Ithaca, Sandusky Top Tough D4 Contenders
March 5, 2016
By Mark Meyer
Special for Second Half
LANSING – The Division 4 runner-up banner hanging in the Ithaca gymnasium served as a reminder for coach Dan Macha and his bowlers.
A gentle reminder that there was still some work to be done in order to climb that final step toward an MHSAA girls bowling championship.
“We finished second in 2010 after having finished third in the Regional, just like we did this year,” said Macha, now in his eighth year with the program. “We didn’t want a repeat. We wanted to come here (Royal Scot) and finish the job.”
The Yellowjackets won their first MHSAA Finals bowling title in school history Friday afternoon by defeating rival New Lothrop by three pins in the championship match, 1,141-1,138.
“When we were up 50 pins after the two Baker games we felt pretty good,” said senior captain Channing Gulick, “but we knew we had to stay focused. We know them (New Lothrop) and how they bowl, and they weren’t going to make it easy for us in the final game.”
Gulick, who played the role of super-sub all season long, bowled what Macha called “an incredibly clutch game” in the final game of the qualifying round to vault the Yellowjackets into the second seed for the match play Quarterfinals. Gulick rolled a 229 – 80 pins above her average – to help Ithaca leapfrog five spots prior to the start of match play.
And when freshman Bethany Slater struggled in the first three frames of the Final against New Lothrop, Gulick came off the bench to complete a 160 game. Junior Hayley Sigafoose – who reached the Semifinals as an individual on Saturday – led Ithaca with a 176 in the championship match. Sigafoose had plenty of support from Shannon Whitaker (161), Heidi Seeley (154) and Arianna Woodrow (139).
New Lothrop worked its way to the championship match with victories over top-ranked Vandercook Lake in the Quarterfinals (1,178-1,081) and Sandusky in the Semifinals (1,142-1,125). Kelsey Moore led all bowlers in the championship match with a 236 while teammate Mattie Stewart rolled a 171.
“I think Coach (Macha) might have been a little concerned after we finished third at the Regional, but we knew we had the potential to turn it around here,” Slater said. “We had a lot of confidence and very little drama all season long.”
Macha said team unity played a big part in the MHSAA championship run.
“Trust Everyone and Myself (TEAM), that’s what we preached,” said Macha. “The coaches trusted each other and so did the girls. I could not be more happy or proud of what we accomplished.”
For Sandusky senior Brett Hancock, the path to his team’s first MHSAA title since 2005 was a smooth and laughter-filled ride, built around inside jokes shared by teammates and a mutual respect for their talent and ability on the lanes.
“You don’t think about it (state title) too much when you’re bowling,” Hancock said, “but then you wake up the next day and realize you’re the state champion. That’s a pretty good feeling, no question about it.”
Sandusky’s route to the title match victory over St. Charles (1,331-1,233) went directly through Bad Axe, a team with which the Redskins had split two previous matches this season.
“We lost to them at Regionals so it was definitely time to make up for it,” Hancock said. “We were feeling good all day, cracking a few jokes and staying loose.”
Hancock, who averaged 211.5 during the season, rolled a 266 in the final game of the Quarterfinal match against Niles Brandywine. Hancock’s only regret was not striking out in the 10th frame. However, junior teammate Cody Johnston completed his 10th frame triple to roll an identical 266 and give the Redskins the momentum they needed heading into the Semifinal match with Bad Axe.
“We had a very good week of practice and we were as ready as we were going to be,” said Johnston, whose older brother Tyler won the Division 4 singles title in 2012. “Our starting five all averaged 200 or better this season, so we knew we had the talent to win it if we concentrated on filling the frames.”
Senior Logan Hughes led Sandusky with a 245 in the championship victory over St. Charles, while Hancock and Johnston rolled 207 and 194, respectively.
Sandusky coach Jeremy Johnston, Cody’s father, singled out Hughes and freshman Dakota Pallas as key contributors to the victory over St. Charles.
“We put Dakota in the lineup because one of our regular starters was struggling,” Johnston said, “and he responded by doing exactly what we needed. Logan’s 245 gave us a strong game at the top of the lineup, and so it all worked out well.”
