Page 12 — Thursday, April 8, 2021 — The Hastings Banner
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Trio of state finalists among county’s best on lanes
Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
While things were certainly different, like
teams on separate lanes and a reworked for-
mat for state regional tournaments, varsity
bowling teams across Barry County and the
state of Michigan had a season slightly more
normal than their classmates who compete in
other indoor winter sports.
Wearing masks from the season from the
start of the season in January through the
March State Finals, Barry County boys had a
great season. The Lakewood varsity boys’
bowling team, which does include a few
ladies, captured its fourth Greater Lansing
Activities Conference Championship in six
seasons powered by a pair of wins in duals
against the defending conference champions
from Olivet.
The Thornapple Kellogg boys proved one
of the top teams in a tough OK Gold
Conference, and got a pair of guys through
regionals to compete in the Division 2 Singles
State Finals. Lakewood also had one individ-
ual state qualifier this winter.
The Hastings boys continued to work their
way to being competitive in the Interstate-
Athletic Conference.
Here are the top varsity bowlers from Barry
County.
2020-21 All-Barry County
Boys’ Bowling First Team
Phillip Butler, Lakewood: A freshman two-
hander, Butler qualified for the Division 3
Singles State Finals with a fourth-place
regional finish and reached match-play at the
finals with a fifth-place performance in the
qualifying round of the state finals.
Butler put together a season-long average
of 180 bowling as the Vikings’ anchor. He had
a high game of 257 in conference action.
Ethan Kriekaard, Thornapple Kellogg:
Kriekaard finished just shy of 200 with an
average score of 198 in his 31 games rolling
for the Trojans in the OK Gold Conference
this season as a sophomore.
He had a high-game on the season of 268.
Wyatt Jacobson, Thornapple Kellogg:
Jacobson put together an average of 200 with
a high game of 243 during the OK Gold
Conference season for TK.
He qualified for the Division 2 Singles
State Finals as a sophomore this winter and
placed 30th in the qualifying with a high-
game of 211 at the finals.
Gage Richmond, Hastings: A junior,
Richmond had a high game of 192 at the
Saxons’ Division 2 regional tournament and
had his team’s top regional finish at 36th
place.
Richmond had a season-long average of
- Richmond placed 26th at the Interstate-
Athletic Conference Singles Tournament.
Michael Willshire, Thornapple Kellogg:
Willshire signed his National Letter of Intent
to join the Davenport University Men’s
Bowling Team this spring while finishing as
the Trojans’ top scorer.
Willshire had an average score of 211
during the OK Gold Conference season and
rolled a 300 early in the year. He qualified for
the Division 2 Singles State Finals at the end
of the season where he placed 36th in the
qualifying.
2020-21 All-Barry County
Boys’ Bowling Second Team
Connor Newland, Thornapple Kellogg:
Newland had a high game of 224 this season
for the Trojans.
He put together a scoring average of 160
over the course of the year.
Nate Palmer, Thornapple Kellogg: Palmer
contributed to TK being one of the top teams
in the OK Gold Conference this season as a
senior with a scoring average of 163 in league
action.
He had a high single game of 193.
Drew Rhodes, Hastings: A sophomore,
Rhodes had a high game of 188 at regionalsthis season.
He rolled to an average score of 160 on the
season.Luke Stoneman, Lakewood: A senior,
Stoneman earned all-conference honors in the
GLAC for the third time with an average
score of 172 overall.
He had a high game of 201 on the season
and was only bested once in a head-to-head
match-up during the 2021 season.Steven VanOoy, Hastings: VanOoy closed
his senior season with the Saxons with an
average score of 164.
VanOoy led the Saxons at the Interstate-
Athletic Conference Singles Tournament with
a 21st-place finish.Michael WillshireGage RichmondDalace JousmaAndrea RhodesTax Form 4652 can be used
to help prevent child abuse
Some 33,060 Michigan children were
abused and/or neglected in 2019. Barry
County was the home of 215 of those kids.
Research confirms that a safe, stable and
nurturing setting is essential so that a child
can reach his or her full potential and contrib-
ute to a thriving society.
The Michigan Children’s Trust Fund sup-
ports the strengthening of families through
prevention programming and education,
direct services and collaboration with the
local council, the Family Support Center of
Barry County.
“The tremendous toll that abuse and/or
neglect has on a child and their future and our
community has been recognized,” Linda
Maupin, FSC executive director, said in an
April 5 press release. “It’s time that together,
we stand up for kids to prevent abuse at grass-
roots level.”
Contributing any portion of Michigan State
Income Tax return dollars to CTF when com-
pleting line 22 of the MI-1040 and utilizing
the Michigan Charitable Contribution Form
4642 is a vital component in protecting chil-
dren, she said. Money raised through CTF’s
Tax Initiative provides essential funding for
strengthening children and families.
“Your donation not only helps prevent all
forms of child maltreatment across the state of
Michigan, but it also allows for the return of
those dollars directly back to our local com-
munity through CTF grants,” Maupin said.“Here in Barry County, we can then develop
programming that meets our specific needs.”
Whether 2020 taxes are filed online or by
traditional paper methods, contributions to the
Michigan Children’s Trust Fund will make a
positive difference in the lives of children.
“If you hire a tax preparer, please commu-
nicate your desire to contribute. CTF can then
match your investment with federal dollars
they receive to stop child abuse and neglect,”
she said, adding that local funding comes
back through grant dollars to the Family
Support Center of Barry County.
“It’s a sobering notion that every year,
thousands of our children are not treated in
the way that they deserve,” she said.
“However, it’s powerful to know that every-
one has the opportunity to be a positive force
of change in the life of a child. To make great
childhoods happen for all individuals, you
simply must be willing stand up for kids.”Call 269-945-
for Hastings
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