Mother/Daughter Pair Powering Gobles Bowling's Growth

By Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com

December 14, 2021

GOBLES — When it comes to high school bowling, Morgan Brunner and Alexis Diamond are perfect examples that the team sport is for anyone.

Southwest CorridorBrunner, a junior who began bowling when she was 3 years old, is the reigning MHSAA Division 4 girls singles champion.

Diamond, a senior, started bowling this year and has no experience other than birthday bowling parties.

In spite of the vast difference in experience, both are integral parts of the Gobles bowling team.

They also are the only girls on the boys team.

For the second-straight season, there was not enough interest to field a girls team, so Brunner and Diamond joined the five varsity male bowlers.

“When I first started bowling, I had to bowl against boys because in the U12 division in tournaments, we couldn’t get enough girls, so I’m kinda used to it,” Brunner said.

“It does help me because boys usually score higher, so it makes me work harder and harder.”

Diamond, who also is a member of the marching band, said bowling is similar in that it is not a gender-specific sport.

“The boys have embraced the girls as their own, and I think it’s made our girls better bowlers,” coach Karrie Brunner said. “Even though we do have a little bit of disappointment (because there is not a full girls team), it is fun to work with the boys, too.”

The Brunners, mother and daughter, were instrumental in starting the team.

When Brunner was a freshman, no bowling team existed at the high school.

Gobles bowling“I promised Morgan that if she wanted to bowl in high school, I would coach her,” her mom said.

Athletic director Chris Miller gave the go-ahead, and a bowling team was born.

Interest in the girls team lasted just one year, so last year Morgan Brunner also bowled with the boys during the regular season. Girls are allowed to bowl on the boys team and then switch to the girls postseason as long as they compete in a minimum number of regular-season girls competitions. 

At Regionals, “I was pretty much my own team,” the junior said. “I competed in individuals with the girls, which made me able to go to states and gave some of the freshmen (boys) who never bowled a chance to bowl at Regionals.”

Brunner made the most of her run at the state tournament.

Seeded third, she bested the sixth, second and top seeds for the title.

“I don’t think it really matters where you’re seeded,” she said. “If you work hard and get through all the matches, you should be good.

“You can come from the bottom and make it to the top.”

That experience has helped her become a better bowler, she said.

“Throughout my whole season so far, it’s taught me not to give up, even if you have a low game,” Brunner said.

“Stay positive throughout the day because that’s something I did at state, too, and it helped me.”

Having her mother as her coach is nothing new.

Her mom and dad, Scott, have coached her since she was a preschooler.

Her dad runs Scott Brunner’s Pro Shop at Continental Lanes in Portage, and when she was very young, “I’d go to the pro shop with my dad all day, so I would bowl all day,” Morgan Brunner said.

“I started bowling competitively at 9 or 10. I’ve just stuck with it since.”

During all those years, her mom, dad and grandpa Bill Keirns have been her three main coaches.

However, bowling every week with mom as a coach is a bit different than in tournaments.

“It’s mostly good,” Morgan Brunner said. “She knows what I’m working on and what I have to work on or if I need help on something.

“If I need something different and I don’t know what, she can help me with that. She tries to keep me positive.

“She knows everything about my game,” Brunner continued. “Even if she sees one thing that’s different, she’ll point it out and I’ll be like …” she said, shaking her hand.

Karrie Brunner said she is thankful for the bonding time with her daughter.

Gobles bowling“I know sometimes it’s hard to have Mom around cramping your style, but I love that we get this bond and get to do this together,” she said.

“Her dad and I both coach her when she bowls individual events, but this just adds to the bond. To get to watch her become a leader on the team is really fun.”

Talking about wins and losses at home is a no-no.

“We have rules in our family that it stays on the lanes no matter what happens, whether it’s individual or team,” Karrie said.

“Scott and I had to develop that for our games, so we taught the girls that. She has to leave it at the bowling center.”

With no bowling center in Gobles, the team’s home house is Revel & Roll West in Kalamazoo, about a half hour away.

“It does pose some challenges, especially for the kids, but it was the best choice for us,” Brunner said. “We work with the kids if they can’t make it or need rides.”

New bowlers like Diamond have added to a worthwhile coaching experience.

Working with Diamond, “it’s fun,” Brunner said. “You’re teaching somebody to love the game that they can do when they graduate, when they get older.”

One area Diamond hopes to improve is “keeping my arm straight. It has a mind of its own,” she said.

Eric Phillips and James Goerke are the only other seniors on the team, and Oskar Wood is the lone sophomore. Juniors include Nolan Vanhorn and Owen Nuyen.

Brunner uses all seven bowlers in a match, subbing out so everyone has a chance to bowl.

