For half, it took three years. For the other half, this will be the third year. For all the members of the LC bowling teams, it will be a day to remember Feb. 16 at the Indiana High School Bowling State Championship.

After two games of qualifying, the Lady Indians went into the Baker games a little over 50 pins out of the sixth-place cutoff spot. In order to make it to State, they would have to bowl their hearts out and work their way up the rankings.

“I was hoping to have a better outcome than last year. Last year, we didn’t make the cut and we didn’t fight for a spot in the cut,” Kelly Belzeski (11) said.

After pulling out a 205 their fifth and final game of Bakers, the girls anxiously waited for the results to be announced–an announcement that would determine their fate. After announcing Highland as the sixth spot, tears came for girls who thought they hadn’t made and for those who knew they had made it.

“I looked at [Coach] Kaity [Galka] and I knew we were higher [than Highland]. I was ecstatic. Everybody was just crying because it was such an emotional moment,” Belzeski said.

On the boys side, the boys qualified fourth after two games and five Bakers, putting them in the stepladder to roll off with Munster for a potential shot at the Semi-State Championship. After defeating the Mustangs, the boys took third, which was good enough for a place at the Indiana High School Bowling 2013 State Finals .

In addition to the boys and girls teams making it, Allison Sellers (12) and Kierstyn Rush (12) will be competing in the individual events at State.

“[Advancing to State] means a lot to me especially because I’ve only bowled for LC for 2 years, so making my last year really important by going down to state as an individual is important. It’s the cherry on top,” Sellers said.