Performance: St Charles' Kyle Tuttle
March 11, 2016
Kyle Tuttle
St. Charles junior – Bowling
Only one bowler has won multiple singles championships during the 13 years of MHSAA Boys Bowling Finals. Tuttle also became the first to win three straight when he claimed Division 4 again Saturday with a 418-381 victory over Genesee’s Luke Cantrell at Royal Scot in Lansing. His three-peat win earned Tuttle the Michigan National Guard Performance of the Week and set him up to further make history next year as a senior.
Tuttle's latest Finals run differed greatly from his first two. He squeaked out a nine-pin win in the Semifinals as a freshman to set up his first title, and won his championship match as a sophomore by a mere pin. This time, Tuttle finished second in qualifying to Vandercook Lake freshman Korey Reichard, only 16 pins off the pace, and then won his matches by 126, 31 and 46 to set up his deciding match against Cantrell.
Tuttle, who also carries a 3.87 grade-point average, practices five days a week and two to three hours each session. He’s served as St. Charles’ anchor all three seasons, and coach Mark Faupel noted his leader continues to work on his craft by studying video of professional bowlers and participating in a sport shot singles league during the summer that allows him to compete on tougher lane conditions. St. Charles has won two Regional championships during Tuttle’s high school career and kicked off this year’s Finals by finishing team runner-up to Sandusky on Friday.
Coach Mark Faupel said: Kyle works harder than anyone else on the team and is so knowledgeable about the sport. He is constantly thinking about not only the next shot, but the next game. He knows the lanes continuously go through transition, and he wants to be in the best position to score when that transition occurs. He knows exactly what he wants to do when he steps up on the approach. All the thinking and preparation has taken place between shots. He lives for making the clutch shot in the 10th frame, although he is not demonstrative. He has a very quiet approach to the game and hardly ever shows emotion. If he makes a bad shot, he will quickly get over it and move on to the next shot. If he makes a really good shot, he will acknowledge his teammates and show very little emotion. I always tell my team members that when you strike, act like you have done if before, and he definitely displays this. … Kyle is the type of athlete that comes around once in a lifetime. He is dedicated, hard-working, athletic, and extremely talented. The only goal left for Kyle is to get that elusive first team tournament title for St. Charles and win an unprecedented four singles titles.”
Performance Point: "I never really struggled (Saturday). Just how calm I was the whole time, I never was under too much stress. Compared to the last two years, that was rare. I think I enjoyed it more because I was more relaxed. ... I think I surprised myself with the first (title); as a freshman I didn't really expect to win. (Last year) I had more confidence from the previous year."
Same way, every day: "I'm really consistent, and that helps. Anybody can have a good day and make it to the Finals. If you consistently do well, you're expected to be there and normally do well. I just like to pride myself on consistency."
Drive for 4: "I haven't really thought about it all too much. I'm taking it as it comes. ... A lot of people have brought it up. I wanted to win this year so I have the opportunity to do that. It's pretty cool."
Right choice after all: "When I was 5, I didn't do a whole lot. My parents wanted me to do something, and there's a bowling alley in St. Charles so it was convenient. They threw me in a league and I didn't want to. I had bowled when I was younger, and I didn't want to do it every Saturday. I was kinda scared. I remember crying the night before the first day; that's how badly I didn't want to do it. But after the first day, I loved it. It was just fun. Now it's 12 years later."
Scientific strategy: "I think I'll get a bachelor's in the engineering field and then think about med school. If I end up not wanting to be a doctor, I can fall back on the engineering degree. I like real-world application stuff; I love physics. It's interesting to make the connections (between physics and bowling.)
– Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2015-16 school year, Second Half and the Michigan National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our Nation's freedom, or protecting lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2015-16 honorees
March 2: Brittney Schnicke, Caledonia girls bowling - Read
Feb. 24: Kamari Newman, Detroit East English boys basketball - Read
Feb. 17: Jason Whitens, Powers North Central boys basketball - Read
Feb. 10: Rachel Hogan, Grand Ledge gymnastics - Read
Feb. 3: Nehemiah Mork, Midland Dow swimming & diving - Read
Jan. 27: Mardrekia Cook, Muskegon girls basketball - Read
Jan. 20: Sage Castillo, Hartland wrestling - Read
Jan. 13: Rob Zofchak, Dexter swimming & diving - Read
Jan. 6: Tyler Deming, Caro wrestling – Read
Dec. 15: Jordan Weber, East Jordan boys basketball – Read
Dec. 8: Kaitlyn Geers, Kent City girls basketball – Read
PHOTO: (Top) Bowlers prepare for the start of the MHSAA Division 4 Team Finals on March 3 at Royal Scot in Lansing.
