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.”
Division 4 Champions Add to Trophy Cases
By
Tim Robinson
Special for MHSAA.com
March 6, 2020
LANSING – Jeff Wyers is a rare coach who has reached the pinnacle as a coach and player.
Wyers, who was on the Grass Lake baseball team that won the Class D title in 1988, led the Warriors to the Division 4 boys team bowling title Friday.
“These kids don’t just bowl,” he said. “They hang out and have fun as friends. It brings you out as better bowlers and better athletes. We had great unity when I was in high school with the kids I played with. I think it goes a long way.”
Grass Lake won its second MHSAA Finals title by rolling past Farwell in the championship match, 1,257-1,104. The title was the program's first since 2011.
The Eagles got there by beating Rogers City by more than 300 pins in the semifinals, which worried Wyers when the Warriors got off to a slow start in the final.
“We bowled 153-158 in the Baker games, and they weren’t far behind us at that point,” Wyers said. “We average 203 in Baker, so 150-something is way below our par and I thought, wow, they could jump back in at any minute and we could be in trouble.”
But in the regular game, four of the five Grass Lake bowlers bowled 178 or better, while only one Farwell bowler rolled above 166.
Leading the way was Bradley Ramsey, who rolled a 221 the week after being left off the roster for Regional Singles.
“Bradley was lights-out all the way through,” Wyers said. “We have a seven-man team, and when you go to states you can only enter six. For him to step up the way he did was phenomenal.”
Jack Stapleton added a 216 for the Warriors.
The Division 4 title made up for a disappointing singles showing at the Regional.
“We got two in, but we were shooting for five, so we weren’t enthused,” Wyers said.
Wyers completed his second year coaching the Warriors after taking over just before the 2018-19 season began.
Bronson girls coach Tammy Smith, meanwhile, coached the Vikings to their second consecutive title in her first year running the team. She did also lead them to the championship in 2019 as an assistant, guiding the girls while the boys bowled simultaneously in their Final.
This title was the girls' second in four years as a program.
“The key for this team is they just stay together and everyone keeps each other up,” Smith said. “Everyone plays a part.”
Seniors Harlee Davis and Dakota Smith, along with junior Aubrey Weinberg, played key roles in Bronson’s back-to-back titles.
The Bronson boys fell just short in their bid for a three-peat, finishing ninth, 17 pins out of a spot in the bracket.
As a program, girls and boys together, Bronson has won four Finals titles over nine overall seasons; the boys team just completed its fifth.
The Vikings girls prevailed over a Kent City team, 1,095-974, that had four freshmen and a sophomore competing in the championship round.
“I’m just happy we made it through this far,” Smith said. “Hopefully the girls do well (Saturday, at the Singles Finals), and we bring home another title.”
Asked if it might be tougher on the coach than the bowlers in a championship round, Smith laughed.
“Sometimes, yes,” Smith said. “We’re always wishing they do well, knowing we can’t help them out other than being encouraging.”
Click for full girls results and full boys results.