled a 799 series and a 300 game en route to winning the IHSA girls state tournament, held Feb. 11-12 at Cherry Bowl in Rockford. She had a pair of previous top 10 finishes, placing third as a sophomore and eighth as a junior.
"Experience definitely helped me," Goodman said. "I feel if it was my first time up there, I wouldn't have done as well. You need to see the competition before you go up there and that's how you get through it."
Goodman's father got her started in bowling at Scott Air Force Base when she was 8. As a high school freshman, she started to compete at St. Clair Bowl, the Panthers' home center and the site of the boys state tournament.
"I remembering using my Winnie the Pooh ball when I started bowling," Goodman said, laughing. "I still have it."
For O'Fallon coach Gary Spencer, Goodman's dominant performance at state was no surprise.
"Natalie is a really good role model for the rest of the bowlers on our team," Spencer said. "It shows if they work as hard as she did, they can have success as well.
"What really sets her apart is being able to stay cool under pressure. She can focus on the bigger picture and not just the immediate outcome."
Goodman trailed Jodi Gawlik of Schaumburg after six games on Friday, but ended up beating Gawlik by 109 pins (2,867 to 2.758). Gawlik had a two-day average of 229.8, but Goodman was even better at 238.9. She had games of 234 and 265 on Saturday before wrapping up the morning session with the perfect game.
"I had a 799 (series) the week before in practice, so I can't quite get that 800, but I'm pretty happy," Goodman said. "I've had a 300 game in practice twice, so I understand the nerves. You just take a deep breath and say ‘one shot at a time.' "
With a sizeable lead entering the afternoon session, Goodman felt even more confident.
"I had to come down from my emotional high after shooting 799 and 300, but then I was on lunch break, so that was really good timing," she said. "I knew if I made my spares and focused on my game, I was going to wind up on top. I had 33 single pins for the whole weekend and picked them all, so I was pretty proud of that."
During the offseason. Goodman worked with former St. Clair Bowl pro shop employee Dan Strubel and credits those adjustments for the success she had this year.
"I think the improvement in my mental game from last year to this year is what led me to win," said Goodman, who averaged 217 during the regular season. "It got me ready for the big tournaments. After averaging 239 at state, I still feel super-human. It was awesome."
Goodman will continue her bowling career next year at Vanderbilt University. She also considered Nebraska, Lindenwood and McKendree.
"Vanderbilt had been keeping in contact with me over the past year or two, so I finally took a recruiting trip down there and I loved the coaches and the girls on the team," said Goodman, who signed her letter of intent in November.