Kearsley Sweeps D2 Bowling Titles
February 28, 2014
By Sarah Jaeger
Special to Second Half
WATERFORD –Flint Kearsley swept the MHSAA Division Bowling Finals as the boys took home their first championship trophy and the girls claimed their second title in three years Friday.
"It's awesome. It'll never get old," Kearsley girls coach Robert Ploof said.
"Just to have the whole program be successful is just a dream come true. We had our AD here. We had a principal. We had a superintendent here. I mean, just to have everyone here to see it is amazing. It couldn't be any better."
But who knew the secret to winning an MHSAA championship was a good book?
It turns out a paperback was the calming factor to help the girls team through the brackets and eventually clinch the title over Bay City Western in the final match at Century Lanes.
Ploof would have his girls read chapters from "With Winning In Mind" by Olympic gold medalist Lanny Basshamm to keep them focused throughout the competition.
"What a fantastic book,” Ploof said. “It keeps their mind on something else, and it's a mental thing that gets their head in the game as well."
While the book may have keep their heads in the game, a motto kept their hearts in it.
"One Team, One Heart, On Goal," said junior Kayla Emmendorfer, who also was part of the 2012 championship team and threw a 233 during Friday’s final match against Western.
"From the beginning, we fill out a sheet of paper what are our main goals, and we all said state championship, regionals, and conference, and we did it. So it worked."
It worked so well, in fact, the Flint Kearsley boys adopted their own motto.
"’Never give up, never let up’ and they've done that all year long," coach Bart Rutledge said. "Never once have they thought they were out of it."
While the Kearsley boys led the morning qualifying block with a score of 3,548, they had to fight back in the Semifinals and Final after falling behind in the Baker set.
"We started that last match and everyone was tight and a little nervous. Now they know what to expect, and I think it will be better for them," Rutledge said.
He will have seven bowlers returning next year as seniors. However, the championship brought this year's lone senior, Peter Sorsen, to tears when accepting the team trophy.
"I've seen it since I was a freshman and wanted to do this, and now I'm here," Sorsen said. "I couldn't ask for a better team or a better coach."
On their way to the championship, the Kearsley boys beat eighth-seeded Ortonville-Brandon and fifth-seeded Mount Pleasant before facing Marysville, a team with a Regional championship and undefeated record, in the Final.
"I don't think I've ever sat on the edge of my seat so much in my life. It was just a great day," Marysville coach Debbie Lietzow said.
"I'm very proud of them. All the way to the end. They came into it wanting to win. That's all I can ask."
"I think we did really good," Marysville junior Brandon Armstead added. "It was really hard toward the end, but I still think we did a good job."
For their road to the championship, the Flint Kearsley girls faced off against eighth-seeded Ionia and fifth-seeded Escanaba before meeting third-seeded Bay City Western in the Final.
"They did awesome today," Bay City Western coach Rick Dodick said of his team. "We worked hard all year, and this was one of their goals – that we get back to the state tournament for the fourth year in a row. Last year we finished third. This year we finished second. So we've been improving every year, so I'm very proud of them and very proud of the effort they put forth today."
However, getting to the championship match takes more than just getting lucky one day of the year.
"They worked very hard and took practice very serious, and worked hard as a team this year," said Dodick.
Despite making it to the MHSAA Finals in previous years, Western senior Haley Delestowicz admitted she still had some jitters during her last tournament.
"I don't usually get nervous, but today I can say I was a little nervous and I was super excited to take a run at the title,” she said. “We bowled against some great teams, and they were great competition. But you had to keep your cool to make your spares and strike out."
Click for full girls results and full boys results.
PHOTO: The Flint Kearsley bowling teams pose with their MHSAA championship trophies Friday. (Photo by Sarah Jaeger.)