Preview: Finals Fields Full of Past Champs
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 28, 2019
Seven reigning team champions and five singles title winners are returning for this weekend’s MHSAA Girls & Boys Bowling Finals.
But this sport annually seems to allow for a higher degree of the unexpected at this highest level of competition – so expect to see a few surprise contenders enter the mix with the past achievers.
Below is a look at possible contenders for all eight championships. This season's Finals will be bowled at the following centers: Division 1 at Allen Park’s Thunderbowl Lanes, Division 2 at Waterford’s Century Bowl, Division 3 at Muskegon’s Northway Lanes and Division 4 at Battle Creek's M-66 Bowl. Click for the full list of qualifiers, and come back to Second Half all weekend for coverage from all four Finals sites. Action begins both days at 8:25 a.m.
Division 1 Girls
Team: Oxford moved up from runner-up in 2017 to champion last season and continues to roll, posting the highest Regional score last week (3,778) in all of Division 1 and winning a Regional that saw three of the top five scores of the weekend. Flushing (3,762) and Lake Orion (3,742) followed Oxford that day, while Jenison (3,754) and New Baltimore Anchor Bay (3,743) also broke 3,700 in winning their respective Regionals.
Singles: Macomb Dakota senior Danielle McBride will be back seeking a repeat championship after winning last season’s final match by 103 pins. Jenison junior Lauren Slagter also is back after reaching last season’s semifinals. Total, eight of 16 from last year’s Finals match play will compete Saturday; Lake Orion junior Cheyenne Washington and Wyandotte Roosevelt junior Alicia Rager were in that group and won Regional titles last week. Holt senior Gabriella VanHorn, North Farmington junior Lyric Osteen, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore senior Jessica Ludwick and Plymouth senior Madalyn Harden also are coming off Regional championships.
Division 1 Boys
Team: Reigning champion Waterford Kettering is back after finishing second at its Regional to Farmington-Harrison – which had the highest Regional score in Division 2 at 4,209. Oxford won its Regional and was right behind in overall high score at 4,202 pins, and nine of 18 Finals qualifiers rolled at least 4,100.
Singles: Rockford junior Matt Buck is back after winning last year’s title by 27 pins. There could be a number of new contenders as none of the six Regional champs from last week made the match play at the Finals a year ago. Caledonia freshman Alec Bisterfeldt, Midland sophomore Izaac Goergen, Kettering senior Hunter Gates, Macomb Dakota senior Ryan James, Livonia Franklin junior Aaron Wright and Brownstown Woodhaven senior Jeffrey Lizewski all are coming off Regional wins.
Division 2 Girls
Team: Flint Kearsley has won five straight Division 2 titles and rolled a 4,093 at last week’s Regional – outpacing the rest of Division 2 by nearly 500 pins while placing the top two individuals. The teams Kearsley defeated in last season’s semifinal and final – Carleton Airport and Tecumseh, respectively – both are back this weekend after finishing first and second at their Regional, Airport with the division’s second-highest score at 3,610.
Singles: Five of last season’s match play qualifiers are back in the singles field, led by Kearsley junior Imari Blond – she was the runner-up last season and won her Regional last week. Warren Woods-Tower junior Cassie McCarren and Dearborn Heights Annapolis senior Emily Gurin both made the match play in 2018 and won Regionals last week as well. Charlotte sophomore Abby Mather, Hastings sophomore Ashland Hoyt and Fruitport sophomore Jessica Plichta also won Regional titles.
Division 2 Boys
Team: Reigning champion Battle Creek Pennfield and runner-up Coldwater both are back after Pennfield won last year’s final by seven pins. They finished third and second, respectively, at last week’s Regional to Sturgis, one of four teams in the division to roll 4,000 or higher. Tecumseh, a semifinalist last year, rolled the high at 4,099. Pennfield actually is going for a third straight team title – it won Division 3 in 2017.
Singles: Reigning champion Alec Keplinger, a senior from Coldwater, and runner-up Kyle Vermiyea, Cadillac junior, both are back. Escanaba junior Josh Worthen and New Boston Huron senior Zach Taylor both qualified for the Finals in 2018 but didn’t advance to the match play; they could take the next step after both winning their Regionals with scores above 1,300. Grand Rapids Northview junior Dan Frey, Sturgis senior Aaron Brown-O’Dell, Charlotte freshman Carson Kohler and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s senior Daniel Madigan also won Regional titles.
