Eisenhower earns regional championship, ends season at state finals

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — If sweeping the Macomb Area Conference-Red Division wasn’t enough, Utica Eisenhower boys bowling’s performance at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Region 4 Championship on Feb. 24 at 5-Star Lanes in Sterling Heights was nothing short of impressive.

While their season ended at the MHSAA Division I State Finals on March 3 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park with a team placement in the round of eight, Eisenhower’s success this season should have the team holding its head high.

Eisenhower, who captured the MAC-Red title with a 10-0 record, finished with a 3,822 pin total, which was 252 pins ahead of second place Macomb Dakota.

“I’ll be honest, these kids have been working hard all year, and it’s paid off,” said Eisenhower’s bowling program head, Craig Matheson. “They continue to rise to the occasion.”

Eisenhower was led by sophomore Dylan Harnden, sophomore Kingston Corpuz, senior Jadyn Chyba, senior Nick Paulson, senior Brandon Rinke and junior Zac Schultz. Harnden, who earned the No. 1 seed in a field of 60 bowlers at the state finals after the qualifiers block, was eliminated in the round of eight at the MHSAA State Final on March 4 at Thunderbowl Lanes.

Eisenhower was slow in the first Baker game at regionals, compiling a 147 score, but a pair of back-to-back 236s put the team right in the position it needed to be.

Eisenhower coach Nicholas Kratt said his team executed its game plan to perfection.

“We practiced exactly the way we wanted to come out of that day, with coming out of Bakers on fire,” Kratt said.

Eisenhower finished the day off with 1,016 and 1,113 in the two singles rounds to extend its lead from the field and secure a state finals berth.

Eisenhower was no stranger to the state finals, finishing runner-up last year and winning the state championship in 2020.

While none of the current bowlers were on the 2020 state finals team, and only Harnden and Corpuz were on the 2022 runner-up squad, Matheson said the team came into the season with a chip on its shoulder.

“This group was kind of the group behind them (the 2022 team), and when that group left, this group got looked over coming into the year,” Matheson said.

Someone who shouldn’t be overlooked after his 300 game at regionals is Corpuz, who finished in third during the singles regional championship, collecting a 1,278 pin total courtesy of his 300 game. Corpuz previously rolled a 300 game last year at the MAC junior varsity tournament.

Going into his 300 game out of the state finals qualifying spot, Corpuz said the added pressure of missing the cut brought even more nerves.

“Going into that game out of the cut by 60 pins really made that game even more nerve-wracking,” Corpuz said. “I was a nervous wreck. Not about the 300, but about making the cut. Towards the eighth frame, my worries about making cut were gone; I knew I was in the clear.”

Corpuz said he felt every physical effect you could have leading up to the 12th frame, battling weak muscles, stomach turning and blurry eyes.

Through all the nerves and excitement, Corpuz prevailed to earn a spot at the state finals.

“After the 12th shot, I was so nauseous of energy and excitement that I said to my dad, ‘I feel like I’m going to throw up,’” Corpuz said.

Along with Corpuz, Harnden (5th) and Chyba (10th) secured spots at the state finals.

Chyba’s path included a three-man roll-off to decide the final two state-qualifying spots.

Utica Ford’s Zach Florence secured ninth place with a 220 while Chyba’s 215 score edged New Baltimore Anchor Bay’s Darren Lee, who rolled a 201.