The stakes were high when the girls’ bowling team competed in their MHSAA Division 2 regional on Friday, Feb. 26.

The girls, having taken first place the last three years, were determined to finish in the top three to advance to the state final.

The contest took place at Cherry Hill Lanes in Clarkston, and the girls finished second, with only Mason besting them.

Taking second place disappointed senior Hannah Ploof to a degree.

“I feel like we could have won,” Ploof said. “We just didn’t have a good day. But all that matters is we made it to the state final.”

This marks the seventh consecutive year the Hornets have qualified for the final. Since 2010, Kearsley has made it to the quarterfinals once, semifinals once, brought home the runner-up trophy in 2012, and claimed state titles in 2012, 2014, and 2015.

The final scores were Mason 3,734, Kearsley 3,598, and Owosso 3,418.

The Hornets competed in six Baker games, totaling 999 pins among them.

The scores for the first three games were 161, 202, and 139.

The girls did not give up and shot 190, 139, and 168 in the last three Baker games, and the competition was tight heading into individuals.

In the individual games, the Hornets started by shooting 847, while Mason shot 885.

The Hornets struggled to surpass Mason in the second game when they finished with 879 to Mason’s 886.

In the final set, the Hornets knocked down 873 pins. The Bulldogs only scored 836, but their early lead held out for the victory.

Second place disappointed sophomore Emma Boychuk, but she is still excited for the state final and proud of her team for making it this far.

“We had some competition,” Boychuk said. “We could have done better, like we originally planned, but in the end we are still going to states — that’s where we’ll win big.”

The state final is Friday, March 4, at Super Bowl Lanes in Canton.

To prepare for the final, Boychuk said the team will be working hard and is confident the girls will do well. She said the harder the Hornets work, the more they will succeed.

“We’ll be practicing hard,” she said. “In order to win, we have to be a team. It’s all about the team coming together, cheering on your teammates, and winning it as a team.”

For Ploof, she is determined to make her last state championship a victory and is not satisfied with taking second.

“We haven’t done anything yet,” Ploof said. “We just need to go out and do what we know how to do next weekend (in the state final).”