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| Big Reds ‘bowl over’ competition Chippewa Valley boys and girls excel on the lanes By Jon Malavolti WARREN — The Clinton Township Chippewa Valley bowling program wrapped up its most successful regular season in program history thanks to top-notch performances in the Macomb Area Conference White Division championship meet Feb. 17 at Universal Lanes in Warren. The girls team walked away in first place and the boys finished second, adding to their impressive seasons after both already won the MAC White dual-meet titles. “It’s unbelievable that they were able to pull this off,” said girls coach Sandy Schultz. “They’ve come such a long way from the beginning. They’ve worked really hard.” The girls team went 10-0 in division action, while the boys finished 9-1. The titles were the first for the teams that have been building up to this point in recent years. Both squads finished in second place last season. Before that, the girls finished in third the previous two years, while the boys have climbed out of the cellar following a pair of last-place finishes. “It’s just unbelievable,” boys coach Chuck Schultz said. “Now we’ve got a program that should roll over, and we should be good every year.” Strong team chemistry on both rosters has played a big part in the squads’ success. “Everybody melts together,” senior David Thrush said. “I’ve been in this program for four years; there was lots of good teamwork this year.” “Every week they’ve stepped it up one notch higher,” Sandy said of her squad. “All of them, they work really well together as a team. They stayed focused, even when they where struggling. Some of the girls were struggling here and there, but they would pull through and hang in there for the rest of the team. “I really think that’s how they won, because they stuck together as a team, and even when they individually were struggling, they did the best that they could for the rest of the team.” The Big Reds can now set their sights on advancing in the postseason, as the regional competition is fast approaching. Both teams are hoping to use their experiences at the division meet to help prepare them for regionals. “Just a lot more confidence has been built — from taking the whole division and then winning the division meet — it sets a standard,” junior Rachel Young said. “Hopefully, we can keep up with it.” As for the boys team, it’s hoping not winning the title at the division meet will pay off at regionals. “Any time you lose — and you hate to lose — it’s going to be a good thing,” Chuck said. “Because you’re going to concentrate, you’re going to focus more. All losses are good; sooner or later, they’ll turn around and win. “To do something in regionals would be fabulous. We’re just going to go back and practice — work on relaxing and see if we can’t get the guys to let go of the ball a little more. They’re all talented; they’re all capable of doing it.” Regionals rolling up You can reach Sports Writer Jon Malavolti at jmalavolti@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1040.
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