Division 3 Girls
Team: Alma earned its second team title in three seasons in 2018, but finished third at its Regional last week won by 2017 Finals champion Birch Run. The Panthers’ 3,631 was second-best in Division 3 to Flat Rock’s 3,710. Michigan Center at 3,624 was second to Flat Rock at their tournament but with the third-highest score in the entire division.
Singles: Ishpeming senior Megan Wilkins made the semifinals last season, and Livonia Clarenceville junior Madilynn Kieling made the quarterfinals. Three others who made the match play last season also are back this weekend, including Muskegon Oakridge senior Alyssa Major, who won her Regional last week. Flat Rock junior Amy Jackson, Paw Paw junior Emily VanderBurg, Caro junior Nicole Orton, Midland Bullock Creek senior Allison Woollard and Gladwin senior Bailey Weston all were Regional champs as well.
Division 3 Boys
Team: There will be a new champion of this division, and reigning runner-up Corunna is in contention although the Cavaliers finished second at their Regional. Birch Run won their tournament with a division-high 3,914 pins, 30 more than Livonia Clarenceville’s Regional title-winning score of 3,884 that was second-highest in the division.
Singles: Portland senior Jack Dalman was the Finals runner-up last season and returns, as does Sanford Meridian junior Kyle Nohel after making the semifinals. Boyne City sophomore Michael Deming rolled the highest Regional score in the division at 1,279, while Saginaw Swan Valley sophomore Braydon Lemmer won his right behind at 1,276 and Livonia Clarenceville freshman Jacob Johnson won his at 1,274. Hudsonville Unity Christian junior Kurtis Montsma, Grand Rapids South Christian senior Jeremy Kwekel and Richmond senior Zach Ray also won Regional titles.
Division 4 Girls
Team: Vandercook Lake has won the last two Division 4 championships and will enter Friday coming off a Regional title as well with a 3,667 that was nearly 200 pins better than any other team in the division. The second and third highest scores last week actually came from the same Regional, by Bronson (a semifinalist in 2018) and East Jackson. Both broke 3,400 pins.
Singles: Reigning champion Mackenzie Johnson kicked off her final high school postseason by winning her Regional last week by 109 pins. Traverse City Christian senior Savannah Bluemel, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian senior Lydia France, Manchester senior Alyvia Hock, Burton Bendle senior Rylan Lambert and Brown City senior Courtney Wheeler also are coming off Regional titles.
Division 4 Boys
Team: Bronson won last season’s team title by 74 pins and will go for the repeat after rolling the fourth-highest Regional score – but second at its tournament to champion Napoleon’s 3,723. Grass Lake, third place at that Regional, and champs Baldwin and Riverview Gabriel Richard also cleared 3,700 pins, Gabriel Richard with a division-high 3,763.
Singles: Although last season’s champion and runner-up graduated, Bronson senior Brandon Hyska won the title in 2017. Vandercook Lake senior Korey Reichard won their Regional at 1,351, 54 pins more than anyone else in Division 4. Baldwin senior Ryan Kolenbrander, Ishpeming Westwood sophomore Robert Papp, Unionville-Sebewaing junior Ethan Androl, New Haven Merritt junior Cameron O’Connor and Allen Park Cabrini freshman Christopher Stevens also won Regional titles.
PHOTO: Macomb Dakota senior Danielle McBride rolls a frame during the Macomb County Tournament on Jan. 19. (Photo courtesy of C&G Newspapers.)
After Late Start - for Great Reason - Vicksburg's Butler Revved to Attempt Repeat Run
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
December 16, 2025
VICKSBURG — After winning a state championship last year as a junior, Jordon Butler was excited about his final bowling season as a Bulldog.
He had an unexpected delay in getting started this winter, but it was for a good reason.
Butler was a left guard/nose guard for Vicksburg’s football team that made school history, advancing to the MHSAA Semifinals for the first time.
Meanwhile, Vicksburg bowling co-coach Ed Mullins had to regroup.
“It threw me off because our state champion was on the football team along with another good bowler, (senior) Brett Hess,” he said. “We pushed out our tryouts another week. We almost had to do a second week if they had won their last game. Fortunately for us, we didn’t have to do that. Unfortunately for the football team.”
The Bulldogs did fall to eventual Division 4 runner-up Hudsonville Unity Christian, 45-17, in that Semifinal matchup. But Butler is now a part of Vicksburg athletic firsts in two sports. He not only contributed to that program-best football playoff run, but last winter became the first Vicksburg male bowler to reach the MHSAA Finals – and win the Division 2 singles title.
