SN 12-4-2021

The Sun and News, Saturday, December 4, 2021/ Page 9

TK bowling teams look to keep their success rolling

Brett Bremer

Sports Editor

Thornapple Kellogg had
one of its best bowling sea-
sons ever between the boys
and girls teams during the
2020-2021 season and the
returnees will work to keep
the program rolling this
winter.
Junior Wyatt Jacobson is
a returning state singles
qualifier for the TK varsity
boys’ bowling team this

winter. He placed 30th in

the MHSAA Division 2

Singles competition, fin-

ishing about 60 pins (over

the course of six games)

behind the last of the 16

match-play qualifiers at the

finals.

“It was a big learning

experience for him,” TK

head coach Cheryl Cooper

said of Jacob’s time at the

state finals. “I think he

grew. It was the first year.

He was there to see what

was going on. He did decent

at state for his first time. I

think he learned to just set-

tle in a little more.”

He’ll be settling into this

season with returning team-

mates Ethan Kriekaard, Z

Moore and Connor

Newland. Kriekaard and

Jacobson were both all-con-

ference in the OK Gold last

winter.

There are ten guys and

seven girls in the program

overall.

“Of the ones returning

most of them were doing

things in the offseason,”

coach Coopers aid. “They

were definitely working

with other coaches and they

were putting in the time

getting some extra help on

the side.”

Returning for the TK

girls’ team, which swept its

way to the OK Gold

Conference Championship

last season, are Faith Foster,

Allison Hess, Paige Green

and Emily Podbevsek.

Foster was an all-confer-

ence award winner and

Green earned honorable

mention all-conference.

Coach Cooper is also

looking for good scores

from sophomore Sara

Willshire in her first varsity

season.

“The boys and the girls

that have come back this

year are trying to help out

the new up and coming

kids,” Cooper said. “They

offer the little tips about

what they can do to correct

their swing, what they can

do to make the adjustments

on the lane for how their

ball is rolling and where

they need to throw it, what

the oil pattern is doing, how

to make those kinds of

adjustments.”

TK will adjust to compe-

tition for the first time this

season when they host

Lowell at Hastings Bowl

Monday. The OK Gold

Conference season begins

Tuesday when the Trojans

host Kenowa Hills. TK will

then go to the Grand Rapids

Christian Invitational at

Park Center Lanes Saturday,

Dec. 11.

Thorne, senior power for-
ward Kalvin Shuford, senior
center Quintin Carr, senior
point guard Jack Geukes
and senior Christian
DeBruin.
Thaler has seen varsity
newcomers Payton
Wilkinson, a senior, and
junior Jakob Rodriguez
show off improved shots in
the preseason and he is
looking forward to what
they can provide off the
bench along with juniors
Carsen Burbridge and Corey

Holt.

TK opens the season

Friday, Dec. 10, at home

taking on Hastings in the

finale of the Battle of Barry

County. That ballgame will

follow a varsity wrestling

match and a varsity girls’

basketball game, and is slat-

ed to tip-off about 7:45 p.m.

The Trojans go to

Northview Dec. 14 and will

visit Caledonia Dec. 16.

The OK Gold Conference

season starts when TK visits

South Christian Jan. 7.

TK BOYS, continued from page 7

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Faith Foster

Ethan Kriekaard