Girls Bowling: Great Expectations Met
March 2, 2012
BATTLE CREEK – Davison was the favorite all season to win the MHSAA Division 1 championship at M-66 Bowl.
On Friday, the Cardinals made good on that high expectation.
After being ranked No. 1 in every state poll this winter, Davison ended it with a 1,292-1,129 win over reigning champion New Baltimore Anchor Bay in the Final.
"We had big expectations. We knew we had to work for it, but we did it,” Davison senior Erin Brown said. “And even though we had that expectation, we worked for it, and we accomplished it. And that's exactly what we wanted."
Davison finished second in qualifying. But the Cardinals then beat Northville by 199 pins and Walled Lake Central by 134 in the two matches leading into the Final.
Brooklyn Greene led Davison with a 181 in the championship match, while Kelsey Fader rolled a game-high 184 for Anchor Bay.
The Cardinals previously finished Division 1 runners-up in 2010, but had never won an MHSAA team title.
Click for full Division 1 results.
Division 2 at Century Lanes
WATERFORD – Father and daughter sounded a lot alike celebrating the Division 2 championship Friday.
But Rob and Lindsey Ploof hit the winning strategy right on the head pin.
One strong individual – like reigning Division 2 individual champion Lindsey – can make a team strong. But a line-up stacked with solid bowlers can make a team impossible to beat.
Lindsey, a senior, was one of three Kearsley bowlers who topped 200 on Friday as her team won its first MHSAA team championship with a 1,408-1,247 win over Tecumseh in the Final. Tecumseh entered the postseason ranked No. 1, and Kearsley entered No. 2.
“As a team, it feels just amazing to win. But I get to share it with my best friends,” Lindsey Ploof said. “The main point of high school bowling, as (former University of Michigan football coach) Bo Schembechler said: ‘The team, the team, the team. No one person is bigger than the team.’”
Ploof did lead her team with a 224 in the Final, but Jessica Dawes added a 212 and Kayla Emmendorfer rolled a 205. Kearsley rolled a 212 and 223 in the Baker games. Tecumseh was led by Haley Richard’s 215.
Kearsley previously finished Division 2 runner-up in 2010, but had never won an MHSAA team title.
“This is what I’ve been preaching to the girls for years,” Kearsley coach Rob Ploof said. “I don’t care what any individual does. It’s all about the team. This is sweet. … To have our four seniors get to experience this is a dream come true.”
Click for full Division 2 results.
Division 3 at Airport Lanes
JACKSON – It was easy to pick a favorite for the Division 3 championship Friday. All four semifinalists from 2011 were back for another try.
It’s fair to say few expected unranked Flat Rock to finish ahead of them all.
The Rams defeated also-unranked Corunna and Ovid-Elsie before knocking off No. 4 Richmond 1,274-1,168 in the Final.
“This was an amazing team win. Every single girl worked hard all season to get this far,” Flat Rock coach Kristi Hill said. “As a coach, I could not have asked for more. They are an amazing group of girls, and I am proud to be a part of this team.”
Emily Alexander led Flat Rock with a 211 in the Final, while Noelle Schever rolled a 196 for Richmond.
It was the first time the Rams finished among the top two at an MHSAA Bowling Final.
Click for full Division 3 results.
Division 4 at Sunnybrook Lanes
STERLING HEIGHTS – Although nine of the top 10 teams in Division 4 advanced to Friday’s Final, the title came down to the two at the top who also bowled for last season’s championship – Sandusky and Vandercook Lake.
This time, it was Sandusky’s turn to finish No. 1.
Reigning champion Vandercook Lake was top-ranked and Sandusky No. 2 entering this postseason. But the Redskins held on for a 1,256-1,223 win in the Final, their second championship to go with two runner-up finishes.
Melissa Sleda rolled a 236 to lead Sandusky in the Final, while Kelsea Reichard had a team-high 198 for Vandercook Lake.
Pinter Finds Groove, Claims Tecumseh's 1st Bowling Title in Decade
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 1, 2025
WATERFORD — Right away Saturday, Tecumseh girls bowling coach Doug McKowen seemed to notice something different about junior Kierra Pinter at the Division 2 Singles Finals.
It certainly wasn’t what he saw the day before during the Team Finals, which was a good thing.
“She struggled (Friday),” McKowen said. “Her shot seemed a little bit different. But she got a good look today and was unstoppable from Game 1. She threw it so good, and her spare shooting was fantastic.”
Pinter was fantastic in just about every area, becoming the first Tecumseh bowler in 10 years to win an individual title with a 403-389 win over Carleton Airport junior Abigail Hill in the championship match.
“It’s just an amazing feeling right now,” Pinter said as she was wiping tears afterward. “I don’t know what to think.”
Pinter wasn’t at her best during qualifying, but still managed to advance as the No. 11 seed.
She began her run in the knockout round with a 423-389 win over Pinckney freshman Danielle Martyka, and then defeated St. Clair Shores South Lake sophomore Sara Augustilus in the quarterfinal, 477-344.
Pinter wasn’t as sharp in the semifinals, but still managed to eke out a 339-333 win over Ada Forest Hills Eastern senior Emilee Nowicki.
Pinter got off to a good start in the final against Hill, bowling a 217 in the first game to take a 19-pin lead.
Hill actually outshot Pinter in the second game, but the 191-186 score wasn’t enough to overtake her for the match.
McKowen said proper technique and making spares were the biggest keys for Pinter.
“Just keep your basics,” he said. “We kept working on that pushaway. Work on that pushaway, keep your basics going and we win the war with spares. And we did. Spares was the key today. Kierra was awesome.”
For Pinter, it was easy to pinpoint the turnaround in her play from the qualifying block to the match play portion of the event.
“Definitely people there for me and watching me,” she said. “Me focusing on what mark to hit and follow through.”
While Pinter had a little room to spare qualifying for the match play round, Hill didn’t at all. She was the No. 16 seed coming out of the qualifying block, making the cut by just one pin.
Hill took advantage of her new lease on life, so to speak.
“It just kept me going,” she said.
She first knocked off top-seeded Phoebe Fisk of Cedar Springs in the round of 16, 378-331, and then earned a 368-348 win over Mason senior Avery Beach in the quarterfinals.
Hill then advanced to the semifinals with a 347-292 win over Goodrich senior Teagyn Tong.