STATE CENTRAL | 2026 Girls Bowling

The 2026 IHSA Girls Bowling State Finals, presented by COUNTRY Financial, are set for Friday and Saturday, February 20-21 at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford.

The 2025-26 school year is the 125th in the IHSA's storied history. Learn more about some of the pivotal student competitors, coaches, and moments from the IHSA's first 125 years here.

A schedule, links to important state final info, and a preview can be found below…

---2026 IHSA BOYS BOWLING STATE FINALS---
Friday & Saturday, February 20-21
The Cherry Bowl | Rockford | Directions
GoFan Tickets | Friday | Saturday
State Final Info | Qualifiers | Lane Assignments | Results
State Final Merchandise | Minerva Promotions
Download/Order State Final Program | PIP Printing
Photos from Visual Image Photography

---STATE FINAL SCHEDULE---
Friday, February 20 | Tickets
9:00 AM | First Round
1:00 PM | Second Round

Saturday, February 21 | Tickets
9:00 AM | Third Round
1:00 PM | Fourth Round
4:00 PM (approx.) | Awards

---STATE FINAL PREVIEW---
Eight of the teams who finished in the Top 10 in the state a year ago return to the state finals in 2026, including the Top 4 finishers from last season.

That list starts with defending state champ Harlem, who returns all five of its scoring players from a year ago, four of which finished 36^th or better individually. Senior Ashlin Teves was second at state individual last year (2,561), while fellow senior Allison Roberts (1,339), who was 28^th in 2025 and 9^th in 2024, won the individual Sectional title on Saturday.

2026 Sectional team champ Joliet West has finished the past three seasons like this: second-place in 2023, state championship in 2024, and second-place in 2025. Will the pattern continue and produce a state title in 2026? The veteran Tigers welcome back four seniors who finished in the Top 50 at state last year, including Samantha French (11^th, 2,450), Emily Michon (T16th, 2,424), and Malorie Berry (24^th, 2,373).

Hononegah hopes to make Rockton the bowling capital of the state after their boys squad won state two week ago. The girls team won is first trophy in program history when they placed third in 2025. Junior is the top returnee Addison Brien (T33^rd, 2,333), while sophomore Abigail Lawson emerged to lead the team at Sectionals (1,192).

Mascoutah missed its first trophy in school history by 69 pins last year and returns the senior duo of Emily Blanchard and Raegan Ewers, who led the team at state in 2025. Blanchard was fifth individually in 2025 with a pinfall of 2,486, while freshman Lauren Hill emerged to win the Sectional crown on Saturday with a total of 1,287.

Hersey won three state titles between 1974 and 1978, but the program hasn't been to state as team since 1982. The Huskies changed that with an exclamation point on Saturday, as they posted the third-highest team pinfall in the state, led by individual Sectional winner Abby Stonequist (1,340), a junior, and senior Angela Colletti (1,301).

Lockport was seventh in the state a year ago and returns its top three bowlers from that squad, which helped the Porters hoist a team Sectional title plaque in 2026. Alyvia Matiasek made a run at the individual state championship a year ago, when she went on to finish third with a score of 2,512 (209.3 avg), and is teaming with senior Brooke Stroud to lead the 2026 Porters.

Beryn-Cicero Morton rounded out the Sectional champions, as the Mustangs won their first Sectional crown since 2004 behind the play of sophomore Makayla Veals (1,140).

Oswego East was sixth at state as a team a year ago, and despite graduating its top scorer, the Wolves return four bowlers with state final experience, including senior Maya Santeliz (1,217 at Sectionals).

The remaining individual Sectional champions will all compete as individuals this weekend in Morton sophomore Ava Althiser (1,413), Richards senior Ulyssa Garcia (1,399), and York senior Ella Shea (1,167). Garcia is the defending individual state champ after she rolled a six-game total of 2,738 (228.2 avg.) in 2025 and look to become the first repeat state champ since Harlem's Rebecca Hagerman in 2018 and 2019. Meanwhile, Althiser's teammate at Morton, senior Morgan Robinson, can't be overlooked after placing fourth at state last year (2,502).

Four upperclassmen who placed in the Top 20 in the state a year ago will be back as individuals, including LaSalle-Peru senior Kamryn Oscepinski (8^th, 2,457), Collinsville junior Kellen Stephens (18^th, 2,412), Sterling junior Sarah Doughty (19^th, 2,410) and Herrin senior Sidnee Nelson (20^th, 2,409).