The Milan Girl Bowlers are State Champs!

The Milan Girls Varsity Bowling Team is bringing home the trophy after winning the Division 3 State Championship on February 27 in Jackson.

The Lady Big Reds were a strong team all season and put it all together in the state finals to bring home the school’s first championship in girls bowling. Going unbeaten in match play, Milan’s wins included defeating Ishpeming Westwood and Grass Lake.

Milan reached the states after winning the Regionals held on Feb. 19.

The State Finals for the Division 3 Girls Teams were held at JAX 60 on Friday, February 27th. In a field of the top 16 teams from each of the eight regions, the teams fought to make the cut to the top 8, in which a head-to-head match-play would determine the Girls Team Champion. The match-play rounds were a race to be the first to capture three points to advance to the next round.

Milan was in the lead after the second Baker game and never looked back as the Lady Big Reds claimed the top seed, shooting 2,974 for the eight Baker and two regular game qualifying format. The team rolled Baker games of 141, 203, 147, 175, 178, 206, 139, and 117. 

In the first set of singles games, the team rolled an 841 series with efforts from Ashley Reutter (182), Teresa Tomaszewski (135), a split effort between Savannah Michalak and Brooke Hildebrandt (157), Kenleigh Vandergrift (202), and Maggie Smith (167).

In the second singles game, the team produced an 827 series to maintain their position as the first seed to advance to matchplay. This was a result of efforts from Ashley Reutter (145), Teresa Tomaszewski (139), Brooke Hildebrand (152), Kenleigh Vandergrift (201), and Maggie Smith (190).

Heading into matchplay against eighth seed Gladwin, the girls captured three points by punching out wins of 201-151, 159-116, and 156-145 to advance to the semifinals.

Moving on, the girls continued their run against fourth-seeded Grass Lake, taking three points with wins of 152-139, 163-153, and 118-115.

In the Finals, the Lady Big Reds kept their fire burning, taking on sixth seed Ishpeming Westwood, sweeping the series with wins of 173-162, 131-104, and 190-163 to be crowned the Division 3 State Girls Bowling Team Champions.

In the regular season, the Milan Girls Varsity Team came in 2nd place in the Huron League with a record of 9-3, losing twice to league champions Flat Rock and once to Airport. Their highest league Baker game was a 177, and their highest series was a 912, which was the girls’ league record for the season.

The team is made up of Maggie Smith (Captain, Sr.), Teresa Tomaszewski (Sr.), Savannah Michalak (Jr.), Kenleigh Vandergrift (Co-Captain, So.), Ashley Reutter (So.), and Brook Hildebrandt (So.) with coaches Adam Gilles and Linda Towler.

Congratulations!

Information for this story was provided by Yvonne Smith.

Photo: Milan State Champions. Photo: MHSAA