Practice makes perfect? Not all the time.
Orland Park’s Cameron Crowe missed the practice session of the 2026 Team USA Trials on Jan. 2 in Las Vegas.
But it didn’t matter. The two-handed, left-handed bowler shredded the field the next day, leading after the first round en route to finish fourth and qualify for the U.S. Bowling Congress’ Team USA. He also qualified in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, he was also the amateur champion in the tournament and placed third overall.
Crow rolled a 1,494 on the first day of the 30-game, five-day event this year – a 249 average – despite missing the practice round at the Gold Coast Bowling Center.
“My bad luck with the practice session at the Team USA Trials is absolutely insane,” Crowe said after the first round. “I’ve gotten snowed in and been unable to make it. I’ve had bowling balls left behind. It’s just been crazy. But the year I won, I didn’t make the practice session (either).”
The 24-year-old Sandburg graduate has bowled in 17 PBA tournaments in 2024 and 2025, cashing seven times and making it to match play once.
Rolling to state
The four boys bowling teams that qualified to sectional from the Oak Lawn Regional also dominated the Fenton Sectional on Jan. 24.
Morton won the sectional title with a 6,185 followed by Reavis (6,119), Lyons (6,047) and regional champ Oak Lawn (6,038).
Morton senior Mathew Roman led Morton with a 1,361 over six games.
The four teams head to the state meet Jan. 30-31 at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon.
Dancing to state
Both Lyons and Nazareth’s competitive dance teams won titles at the Maine South Sectional on Jan. 24.
Lyons won the Class 3A title with 94.20 points, while Andrew (90.43) and Sandburg (90.30) finished fourth and fifth respectively to qualify for state,
Nazareth (88.03) won in Class 2A with Argo taking fourth (83.47). Evergreen Park took second in Class 1A with an 85.07.
The state meet is Jan. 30-31 at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.
California spiking for Cougars
Saint Xavier’s men’s volleyball team is ranked No. 2 in the nation in the NAIA and opened the season on Jan. 22 with a 25-15, 19-25, 25-22, 25-17 loss to No. 1 Masters in Santa Clarita, California. It was a rematch of last year’s national championship match.
Senior libero Andres Velez topped the 1,000-dig mark for his career the next day in a 25-20, 25-18, 25-19 win over NCAA Division II Vanguard in Costa Mesa. The Cougars finished the California trip Jan. 24 with a 25-18, 25-21, 26-24 loss to Division I Concordia Irvine.
On the gridiron
The St. Xavier football team added eight transfers including two area players: Shepard’s Thomas Grady (a defensive lineman coming in from Lakeland) and St. Rita’s Justin Stawczyk (a linebacker from St. Anselm).
The Cougars open Sept. 5 at Taylor and play ther first home game on Sept. 19 against Indiana Wesleyan.
Hitting 1,000
Moraine Valley’s Jadea Johnson passed the 1,000-point mark in the Cyclones’ 84-61 over McHenry County on Jan 13.
The 5-foot-10 forward from Romeoville is averaging 22.2 points and 6.8 per game for MVCC (17-3).