Trophy Pose Turns Into Trophy Win
March 6, 2013
By Jeff Steers
Brooklyn Exponent editor
(Submitted to Second Half)
Vandercook Lake High School girls bowling coach Todd Reichard likes each of his athletes to complete her toss with a hand up in the air like a bowling trophy.
Those who don’t complete their throws with a trophy pose are assigned to a two-minute penalty in the position.
Junior Malloree Ambs is the worst offender of this rule.
But last weekend she walked out of the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 4 Bowling Finals at Sunnybrook Lanes in Sterling Heights with a trophy, two medals and an individual championship.
Reichard still held up two fingers during the Finals each time Ambs failed to assume the bowling trophy position.
Ambs finished first in the individual tournament with a win over Paige Huebel of Oscoda High School. She finished with a total of 375 pins over two games to defeat Huebel by 14 pins.
Ambs is the first Vandercook Lake bowler to win a title since Nicole Crabtree won in 2009.
She rebounded from a rocky qualifying round where she made the top 16 field by only 14 pins.
“I had a rough time of it during the qualifying round,” Ambs said. “I knew I had to come back and battle.”
Ambs, Jessica Bunch and Becky Cecil all advanced to the round of 16. Cecil – who qualified 16th – knocked off the number one seed in round one and Bunch earned an easy win in her first round.
Huebel defeated Cecil in round two (423-377 for two games], Bunch tied with Kaitlin Gunsell of Unionville-Sebewaing but lost in a roll-off, and Ambs defeated Melissa Sleda of Sandusky (409-343).
One more pin by Bunch in regulation would have meant that she would have faced Ambs in the semifinal.
“I was somewhat relieved because I hate bowling against my teammates,” Ambs said.
Ambs defeated Gunsell 399 to 331 in the semifinals to advance to the finals.
She trailed by 11 pins after game one of the finals as a split in the sixth frame slowed her pace. Huebel experienced a split in game two in the fifth frame to open the door for Ambs.
Ambs appeared to have the match wrapped up after that, but an open in the 10th frame opened the door for Huebel. When the Oscoda bowler did not strike in the 10th frame, the victory went to Ambs.
She is the third VCL bowler to win an individual title, joining Crabtree in 2009 and Dee Dee Briggs in 2005.
Click for more sports coverage from the Brooklyn Exponent. Have a story you'd like to submit? Contact Second Half editor Geoff Kimmerly at [email protected].
PHOTO: Vandercook Lake junior Malloree Ambs won the Division 4 individual title Saturday at Sunnybrook Lanes. (Photo courtesy of the Brooklyn Exponent.)
Vandercook, Gabriel Richard Tops in D4
March 1, 2013
By Jon Malavolti
Special to Second Half
STERLING HEIGHTS – During eight of the first nine seasons of MHSAA Girls Bowling Finals, either Vandercook Lake or Sandusky made the championship match to end the winter.
And after meeting – and splitting – the last two Finals matches, it seemed only right that they met to decide a title again in year 10 at Friday's Division 4 tournament at Sunnybrook Golf and Bowl.
“We were really hungry for Sandusky,” Vandercook Lake senior Becky Cecil said. “We worked our butt off and got our scores up, so if it came down to Vandercook and Sandusky, we would be ready for them.”
After being separated by only six pins with three frames to bowl, the Jayhawks pulled away for a 1,322-1,166 victory to give themselves two of the last three championships – Sandusky finishing first in 2012.
In the Boys Final, Riverview Gabriel Richard beat East Jackson 1,356-1,058.
Vandercook Lake coach Todd Reichard said his squad couldn't wait for the title rematch after finishing runner-up last year.
Facing Sandusky always provides a chance to measure his program.
“That’s who you want, is the best,” Reichard said. “I’m very proud. We set a goal, we wanted to get back here and bowl Sandusky, and we’re right back here now. And we got what we wanted, and I’m thrilled to death.”
Sandusky coach Gordon Williams said he was “extremely proud” of his young squad this season.
And he agreed that the teams seem to bring out the best in each other as they seemingly meet annually in big competitions.
“We always expect to see them at this point,” Williams said. “It was a great match; it was a close match until the last three, four frames. They have an excellent program. I've got nothing but good things to say about them.”
Posing with his team and the boys championship trophy was extra special for Riverview Gabriel Richard coach Bob Stempien, who was able to share the moment with sons Austin and Zack, a freshman and junior, respectively, on the Pioneers.
“They don’t see me as coach. They see me as dad, and sometimes that can be an extra challenge; but it’s great,” the coach said.
“Coming here and watching kids do things you didn't think they could do is just incredible,” he added. “I can’t even really describe it, it’s just awesome. I’m just speechless.”
Zack Stempien had similar praise for his Pioneers teammates taking the title.
“It takes a lot of work and dedication, and after you do it, it’s kind of that moment where everything pays off and you have no words for it,” he said.
East Jackson coach D.J. Miller, meanwhile, was proud of the way his Trojans finished the season.
When asked if he believes his young team set a benchmark for the future of the program, Miller responded, “I definitely think they did.”
“They really came through the last two weekends,” Miller added, referring to the Regional and Final. “They bowled extremely well. They bowled up to their potential.”
Click for full girls results and full boys results.