The Hornets’ bowling teams made history by winning the MHSAA state finals. After winning the boys’ and girls’ state titles last year, this year’s victories mark back-to-back state championships for both teams.

Kearsley’s boys’ and girls’ squared off against Bay City Western for both title matches, which was March 6 at the Century Bowl in Waterford. 

The teams competed in two baker games and an individual game to determine the winner. Both teams had to overcome unfavorable positions to take the lead and win their titles.

The boys’ team was down 13 pins after the baker games with a score of 320 to Bay City Western’s 333. However, the boys pulled through after the individual game, ending up with a close 7-pin win, scoring 1,351 compared to Bay City Western’s 1,344.

The girls’ team was down 70 pins after the baker games with a score of 319 to Bay City Western’s 389. The girls’ picked up the slack and then some, scoring 1,242 against Bay City Western’s 1,212, winning the similarly close match by 30 pins.

The state titles did not end after the team competitions, though. The next day, five of Kearsley’s bowlers, two boys and three girls, competed in the state singles tournament with one athlete winning a title, too.

Junior Chad Stephen bowled in the singles competition and took first place as well. He faced fellow Hornet Anthony Kelley, senior, in the semifinals and beat Collin Fox from Charlotte to win the individual state title.

Due to the in-depth nature of these events, The Eclipse is currently working on more detailed articles for both the boys’ and girls’ teams, as well as Stephen’s individual win. Subscribe to our FeedBurner (on our homepage) to receive an email alert when the articles are published. Check us out on Facebook and Twitter to receive regular updates on our latest stories.