Dad's Memory Drives Bunch to Finish Kearsley Weekend Sweep with Singles Win
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
February 28, 2026
WATERFORD — Whenever she got into times of trouble or adversity during the Division 2 Singles Finals on Saturday, Flint Kearsley junior Noel Bunch knew who to turn to for comfort.
Throughout the day, Bunch said her late father was often on her mind, particularly when she needed a good shot. Her father died last November after battling cancer.
“Bowling has been a part of my family my whole life,” Bunch said. “(My dad) was a bowler and he taught me how to bowl. I just really wanted to keep the tradition going. I was just trying to think about that it was for him and I could do this.”
Bunch indeed did it for her family and herself, claiming her first individual Finals title and the first for a Kearsley girls bowler since Megan Time won in 2020.
Bunch also pulled a championship double after being a part of Kearsley’s team title Friday.
She qualified for the singles tournament the last two years, but didn’t make it past the qualifying block due to a big obstacle,
“This was my first year where I wasn’t super sick,” Bunch said. “I’ve been sick the last two years for states.”
Bunch defeated Three Rivers junior Jayna Larson in the final, overcoming a two-pin deficit after the first game (197-195) to win the second, 224-171, for a 419-368 overall win.
Bunch started off slowly in the second game but caught fire, bowling six straight strikes between the fourth and 10th frames to take control.
“It was a ball adjustment,” Kearsley head coach Jeff Vanier said. “Her one ball was going a little too long. One lane was hooking more than the other. Once we figured that out, we made a ball change in the 10th frame of the first game. I liked how it read the lanes.”
Bunch went wire-to-wire, finishing first out of the qualifying block and beginning match play with a round of 16 win over Bay City John Glenn senior Haylee Timm.
Bunch then beat Swartz Creek sophomore Allison Temple in the quarterfinals and Dearborn Divine Child sophomore Ella Leieniewski in the semifinals.
“She has been one of my top bowlers,” Vanier said of Bunch. “She’s either been my anchor bowler or my fourth bowler. She’s my best spare shooter, probably, on my team. She’s been solid all year.”
Larson was the second seed out of the qualifying block, and began her run to the final with a win over Divine Child junior Julia Sovinski in the round of 16. Larson then topped Kearsley senior Delaney Vanier in the quarterfinals and Bay City John Glenn junior Chelsie Voss in the semifinals.
It was the third straight year at the Singles Finals for Larson, who lost in the round of 16 two years ago and missed qualifying by eight pins last year.
“I was just trying to focus and not be nervous, because when I was nervous I would tend to miss it at the bottom,’ Larson said. “Just be focused and try to hit a good shot.”
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.