McBride, Buck Come Back to Shine
March 3, 2018
By Keith Dunlap
Special for Second Half
STERLING HEIGHTS – The 2018 Division 1 Singles Finals turned out to be all about a pair of lefties who ended up crying tears of joy after crying tears of grief previously at the MHSAA tournament.
Macomb Dakota junior Danielle McBride and Rockford sophomore Matt Buck were crowned the new individual champions to cap off varying degrees of rebound stories.
For McBride, it was a rebound of less than 24 hours.
During Friday’s team competition, McBride in the final frame of the championship match against Oxford bowled an unfortunate split, which ultimately opened the door for Oxford to win in the final frame.
Obviously crushed and shedding tears with her teammates after that defeat, McBride this time shared hugs and tears of joy with teammates who supported her through her championship run.
McBride qualified as the No. 3 seed and then earned a 473-403 win over Rachel Doran of Farmington-Harrison in the Round of 16, a 432-416 win over Anna Maxwell of Westland John Glenn in the quarterfinals and a 418-382 win over Lauren Slagter in the semifinals to set up a finals match with Caledonia senior Macailin Rodriguez.
Armed with a 211 average, McBride bowled well beyond that to easily defeat Rodriguez.
McBride bowled a 245 and 243 for a final score of 488 that outpaced the 385 bowled by Rodriguez.
“I was just focusing on hitting my spares and hitting my marks,” McBride said. “I tried to stay smooth in everything. I kind’ve lost confidence and thought I could have done better (Friday). I knew I could do better today.”
The Dakota girls won the team title in 2015, but this was the first individual title for a Dakota girl bowler.
McBride finished 10th at last year’s Final.
To further put McBride’s performance in perspective, she didn’t have a match total of less than 400 pins in her four after qualifying, in essence beating the top boys as well with her performance.
Buck also had his rebound story, as he recalled leaving the alley after last year’s MHSAA tournament crying after struggling in the qualifying portion and finishing 46th.
“I came out here to have fun,” Buck said. “Last year, I was a little low and I did cry. But I learned from that experience.”
Buck finished as the No. 12 seed out of the qualifying block this time before earning a win over David Decruydt of St. Clair Shores Lake Shore in the Round of 16, a 403-328 win over Oxford senior Christian Cartner in the quarterfinals and a close 413-405 win over No. 1 seed Trevor Morgan of Kalamazoo Loy Norrix in the semifinals to earn a match against Detroit U-D Jesuit senior Ryan Reid in for the title.
The difference turned out to be the first game, which saw Reid struggle and Buck take a 196-152 lead going into the final game.
Reid came out hot to start the finale, bowling five consecutive strikes to signal he wasn’t going away.
“I just had to keep up with him,” Buck said.
Buck did that, starting the game with three strikes himself before ultimately seeing Reid cool off in the later frames.
Reid ended up winning the second game 218-201, but it wasn’t enough to erase the deficit as Buck earned a 397-370 victory and an MHSAA Finals championship.
Click for full girls results and boys results.
Standish-Sterling's Vallad Jumps from 47th as Junior to No. 1 in Final Match
By
Jeff Bleiler
Special for MHSAA.com
March 1, 2025
JACKSON — Paige Vallad has simple goals entering the Division 3 girls singles bowling championship Saturday at JAX 60. She wanted to see improvement from last year.
Mission accomplished in a massive way.
A year after finishing 47th during the qualifying round of the Singles Finals, the Standish-Sterling senior brought home a championship, outlasting Milan junior Maggie Smith, 363-295.
“I just wanted to make the first cut,” Vallad said afterward. “I was hoping to get the top 16, which was better than I did last year, and end on a good note. I never thought I’d be here.”
Vallad helped her school to a double-dip in Jackson by winning the title a day after the boys team captured its first Finals trophy.
“It was a grind, it was hard, but it was worth it in the end,” she said.
Vallad qualified fifth after the six-game block with 1,156. Jacey Thibodeau, a Madison Heights Bishop Foley junior, blistered the lanes to lead qualifying with a total of 1,394, boosted by a closing 289 game.
Vallad ended Thibodeau’s day in the semifinals 350-322 after Thibodeau averaged 214 in her first two matches. Vallad reached the semifinals by defeating Cheboygan senior Alicia Vieau 372-318 and Grass Lake junior Marielle Schafran 409-393.
She started slowly in the championship match, opening in her first three frames. But she erased those with three strikes in a row and only opened two other frames, including the 10th frame of the second game when the result was already decided.
Vallad celebrated the victory with a tight embrace from her coach and father, Jason, who took over the program just this year.
“It’s his first year coaching, and it was awesome,” she said. “The best way to end my senior year. He was there with me through the whole moment. He kept encouraging me and was the best coach I’ve had throughout the years.”
Jason Vallad knew his daughter could hold her own in the tournament, especially considering she gains added revolutions on the ball by employing a two-handed delivery style.
“It’s pretty unbelievable,” he said. “I knew she was a good bowler, but to come down here and compete at this level, they’re all good bowlers, so I’m super proud and happy for her.”
Smith qualified as the second seed with 1,255 and was red hot during her first three matches. She defeated Boyne City senior Victoria McGeorge 404-396, Armada junior Maggie Fradle 482-374, and Livonia Clarenceville senior Caitlyn Johnson 401-364.
Her 482 total on games of 258 and 224 against Fradle was the highest two-game total of the day.
In the championship match, Smith struggled to games of 136 and 159, but her coach Linda Towler said the future is bright.
“She is great inside and out,” Fowler said. “There’s just not enough I can say about her. She’s in the bowling alley every day honing her skills. I’m just so proud of her.”