BUTLER TWP — Butler varsity bowling coach Bob Cupp proved prophetic.

Talking about freshman bowler Kelsee McConnell — the Golden Tornado's lone qualifier in the Pennsylvania State High School Singles Bowling Championships this Friday — Cupp described her as unflappable.

“Kelsee is even-keeled as a bowler,” Cupp said. “She misses a spare or gets a bad break, she shrugs it off and moves on.”

Moments later, McConnell left a split during a practice game at Family Bowlaway. She converted the spare on her next shot and wound up with a 214.

North Versailles Bowling Centre is hosting the state singles. McConnell bowled there last weekend in the Western Regional team and singles events.

“I'm glad it's there. I'm familiar with those lanes,” McConnell said. “I'm sure the line will be different, probably harder, but I'll know the surroundings.”

She excelled there during Regional singles, rolling a 930-series for five games, including a 220. McConnell then rolled a 191 in the quarterfinal round before losing to eventual champion Lydia Flanagan of Burrell, 204-189, in the semifinals.

Still, she is one of eight bowlers from the Western Regional to qualify for the state tourney and the overall field of 16.

“I'm a little nervous about it,” McConnell admitted of the state tournament. “I didn't expect to get there this year, never even thought about it.

“I'm excited about it at the same time, though. I just want to do my best and hope it's good enough.”

McConnell averaged 174 this season. Her high game this year is 237, her high series 615.

Her lifetime highs are 257 and 630.

“Getting there this year is only going to benefit her next year and beyond,” Cupp said. “Kelsee is one of those bowlers ... she can be as good as she wants to be.

“She'll come back next year knowing exactly what to expect in terms of how to succeed.”

Former Knoch bowling coach and one of Butler County's standout bowlers, Nick Cooter, is McConnell's cousin and helped get her started in the sport. She's been bowling since she was 5 years old.

Butler assistant bowling coach Jim Hepler worked with McConnell since she was a youngster in the youth program at Sherwood Lanes.

“She was a raw talent, but you could see she had talent,” Hepler said. “Kelsee really wanted to learn the game. You'd make a suggestion to her, explain why we wanted her to stand in a certain spot, she hung on your every word.

“She was that way when she was a little kid. She's still that way today. She wants to be coached.”

McConnell began coming to Butler High School bowling practices when she was in seventh grade. While not permitted to compete, she went through all of the conditioning and practice sessions with the team.

“That helped me a ton,” McConnell said. “My average was in the 140's or 150's when the (high school) coaches started working with me. They taught me a more balanced release and it made a big difference.

“My average began shooting up there.”

So much so that when McConnell joined the varsity as a freshman, “she slid right into our lineup,” Cupp said.

“When a couple of our bowlers took ill at the team regional, we moved Kelsee into the anchor spot,” he added. “We knew she had the confidence and that was our best shot at getting the team through to states — and we almost got there.”

Butler's girls finished fourth, 28 pins behind champion Freeport. The top three teams advanced to states.

McConnell won a handful of youth tournaments over the years.

“We could see her coming,” Hepler said.”We were counting down the years until she was a freshman.”

She hasn't disappointed.

“Everyone can make strikes,” Hepler said. “You need to make spares to win. Kelsee knows that. She works on it all the time.

“She's only going to get better.”