A perfect game in the morning session helped O'Fallon senior Natalie Goodman win the Illinois High School Association girls state bowling title Saturday afternoon at Cherry Bowl in Rockford.
Goodman, a lefthander who is headed to Vanderbilt, finished with 2,867 pins, 109 in front of runner-up Jodi Gawlik of Schamburg. It is Goodman's first state title and the first for the school.
Goodman, who was in second place heading into the final six games Saturday, rolled a 300 in her last game of the morning round, when she recorded a 799 series. She also had games of 234 and 265. Goodman followed that up with a 682 series in the afternoon -- 218, 237 and 227 -- for a six-game total of 1,481.
"I really felt good, and I knew I had to step it up," Goodman said by phone. "It was pretty exciting, and I liked having the pressure."
The 300 was the first perfect game that counted for Goodman. She had rolled two other perfect games in practice.
"About halfway through the game I realized it," she said. "I just had to stay calm and stay confident the rest of the way."
