ISHPEMING — A competitor from Ishpeming-Negaunee and a team from Westwood reached the semifinals before bowing out at the MHSAA bowling state championships on Friday and Saturday downstate.

In the Division 3 girls singles tournament held at Northway Lanes in Muskegon on Saturday, senior Megan Wilkins of the Ishpeming-Negaunee cooperative squad qualified in the top 16 among 60 state finalists.

That advanced her to match play, where she defeated a pair of southern Lower Peninsula competitors before losing in the semifinals to eventual state champion Jenna Betts of Clare.

Wilkins rolled the sixth-highest total in qualifying, 1,126 for a 187.7 average, which was about 145 pins behind No. 1 qualifier Mackenzie Weston of Gladwin.

But Wilkins was also 65 pins ahead of the first bowler to miss the cut. Wilkins’ games were 196, 192, 190, 152, 214 and 182 on the modified sport shot. It’s rated in difficulty between a regular league shot and what pro bowlers compete on.

She opened match play with games of 237 and 176 to defeat Karissa Manifold of Hillsdale 413-374.

She advanced to the quarterfinals, rolling 202 and 238 for a 440-323 win over Amy Jackson of Flat Rock, a southern suburb of Detroit.

Then she ran into Betts in the semis, and after rolling 164 and 153 lost a 385-317 match. In the next match, Betts posted a 418-305 victory over Lainey Meader of Coloma for the state title.

The Patriots’ boys had a similar run in the Division 4 boys team tourney at M-66 Bowl in Battle Creek. Westwood qualified in the top eight among 18 teams to advance to match play.

There, the Pats won a match against a Detroit-area school before bowing out in the semifinals to eventual and defending state champion Bronson.

Westwood rolled 3,243 in the qualifying, which included two “regular” games where the five bowlers roll their own games, along with eight Baker-style games, where bowlers alternate frames to come up with single-game scores.

In Baker, Westwood rolled up 133, 145, 187, 155, 202, 217, 170 and 159; then put regular games of 961 and 914 together to place fourth, 137 pins behind No. 1 qualifier Bronson.

But the Pats were also 310 pins ahead of the ninth-place team, which is the first team to miss the cut.

Individually, sophomore Robert Papp, who rolled a perfect 300 game in team competition a week earlier at the regionals, paced Westwood again with games of 219 and 210 in qualifying.

Junior Dylan Junak added 225 and 164, junior Evan Rae had 167 and 191, sophomore Stephen Kangas 174 and 166, Brayden Vickstrom 183 and senior Alex Miller 176.

Westwood opened match play with a 1,145-999 win over Riverview Gabriel Richard, rolling Baker games of 154 and 154 and a regular game of 837. Rae led the way with 193, Kangas added 182, Papp 170, Junak 156 and Miller 136.

In the semis, the Pats lost to Bronson 1,237-1,178 with 162 and 155 Baker games and an 861 regular game. Papp was back over 200 again with 217, Rae shot 193, Kangas 156, Junak 150 and Miller and Vickstrom combined for 145.

While the Westwood boys were the only team to qualify for the state finals, Wilkins was joined by five Westwood, one other I-N and a Marquette bowler in singles.

All the individual bowlers placed in the top 10 at regional singles events a week earlier, while the Westwood boys made the top three in their team regional.

Papp, in Division 4 singles, was the only other area competitor to qualify for match play at the state finals.

Papp placed 13th in qualifying with 1,087, a 181.2 average, which was 267 pins behind No. 1 Connor Lackey of Jackson Vandercook Lake and just 15 pins ahead of the first bowler who missed the cut in 17th place.

In match play, Papp opened with games of 162 and 164 to lose to No. 4 qualifier Darrin Thomas of Baldwin, 369-326.

Three of his Patriots boys teammates also made the finals but missed the top-16 cut. Junak was 27th with 1,025, including best games of 201 and 199; Kangas was 35th with 1,006, including a 244; and Miller was 39th with 996, including a 191 finish.

They were joined by a Westwood girls bowler, junior Melissa Bauer, who was 52nd in girls singles qualifying with 813, which included a top game of 168. She missed 16th place by 203 pins.

In Division 2 at Century Bowl in Waterford, senior Kennan Johnson of Marquette tied for 44th in boys singles qualifying with 1,031, including a 204 finish. That missed the cut by 152 pins.

Back in D-3, I-N sophomore Dawsen Emanuelson was 57th in boys singles qualifying with 921, including a 184 best. He missed his cut by 190.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.