WATERFORD — Vicksburg junior Jordon Butler walked into Century Bowl for the Division 2 Singles Finals on Saturday having already made history.

He later departed after making quite a bit more. 

Already the first bowler from Vicksburg to qualify for the MHSAA Finals, Butler now is the first bowler from Vicksburg to win one as well, earning a 400-387 win over DeWitt junior Griffin Lindemann in the championship match. 

“I came here and my goal was top 16,” said Butler, who qualified seventh out of the qualifying block. “I got top 16 and I was like, ‘All right, let’s keep working.’” 

Butler worked his way all the way to the top, first earning a 427-363 win over Tecumseh senior Palmer Ziemer in the round of 16. He then bowled a first game of 279 en route to a 486-358 win over St. Clair Shores Lake Shore junior Gregg Winters in the quarterfinals.

Butler then earned a 420-359 win over Iron Mountain senior Blake Flaminio in the semifinals. 

In the final, Butler started off hot, bowling a 246 to take a 37-pin lead over Lindemann going into the second game. 

Butler started off hot again, but he admittedly started feeling some pressure in the middle of the game, which turned into a couple of open frames due to splits. 

“I started bowling a little shaky there,” Butler said. “I was getting nervous.”

Lindemann gave himself a chance, getting into a position where if he would have struck out in the 10th frame, he would have won.

However, on the first shot of the 10th, Lindemann bowled a nine, with the 4-pin wobbling a bit, but not falling, to end his hopes. 

“Today he was probably 10-15 pins higher than his average,” Vicksburg co-coach Chris Adams said of his champion. “He has got the best mental attitude. Level-headed and always has a smile on his face. That’s who Jordon is.”

As was the case with Butler, Lindemann was making his first appearance at an MHSAA Finals, and was thrilled with how his day went despite falling just short at the end.

Lindemann, who was the No. 12 seed out of qualifying, defeated Carleton Airport sophomore Brayden Siders in the semifinals, 406-323. He also didn’t have a series below 400 until the final. 

“I came into this thinking to just bowl my best and if I made the cut, I made the cut,” Lindemann said. “I didn’t expect to get all the way to the finals. I’m proud of myself that I did it.”

While Butler and Lindemann advanced the furthest in the tournament, the game of the day belonged to New Boston Huron senior Nicholas Suemnick, who bowled a 300 in the first game of qualifying.

Last year’s individual champion, Flint Kearsley junior Jameson Vanier, finished 18th in qualifying and missed the cut by 17 pins. 

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