Kellenberg's Zehnder girls bowling champ

"Fierce" isn't the word that comes to mind in regards to Mary-Catherine Zehnder. Watch her bowl: it's a low, easy-does-it release with a roll so gentle it wouldn't frighten a pin. Talk to her: she's soft-spoken, unassuming and even a little shy.

Don't let all that fool you. When it's time to compete, timidity turns to temerity and she becomes that "fierce" competitor.

The quiet girl made some noise - rather, her bowling did for her - Thursday as Zehnder won the CHSAA individual tournament at Garden City Lanes. The Kellenberg sophomore just edged Caroline Herrera of St. John the Baptist, 499-497, a day after their teams squared off for the league championship.

"I was really nervous all day leading up to it," Zehnder said. "But once we start, I just settle down and do my thing."

She did, rebounding from an off second game with a 188 in Game 3 to come from behind and overtake Herrera. Holy Trinity's Jen O'Connor was third with a 492 series.

Zehnder, who earned her first bowling award, admitted she felt "almost embarrassed" to receive the plaque, being "a newbie and all."

The tournament featured the league's top 20 bowlers by average, and Zehnder upset several girls more senior and seasoned. And to think, just six months ago she wasn't even sure she'd try out for the team.

Zehnder started bowling in second grade for a local league but stopped when Westbury Lanes was shut down. She wanted to pick it up in high school but worried she'd feel "out of place as a freshman." Last fall she decided to "get my guts up." She was third on the team with a 136 average, improved 10 pins late in the year, and helped Kellenberg reach Wednesday's CHSAA final.

"She's very laid-back, but she takes it seriously," coach John Casalinuovo said. "She just locks in and gets extremely competitive."

Monica Weitekamp, Kellenberg's star who took the rookie under her wing, had a similar assessment. "She's got a quiet confidence. She doesn't show it, but she goes up there and knows she can get that strike or spare."

SJB's Katelyn Coon had the day's high, a 209 in Game 2. Herrera, the finals MVP, was named league MVP. Her 171 average bested Holy Trinity's Angela Valveri (170).

"I feel like I'm just getting started," Herrera, a freshman, said. She began bowling as a 4-year-old, throwing a plastic toy ball around her aunt's house and "leaving marks on the wall." But, her Aunt Evelyn interjected, "it's really paying off now."