PHOTO: Mackenzie Johnson of Vandercook Lake
Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
Several local high school bowlers – including a pair of state champions – earned all-state honors.
The awards are voted on by Michigan High School Interscholastic Bowling Coaches Association members.
In Division 4, two-time state champion Mackenzie Johnson of Vandercook Lake heads the first-team all-state list. Johnson recently won her second consecutive state individual title with a win over Dakota Smith of Bronson High School in the D-4 final.
Johnson was second at the state meet in qualifying, defeated three opponents on the way to a 364-333 win over Smith in the finals. The senior helped the Jayhawks win a pair of state team titles in four years. She also earned an academic all-state honors for her performance in the classroom.
Joining Johnson on the first-team are Kassidy Alexander of Hanover-Horton and Kathryn Sayles of Napoleon.
Alexander, a sophomore, qualified for the state tournament finishing 10th. She advanced to the stepladder round, but lost in the opening round of 16.
Sayles was also a state qualifier who finished 22nd overall at the state meet.
Vandercook Lake senior Preslee Stahl and teammate Arielle Oakley were named to second-team all-state. Stahl – a two-time all-state bowler – was also named to the academic all-state team.
Joining Stahl on the academic all-state team are teammate Sara Gietek, and Allison Hoop, Genevieve Soltis, and Sydney Wetzel all of Lumen Christi Catholic High School,
The Cascades Conference dominated the Division 4 boys’ first-team all-state list with four of the eight first-team performers from the Jackson area. Napoleon High School senior Collin Baldwin recently won the individual title in Division 4 with solid play all day during the MHSAA state bowling finals. Baldwin qualified seventh at the state meet, defeated three opponents, then advancing to the finals against senior Tate Steinborn of New Lothrop. He defeated Steinborn 396-366 for the state title.
Baldwin also earned all-academic all-state honors for work in the classroom.
Joining Baldwin is Vandercook Lake seniors Korey Reichard and Conner Lackey. It is the fourth consecutive year the VCL bowlers have received all-state awards.
Reichard won the regional title and Lackey was the top qualifier at the MHSAA Division 4 tournament. Reichard also earned academic all-state honors.
Grass Lake Sean Wyers was also named as a first-team all-state bowler for the Warriors. Wyers finished 10th at the state meet, losing in the opening round of the stepladder format to Baldwin.
Second-team all-state members are Jack Stapleton of Grass Lake and Shane Warner of Napoleon. Warner also earned academic all-state honors for his work in the classroom.
Academic all-state bowlers in Division 4 are Kyler LaDuke and Christian McClear of Lumen Christi, and Luke Olson of Napoleon.
In Division 2, Kaylee Hall of Northwest High School was named to the second-team all-state list. Hall was a state qualifier for the Mounties this season and finished 17th at the Michigan High School Athletic Association state meet.