Utica's Mazza Adds to Family Highlight Reel in Claiming 1st Finals Title
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2026
ALLEN PARK — Growing up the daughter of former professional bowler John Mazza, Utica junior Ava Mazza said she has regularly watched old videos of her father when he was in his prime on the PBA Tour.
“Obviously I wasn’t born yet,” Ava Mazza said. “But on YouTube I’ve watched the Dick Weber Classic and him picking up a 7-10 split. It’s something I won’t forget watching.”
John Mazza now will have the same opportunity to rewatch highlights of Ava achieving a major title.
Following back-to-back semifinal appearances the last two years, Ava Mazza advanced this time all the way to the championship round of the Division 1 Singles Finals and won an all-Macomb County matchup against Macomb Dakota senior Brianne Jakuszanek 350-333 at Thunderbowl Lanes.
John Mazza, who is also the coach of Utica’s team, said it was the biggest thrill he’s had in bowling – even better than his own.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Anytime your kid does something incredible, everything else you’ve personally accomplished pales in comparison to it.”
Through the first game and first eight frames of the second, the deciding match was tight as could be.
Ava Mazza and Jakuszanek were tied after the first game at 170 apiece, and in the second game Jakuszanek held a one-pin advantage with both having a mark going into the ninth frame.
From there, Mazza took control, delivering strikes on her next three balls to prevail.
“I just took a deep breath, and it was everything I was working for,” she said. “I doubled in the 10th, and it got me the win.”
Indeed, after Mazza threw the second strike in the 10th frame, John Mazza broke down in tears knowing she had clinched it, and even came out to give her a tearful embrace before she threw her third shot.
“It was a sense of relief from all the pain and hard work,” John Mazza said. “We’ve had a lot of painful situations. We’re getting in these positions a lot, and it’s nice to finish it off. She had the ball in her hand with a chance to win it, and she threw the shots she needed to throw.”
Ava Mazza was fourth out of the qualifying block and started her run in match play by beating White Lake Lakeland junior Savannah Reed in the round of 16, 411-330. She then beat Livonia Churchill senior Sophia Best in the quarterfinals (422-317) and Taylor senior Aria Ragland in the semifinals (405-346).
“It just means everything to me,” Mazza said. “I’ve put in so much work and so much time. I’ve been working out, I’ve been reading books on the mental game. I’ve been working super hard to try and understand and perfect the games I struggle with the most.”
Jakuszanek was the 15th seed out of qualifying as she advanced to the match play round for the first time in her high school career.
She began her run with a win over Rockford junior Sofia DeLuccia in the round of 16 (348-331), then beat Caledonia sophomore Katelyn Light (385-345) in the quarterfinals and Southfield Arts & Technology senior Jaysa Taylor (404-305) in the semifinals.
“Just confidence in myself and telling myself I got this no matter what,” Jakuszanek said of what was working for her on the day. “It was my senior year, so just go out there and have fun.
“It was pretty tough. There were a lot of ball changes and a lot of angles that were difficult.”
Tuttle Wins 3rd, Fish Strikes 1st in D4
March 5, 2016
By Mark Meyer
Special for Second Half
LANSING – Kyle Tuttle is the undisputed, three-time heavyweight champion of Division 4 bowling in the state of Michigan.
The junior’s victory Saturday in the Singles Final at Royal Scot, 418-381 over Luke Cantrell of Genesee, contained very little of the drama that surrounded last year’s one-pin survival against Ethan Sobczak of Bad Axe.
Tuttle started the first game against Cantrell with strikes in four of the first five frames en route to a commanding 225-192 lead.
“I try not to put myself in situations where I have to dig out of a hole,” said Tuttle, the only three-time singles champion in MHSAA history. “I try to make as many quality shots as possible, and make ‘em all count.”
St. Charles coach Mark Faupel watches Tuttle not so much in amazement but as in admiration.
“He really battled today,” Faupel said. “It might not have showed on the scoresheet, but his hand was sore from a lot of bowling this weekend. Our team made it to the Finals (on Friday), and today he comes back and bowls another full day.
“But, he’s used to it, and he really enjoys it.”
Tuttle, the second seed behind freshman Korey Reichard of Vandercook Lake after the morning qualifier, rattled off match play victories over Logan Hughes of Sandusky (479-353), Tucker Hemmila of L’Anse (419-388) and Austin Kraemer of Riverview Gabriel Richard (392-346) to reach the Final.
Cantrell, a sophomore and the ninth seed after qualifying, reached the Final by defeating Blake Gulick of Ithaca (393-318), Reichard (426-371) and Isaac Solis of Adrian Madison (346-332).
“A bit less hectic this year,” said Tuttle, who practices at least five times a week while also working at Crooked Creek Lanes in Saginaw. “I had things going pretty well this weekend and was able to stay out of trouble.”
Senior Brianna Fish of Vandercook Lake made the big shots when they counted most by striking out in the 10th frame to defeat Alana Wirgau of Rogers City 350-344 in the Division 4 girls championship match. Fish lost the first game of the Final, 181-158, but didn’t reach for the panic button.
Fish’s coach, Todd Reichard, helped her relax and “bowl her game” despite trailing at the midway point.
“Coming into the tournament, I certainly didn’t expect to make it this far,” said Fish, who was seeded third after qualifying and then defeated Rachel Forest of Galesburg Augusta (412-373) in the round of 16, Erica Jones of Sandusky (342-339) in the Quarterfinals and Hayley Sigafoose of Ithaca (363-314) in the Semifinals. “As I went along I gained confidence and felt pretty good going into the Finals. I didn’t get started quite the way I wanted to but it worked out well at the end.”
Wirgau, a senior, worked her way through the bracket as the fourth seed by defeating Shai’erica Gould of Flint Beecher (442-420, including a 49-27 tiebreaker), Lillian Warner of Vandercook Lake (384-380) and Jasmine Lowe of St. Louis (378-357).
Reichard complimented his senior champion for her persistence and practice.
“We worked hard on our 10-pin and spare drills,” Reichard said, “and Brianna showed that, although she struggled at times early in the season, she was willing to put in the work on her game and became a much better bowler by the end of the season.”
Click for full boys results and girls results.
PHOTO: Vandercook Lake's Brianna Fish claimed her first MHSAA title at Royal Scot on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Vandercook Lake athletic department.)