St. Charles junior Kyle Tuttle, who won his third straight singles title Saturday, led his team with a 214 in the championship match. St. Charles had advanced to the Final with a Quarterfinal victory over third-seeded St. Louis (1,213-1,184) and a Semifinal win over second seed Vandercook Lake (1,442-1,297).
Johnston, head coach since 2009, was an assistant coach for Sandusky’s runner-up finishes in 2004 and 2008.
“We thought coming out of Regionals that we had a pretty shot to win it all,” Johnston said, “but you still have to execute the shots when they count. This team had good chemistry, and they fed off each other. When we needed a strike or big shot to get us going, we got it.”
Click for full boys results and girls results.
PHOTOS: (Top) Ithaca girls bowling team. (Middle) Sandusky boys bowling team.
Preview: Finals Fields Full of Past Champs
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 28, 2019
Seven reigning team champions and five singles title winners are returning for this weekend’s MHSAA Girls & Boys Bowling Finals.
But this sport annually seems to allow for a higher degree of the unexpected at this highest level of competition – so expect to see a few surprise contenders enter the mix with the past achievers.
Below is a look at possible contenders for all eight championships. This season's Finals will be bowled at the following centers: Division 1 at Allen Park’s Thunderbowl Lanes, Division 2 at Waterford’s Century Bowl, Division 3 at Muskegon’s Northway Lanes and Division 4 at Battle Creek's M-66 Bowl. Click for the full list of qualifiers, and come back to Second Half all weekend for coverage from all four Finals sites. Action begins both days at 8:25 a.m.
Division 1 Girls
Team: Oxford moved up from runner-up in 2017 to champion last season and continues to roll, posting the highest Regional score last week (3,778) in all of Division 1 and winning a Regional that saw three of the top five scores of the weekend. Flushing (3,762) and Lake Orion (3,742) followed Oxford that day, while Jenison (3,754) and New Baltimore Anchor Bay (3,743) also broke 3,700 in winning their respective Regionals.
Singles: Macomb Dakota senior Danielle McBride will be back seeking a repeat championship after winning last season’s final match by 103 pins. Jenison junior Lauren Slagter also is back after reaching last season’s semifinals. Total, eight of 16 from last year’s Finals match play will compete Saturday; Lake Orion junior Cheyenne Washington and Wyandotte Roosevelt junior Alicia Rager were in that group and won Regional titles last week. Holt senior Gabriella VanHorn, North Farmington junior Lyric Osteen, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore senior Jessica Ludwick and Plymouth senior Madalyn Harden also are coming off Regional championships.
Division 1 Boys
Team: Reigning champion Waterford Kettering is back after finishing second at its Regional to Farmington-Harrison – which had the highest Regional score in Division 2 at 4,209. Oxford won its Regional and was right behind in overall high score at 4,202 pins, and nine of 18 Finals qualifiers rolled at least 4,100.
Singles: Rockford junior Matt Buck is back after winning last year’s title by 27 pins. There could be a number of new contenders as none of the six Regional champs from last week made the match play at the Finals a year ago. Caledonia freshman Alec Bisterfeldt, Midland sophomore Izaac Goergen, Kettering senior Hunter Gates, Macomb Dakota senior Ryan James, Livonia Franklin junior Aaron Wright and Brownstown Woodhaven senior Jeffrey Lizewski all are coming off Regional wins.
Division 2 Girls
Team: Flint Kearsley has won five straight Division 2 titles and rolled a 4,093 at last week’s Regional – outpacing the rest of Division 2 by nearly 500 pins while placing the top two individuals. The teams Kearsley defeated in last season’s semifinal and final – Carleton Airport and Tecumseh, respectively – both are back this weekend after finishing first and second at their Regional, Airport with the division’s second-highest score at 3,610.
Singles: Five of last season’s match play qualifiers are back in the singles field, led by Kearsley junior Imari Blond – she was the runner-up last season and won her Regional last week. Warren Woods-Tower junior Cassie McCarren and Dearborn Heights Annapolis senior Emily Gurin both made the match play in 2018 and won Regionals last week as well. Charlotte sophomore Abby Mather, Hastings sophomore Ashland Hoyt and Fruitport sophomore Jessica Plichta also won Regional titles.
