Title IX at 50: Kearsley Rolls On Among Girls Bowling's Early Successes
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 1, 2022
The 19th MHSAA Bowling Finals will be rolled this weekend, with Team Finals on Friday and Singles Finals on Saturday for four divisions at four sites.
At just under two decades, it’s still a young sport by MHSAA sponsorship standards. But years from now as we recall the early days, we will certainly look to the Flint Kearsley girls.
Their dynasty is still growing – the Hornets are returning to the Division 2 Finals this weekend after winning last season’s championship. We’ll know by Friday night if last year was the start of another winning streak to go with the six straight championships Kearsley claimed from 2014-19.
Last year’s title put Kearsley’s overall count to eight, one more than Vandercook Lake for most Team Finals wins. The Hornets also finished Division 2 runners-up in 2010.
Kearsley also has produced three MHSAA singles champions, most recently Megan Timm in 2020.
The other two names on that singles list are part of a family woven through Kearsley’s rise. Lindsay Ploof was the Hornets’ first singles champion, claiming a 24-pin victory to clinch the 2011 Division 2 Finals title. Younger sister Hannah won in 2016 by 49 pins in her championship match.
Their coaches throughout were their parents Robert and Pam; Robert served as head coach for 15 seasons until retiring after 2019-20. According to the Michigan High School Interscholastic Bowling Coaches Association, his 162 wins (with only 13 losses) are third-most for a varsity girls bowling coach in MHSAA history, and his .926 winning percentage also is among the highest on that list. He was named to the MHSIBCA Hall of Fame in 2016.
Second Half's weekly Title IX Celebration posts are sponsored by Michigan Army National Guard.
Previous Title IX at 50 Spotlights
Feb. 22: Marquette Ties Record for Swim & Dive Finals Success - Read
Feb. 15: Jaeger's 2004 Winter Run Created Lasting Connection - Read
Feb. 8: Marian's Cicerone to Finish Among All-Time Elite - Read
Feb. 1: WISL Award Honors Builders of State's Girls Sports Tradition - Read
Jan. 25: Decades Later, Edwards' Legend Continues to Grow - Read
Jan. 18: Iron Mountain Completes Championship Climb - Read
Jan. 11: Harrold's Achievement Heralds Growth of Girls Wrestling - Read
Dec. 20: Competitive Cheer Gives Michigan Plenty to Cheer About - Read
Dec. 14: Evelyn's Game Had Plenty of Magic - Read
Dec. 7: Council Term Ends, But Leinaar Leaves Lasting Impact - Read
Nov. 30: Basketball Season Ready to Add to Rich Tradition - Read
Nov. 23: Marysville Builds Winning Streak Yet to be Challenged - Read
Nov. 16: Wroubel Has Championed Girls School Sports from Their Start - Read
Nov. 9: Pioneer's Joyce Legendary in Michigan, National Swim History - Read
Nov. 2: Royal Oak's Finch Leading Way on Football Field - Read
Oct. 26: Coach Clegg Sets Championship Standard at Grand Blanc - Read
Oct. 19: Rockford Girls Set Pace, Hundreds After Have Continued to Chase - Read
Oct. 12: Bedford Volleyball Pioneer Continues Blazing Record-Setting Trail - Read
Oct. 5: Warner Paved Way to Legend Status with Record Rounds - Read
Sept. 28: Taylor Kennedy Gymnasts Earn Fame as 1st Champions - Read
Sept. 21: Portage Northern Star Byington Becomes Play-by-Play Pioneer - Read
Sept. 14: Guerra/Groat Legacy Continues to Serve St. Philip Well - Read
Sept. 7: Best-Ever Conversation Must Include Leland's Glass - Read
Aug. 31: We Will Celebrate Many Who Paved the Way - Read
PHOTO The Ploofs, from left: Pam, Lindsay, Robert and Hannah, after Hannah won the 2016 Division 2 singles championship. (MHSAA file photo)
Grandville Girls Go Distance Twice in Match Play to Secure 1st Finals Title
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
February 28, 2025
ALLEN PARK – Paiton Thompson couldn’t stop crying.
The senior anchor bowler helped Grandville’s girls bowling team to its first Division 1 title with a 3-2 championship match victory Friday at Thunderbowl Lanes.
The Bulldogs shot just 116 in the first game against Holt, but won three of the next four, including 158-153 in the finale.
“I told them we had to start making spares,’’ said coach Nick Watkins. “We started throwing and making spares.’’
Said Thompson: “We didn’t get down on ourselves. I can’t stop crying. Being a senior makes this everything to me.’’
There was a clear favorite.
Utica United, a cooperative of bowlers from Utica High and Utica Eisenhower, brought a talented lineup, led by Hadley Clark, Sophia Matheson and Ava Mazza.
All three also qualified for Saturday’s singles championship.
After a series of close calls Friday, the top-ranked Utica squad fell in the semifinals to an inspired Holt team, ranked seventh in the state. That set the stage for the championship against fifth-ranked Grandville, which had raced to the finals by defeating Rockford, 3-0, with the last game a 190-189 thriller.
In the first game of the championship, Grandville had seven opens in the first nine frames in falling to the Rams,153-116.
Still with open frames galore, Grandville tied the match at 1-1, with a 148-132 win in the second game. Holt then took the lead again with a 210-161 verdict in the third.
However, Grandville rallied to tie the match 2-2 with a 181-133 fourth-game win, and then clinched with the five-pin victory in Game 5.
With three of the best bowlers in the Macomb Area Conference Red, Utica United dominated the qualifying round, shooting a 3,404, which was almost 200 pins better than No. 2 seed South Lyon’s 3,220. Macomb Dakota was third at 3,101 and Holt fourth at 3,069.
In the quarterfinals, Utica had a miserable first game, shooting 115 and losing, but rallied to down Walled Lake Northern, 3-1. Meanwhile, Rockford eliminated Dakota, 3-2, winning the deciding game by three pins.
Holt stopped Westland John Glenn, 3-2, to advance against Utica. Grandville was the last team to reach the semifinals, defeating South Lyon, 3-2, to face Rockford.