Franklin Boys Claim 1st Bowling Title, Dakota's Girls Return to Top of D1
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
March 4, 2022
ALLEN PARK – Livonia Franklin’s boys bowling team made history Friday at the MHSAA Division 1 Finals at Thunderbowl Lanes.
In just its fourth year of existence, the Patriots’ program claimed its first title, pulling away from Utica Eisenhower 1,451-1,214 behind junior Ian Wright’s 267 and senior Ian Cain’s 251.
Franklin led Eisenhower 390-361 after the two Baker games.
“They’ve been bowling with each other since they were little guys,’’ Franklin coach Dan Hejka said. “We’ve worked very hard over the last four years. We almost got here two years ago, then we had a setback at Regionals last year. This is amazing for the seniors.’’
Said Wright: “We grinded through everything. Our second match we struggled. We had to put up some numbers, even if it meant staying clean and making our spares.’’
Macomb Dakota senior Jillian Lipinski shot 185 in the championship game and got a big boost from sophomore Haylie Patterson to hold off Davison’s girls team 1,222-1,120 and claim a first Finals title since 2015.
“This is a fantastic experience for me; we really had to fight for it,’’ said Lipinski. “It’s amazing it happened my senior year. Through tough times this year we really rocked it.’’
Patterson – whose father Chris and grandfather Curt are 200-average bowlers in Macomb County – rolled a match-high 223 in the title decider.
Davison’s downfall was 10 straight open frames in the fifth and sixth, ending any chance at a championship. Dakota had only a slim 362-351 lead after the Baker games.
Franklin’s boys advanced to the championship match by eliminating Davison, 1,383-1,278 while Eisenhower beat Midland with a huge number, 1,616-1342.
Davison’s girls advanced to the final by out-rolling Farmington, 1,364-1,049 while Dakota edged Macomb L’Anse Creuse North, 1,255-1,146.
Midland was the top qualifier in the boys division with a score of 3,748, followed by Franklin at 3,695 and Davison third at 3,563. Macomb Area Conference schools Utica Eisenhower (3,512) and Macomb Dakota (3,504) were fifth and sixth.
Franklin was the first boys team to advance to the semifinals with a 1,460-1,208 victory over seventh-seed Rockford. Davison eliminated Dakota, 1,312-1,284 to advance on the other side of the boys bracket..
Midland, the top boys’ seed, advanced to the semifinal with a 1,435-1,168 win over Jenison; while Utica Eisenhower topped Holt, 1,318-1,292 to face Midland in the semifinal.
On the girls, side Holt qualified first at 3,504 followed by Dakota at 3,382 and Zeeland third (3,218). MAC schools Macomb L’Anse Creuse North (2,988) and Sterling Heights Stevenson (2,949) qualified sixth and seventh, respectively.
Sixth-seeded L’Anse Creuse North knocked off third-seed Zeeland 1,385-1,324 to advance to the semifinals against MAC rival Dakota, which had eliminated Stevenson 1,345-1,087.
Dakota’s girls were 2-0 head-to-head against LCN during the regular season and made it 3-for-3 with their semifinal victory. Davison advanced to the semis with a 1,200-1,148 decision over Grandville, and Farmington edged top-seeded Holt 1,177-1,173 to advance and face the Cardinals.
PHOTOS The Livonia Franklin boys (top) and Macomb Dakota girls (middle) bowling teams celebrate their Division 1 championships Friday. (Click for more from Champions Photography.)
Clarenceville's Johnson Overcomes Blistered Thumb to Roll Clinching 234
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2024
WATERFORD — It was hard to tell where Livonia Clarenceville junior Caitlyn Johnson spent more time during the Division 2 Singles Bowling Finals on Saturday – on the lanes or in another part of the building getting treatment.
Last week during the Regional tournament, Johnson said she started to get a blister on the thumb of her throwing hand, which is pretty much bowling’s equivalent to a sprinter in track getting a lame hamstring.
Johnson managed to qualify out of the Regional. But needless to say, the preparation for the Final wasn’t what she’d hoped it would be.
“I’ve been putting Neosporin and Band-Aids on all week,” Johnson said. “I haven’t practiced the last two days either in the hopes it would get better. Just trying to keep it covered.”
Those watching Johnson bowl throughout the day certainly couldn’t tell she was in pain, as she was on top of her game in winning her first career individual title.
Johnson topped Grand Rapids Northview senior Kelly Hartman in the Final, winning the first game 179-170 before rolling a 234 in the second game to earn a 413-332 victory.
“I just had to keep my head in the game,” said Johnson, whose previous best finish was a Quarterfinal appearance two years ago as a freshman. “Make my spares and make good shots. If it was a bad break or bad shot, reset, come back and get it back the next time. That was my mindset all day.”
Clarenceville head coach John Makar said Johnson has been consistent all year, sporting an average of more than 200.
“She placed seventh in the qualifying round, and after she had the next application (on her thumb), she just took off and just kept on going, Makar said. “She has a good hook that she throws, down and in and out and in. She adapted to the lanes really well.”
Johnson defeated Fenton senior Jena Fijolek in the round of 16 (363-338), Charlotte junior Lori Jackson in the Quarterfinals (428-395) and then New Boston Huron junior Olivia Demick (381-335) in the Semifinals to set up the championship match against Hartman, who was the 16th and final seed out of the qualifying block.
Hartman defeated No. 1 seed and New Boston Huron junior Addison Dolencic in the round of 16 (332-283), Hudsonville Unity Christian senior Jennifer Mohr in the Quarterfinals (390-330) and Flint Kearsley senior Ava Boggs in the Semifinals (344-293).
Now, Johnson will get plenty of time to heal and celebrate in hopes she’ll be back in the tournament next year in a position to repeat.
“It’s been a battle all day,” she said.