“It’s never been much of a struggle for me to switch over mentally (from football to bowling),” Butler said, adding, “But my body’s definitely aching still from football.”
The aching definitely disappears once Butler picks up the bowling ball. Then it’s total concentration.
Since winning last season’s singles title, he has a new goal:
Getting the entire team to the Finals.
While the Bulldogs did not qualify as a team last year, teammate Xavier Hart was there as well.
“My friend dressed like a bodyguard in a suit and sunglasses,” Butler laughed. “He was there the whole time.”
Catching up quickly
Butler’s mother, Danielle Wiggins, was instrumental in his high school bowling success.
When he started bowling his freshman year, “She said if I was going to do it, I had to get some practice in,” said the reigning Finals champ.
That is when his career got a boost.
“I was bowling and there was an older gentleman next to me,” Butler said. “He had a bunch of balls on the rack, and he saw me bowling. He asked me what grade I was in and if I was trying out for the team. I was like, ‘Yep.’ Then he asked me to choose any ball I wanted. I chose one, and he said, ‘It’s yours now.’ I was like, ‘Sweet.’”
Butler started bowling with that ball his freshman season. Then former teammate Isaac Adams, son of the co-coach, gave up bowling and gave his ball to Butler.
“So I had two,” the senior said. “Then I just started buying bowling balls. I have six now.”
Butler started out teaching himself by trial and error, but then “Coach Ed and Coach (Chris) Adams, they taught me how to keep my hands under the ball and then they told me to work on slowing down and speeding up my speed.
“Now I’ve got great speed control and can control how many revs I put on the ball. I listen to the coaches.”
Rolling next to Olivet
One unexpected bonus emerging after that MHSAA Tournament was a bowling scholarship from University of Olivet.
“When you win the D2 state championship as a junior, you’re going to get noticed,” Olivet men’s varsity bowling coach Brandon Grice said. “I had seen some video, and one of my current bowlers (Nick Suemnick) who bowled against (Butler) at state Finals reached out to Jordon and reached out to me and hooked us together. He said, ‘Hey you really need to get Jordon at Olivet. He can help us.’”
After they met, the Grice said he knew Butler was a “great talent but an even better person. He is a better human being, great personality; he’s a leader.”
Another plus is that the senior plays multiple sports, including baseball in the spring as well.
“I love athletes,” Grice said. “I love coaching athletes in bowling because they have a little bit different mentality, and he’s got that mentality that I want.
“When I did his signing, to have the entire football team there for a bowling kid spoke volumes about him as a person, as a teammate. He’s exactly what we’re looking for as far as a culture fit at Olivet. He’s that kid.”
Before heading to Olivet, Butler has one more season of high school bowling, and Mullins is excited about this season with so many trying out for the team.
“Chris (Adams) and I have discussed it,” Mullins said. “If we had the opportunity to have two varsity teams, we would.
“We have some talented young kids here, and it’s getting difficult to choose or figure out who’s going where and when.”
The coaches have the hopefuls narrowed down to eight.
Besides Butler and Hess, seniors are Brady Gibson and Emmett Bostocky. Hart is the lone junior, Carson Bowling and Anthony Foote are sophomores and Chase Williams is a freshman.
Butler was a shoo-in to make last year’s team when he threw a non-sanctioned 300 on the first day of tryouts. That is his only perfecto so far, but he did bowl a 299 in a summer bowling league.
“It definitely made me a lot more confident,” Butler said. “I knew I could bowl that high, but I just had to actually do it.”
As for the effect of Butler’s Finals title on this year’s team, “I think, we’re going to be more disciplined,” Mullins said. “I’m trying to get the kids to Regionals.
“What they do beyond, is really, really up to them. I feel our job is to get them to Regionals and qualify (for Finals).”
Added Adams, “From my perspective, I want to try to keep it as stress-free and pressure-free as we can.
“There are two or three kids who have stated they want to take the team to state, but outside of that, I don’t want to put more pressure on any of the kids.”
Pam 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) Teammates and friends surround Vicksburg’s Jordon Butler as he signs his commitment to bowl collegiately at University of Olivet. (2) Vicksburg boys bowling co-coaches Ed Mullins, left, and Chris Adams. (3) Butler, right, and “bodyguard” Xavier Hart take a photo after Butler won the Division 2 singles championship last season. (4) Olivet men’s bowling coach Brandon Grice. (Top and championship photos courtesy of the Vicksburg athletic department. Vicksburg headshots by Pam Shebest. Olivet headshot courtesy of University of Olivet’s athletic department.)