Division 2 Boys
Team: Reigning champion Battle Creek Pennfield and runner-up Coldwater both are back after Pennfield won last year’s final by seven pins. They finished third and second, respectively, at last week’s Regional to Sturgis, one of four teams in the division to roll 4,000 or higher. Tecumseh, a semifinalist last year, rolled the high at 4,099. Pennfield actually is going for a third straight team title – it won Division 3 in 2017.
Singles: Reigning champion Alec Keplinger, a senior from Coldwater, and runner-up Kyle Vermiyea, Cadillac junior, both are back. Escanaba junior Josh Worthen and New Boston Huron senior Zach Taylor both qualified for the Finals in 2018 but didn’t advance to the match play; they could take the next step after both winning their Regionals with scores above 1,300. Grand Rapids Northview junior Dan Frey, Sturgis senior Aaron Brown-O’Dell, Charlotte freshman Carson Kohler and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s senior Daniel Madigan also won Regional titles.
Division 3 Girls
Team: Alma earned its second team title in three seasons in 2018, but finished third at its Regional last week won by 2017 Finals champion Birch Run. The Panthers’ 3,631 was second-best in Division 3 to Flat Rock’s 3,710. Michigan Center at 3,624 was second to Flat Rock at their tournament but with the third-highest score in the entire division.
Singles: Ishpeming senior Megan Wilkins made the semifinals last season, and Livonia Clarenceville junior Madilynn Kieling made the quarterfinals. Three others who made the match play last season also are back this weekend, including Muskegon Oakridge senior Alyssa Major, who won her Regional last week. Flat Rock junior Amy Jackson, Paw Paw junior Emily VanderBurg, Caro junior Nicole Orton, Midland Bullock Creek senior Allison Woollard and Gladwin senior Bailey Weston all were Regional champs as well.
Division 3 Boys
Team: There will be a new champion of this division, and reigning runner-up Corunna is in contention although the Cavaliers finished second at their Regional. Birch Run won their tournament with a division-high 3,914 pins, 30 more than Livonia Clarenceville’s Regional title-winning score of 3,884 that was second-highest in the division.
Singles: Portland senior Jack Dalman was the Finals runner-up last season and returns, as does Sanford Meridian junior Kyle Nohel after making the semifinals. Boyne City sophomore Michael Deming rolled the highest Regional score in the division at 1,279, while Saginaw Swan Valley sophomore Braydon Lemmer won his right behind at 1,276 and Livonia Clarenceville freshman Jacob Johnson won his at 1,274. Hudsonville Unity Christian junior Kurtis Montsma, Grand Rapids South Christian senior Jeremy Kwekel and Richmond senior Zach Ray also won Regional titles.
Division 4 Girls
Team: Vandercook Lake has won the last two Division 4 championships and will enter Friday coming off a Regional title as well with a 3,667 that was nearly 200 pins better than any other team in the division. The second and third highest scores last week actually came from the same Regional, by Bronson (a semifinalist in 2018) and East Jackson. Both broke 3,400 pins.
Singles: Reigning champion Mackenzie Johnson kicked off her final high school postseason by winning her Regional last week by 109 pins. Traverse City Christian senior Savannah Bluemel, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian senior Lydia France, Manchester senior Alyvia Hock, Burton Bendle senior Rylan Lambert and Brown City senior Courtney Wheeler also are coming off Regional titles.
Division 4 Boys
Team: Bronson won last season’s team title by 74 pins and will go for the repeat after rolling the fourth-highest Regional score – but second at its tournament to champion Napoleon’s 3,723. Grass Lake, third place at that Regional, and champs Baldwin and Riverview Gabriel Richard also cleared 3,700 pins, Gabriel Richard with a division-high 3,763.
Singles: Although last season’s champion and runner-up graduated, Bronson senior Brandon Hyska won the title in 2017. Vandercook Lake senior Korey Reichard won their Regional at 1,351, 54 pins more than anyone else in Division 4. Baldwin senior Ryan Kolenbrander, Ishpeming Westwood sophomore Robert Papp, Unionville-Sebewaing junior Ethan Androl, New Haven Merritt junior Cameron O’Connor and Allen Park Cabrini freshman Christopher Stevens also won Regional titles.
PHOTO: Macomb Dakota senior Danielle McBride rolls a frame during the Macomb County Tournament on Jan. 19. (Photo courtesy of C&G Newspapers.)