The key to this year’s team is camaraderie, the coach said.

“The boys get along great and with the girls, I think they’re finally getting into their own skin,” Karrie Brunner said. “They’ve done it a couple years now, so everybody’s getting comfortable and they’re getting that desire that we can actually win.”

Pam ShebestPam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Morgan Brunner is returning for Gobles this winter after winning the Division 4 singles championship last season. (Middle) From top down, Gobles coach Karrie Brunner, Morgan Brunner and Alexis Diamond. (Below) Morgan Brunner warms up before a recent match at Revel & Roll West in Portage. (Photos by Pam Shebest.)

Wayne Boys, Holt Girls Rally from Early Deficits to Clinch 2nd Finals Titles

By Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com

March 3, 2023

ALLEN PARK – Wayne Memorial bowling coach Christine Day will be celebrating her 34th birthday Saturday with a state championship.

Led by Jeremiah Hodge’s 212 game, Wayne rallied from a 59-pin deficit to defeat Brownstown Woodhaven 1,331-1,244 to win the Division 1 championship Friday at Thunderbowl Lanes.

“I have an entire group of seniors – seven,’’ said Day. “This was present enough. I’m so proud of these guys. They kept fighting and coming back.’’

Down 59, senior anchor Donovan Uselman called a team huddle in the third frame, and his teammates eventually responded.

“He just said to keep our focus and keep executing our shots,’’ said Hodge. “It was a long day. We were down every game. We shot 1,100 today. We shot 1,000. I just tried to control the pocket.’’

Wayne Memorial advanced to the boys championship by defeating Livonia Churchill, 1,385-1,315, while Brownstown Woodhaven topped Jenison 1,382-1,268. The title was the second for Wayne, which previously won Division 1 in 2015.

Holt captured the girls title, also its second, behind a 214 game from Lola Knox, 1,197-1,078.

“It was hard getting here, but I was just happy I could pull it out for my team,’’ said Knox. “I’m very proud of my senior class.’’

Coach Sandra Teague said she knew early in the season this group was special.

“We won a title in 2010,’’ said Teague. “With this group I said there was no way I was going to mess this up.’’

Wayne Memorial opened the boys championship match with a 224-202 win in the first game of the Baker match. Both teams struggled in the second Baker game as Woodhaven shot 170 to open up that big lead.

Woodhaven then went ahead 101 pins, but Wayne made a comeback to get the deficit back to 51.

The effort was sidetracked with four opens in the seventh frame, giving Woodhaven a chance to reassume control.

“It was a matter of making good shots,’’ said Hodge. 

The Holt girls bowling team celebrates its 2023 Division 1 championship.

In the girls Final, Traverse City West led by 18 pins after the first Baker game, but Holt shot 157 to open up an 10-pin lead going into singles play.

Traverse City West had advanced to the championship match by easing past Grandville 1,265-1,111, while Holt edged Westland John Glenn 1,167-1,155.

Zeeland was the top girls qualifier at 3,271 pins, followed by Sterling Heights Stevenson at 3,174 and Grandville at 3,159. The hard-luck school was South Lyon, which missed the last qualifying spot by one pin.

Zeeland’s run for the girls title was short-lived, though.

With a raucous crowd behind them shouting “Rocket Power,” Westland John Glenn’s bowlers knocked off the top seed in a heart breaker, 1,089-1,088, to advance to the semifinals.

Stevenson, the No. 2 seed, also had a tough afternoon and fell to Traverse City West, 1,149-1,132. That set up the Titans’ showdown with Grandville, which had eliminated Grand Blanc 1,198-1,122.

It was a tough day for annual powerhouse Macomb Area Conference teams, girls and boys, as they were all eliminated in the quarterfinals. Holt defeated reigning Division 1 champion Dakota in the girls division 1,245-1,195.

On the boys side, Davison jumped from ninth after the first singles games of qualifying to first with a 1,113 score in the second set of singles for a total qualifying score of 3,598. The Cardinals had lost five of six starters from a year ago, which made the run to the top even more impressive.

Jenison was second in qualifying at 3,594, Utica Eisenhower third at 3,538 and Wayne Memorial fourth at 3.496. Macomb Dakota was the other Macomb Area Conference team to make the top eight with a score of 3,474.

Davison’s run abruptly came to an end, however, when eighth-seed Livonia Churchill prevailed, 1,177-1,162 to start bracket play. Churchill moved on to face Wayne Memorial, which had eliminated Dakota 1,179-1,162.

Brownstown Woodhaven bested Eisenhower, 1,308-1,251, and moved on to face Jenison, which was six pins better than seventh-seed Byron Center, 1,258-1,252.

Division 1 Final ResultsBoys | Girls