Bowling returns to action with new teams, conference, other changes
On Friday, the 2021 MCCAA bowling season kicked of with the Ancilla College Invitational. The MCCAA bowling looks a little different this year and it is not due to the pandemic. With the addition of Glen Oaks Community College and Kellogg Community College both men's and women's bowling are at nine teams. They were at ten teams until Wayne County Community College District opted out due to the pandemc. With the addition, the MCCAA broke bowling into two conferences. The Eastern Conference contains, Kirtland Community College, Mid Michigan College, Schoolcraft College and Wayne County CCD. The Western Conference is Ancilla College, GLen Oaks CC, Jackson College, Kellogg CC and Muskegon Community College.
Each team will host a tournament. Two of them, Muskegon and Schoolcraft, will have all nine schools at them. The others will either have all Eastern Conference or All Western Conference schools. For the first time, bowling will have conference standings. At each conference tournament the first place team will get 25 points, second will get 21, third will get 18, fourth will get 15 and fifth will get 12. In the events that have all the teams the conferences will broken out to award points. Finally, as with all MCCAA indoor events, no fans will be allowed.
There are some changes due to the pandemic. Masks are required. Teams will be assigned a set of lanes and will be there for the tournament. Also, there will be no break for lunch.
At the Ancilla College Invitational, Jackson College won both the men's and women's tournament on Friday. Jackson's men beat Muskegon by 109 pins, while Kellogg in their first tournament finished third. On the individual side Collin Baldwin of Jackson College had the high series with a 609 three game set. Muskegon CC's Ethan May shot a 245 in the third game to have the high game. He was third with a 506 series. The Jayhawks' Ethan May was second with a 599.
On the women's side the Jets outpace Kellogg CC by a score of 3.956 to 3,560. Muskegon CC finished third. The Bruins' Kelsey Kipp swept high game and high series. She shot a 226 in the first game of the set and finished with a three game total of 598. Kaylee Hall of Jackson was second with a 561 and Allison Fagan of the Jets had a 550 for third.
The Eastern Conference was off as Wayne's opt out left an open week in the schedule. All nine schools will be in action at the Muskegon CC Invitational on Friday at Northway Lanes in Muskegon.
