2012 ALL-AREA BOYS BOWLING TEAM: Top competitors consistently found their groove
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
There were no boys bowling individual state champions this season and no area team finished in the top 10 at the state meet. Yet there was plenty of individual talent spread around area teams this season that actively put together impressive resumes.
Led by four bowlers from regional champion Clarkston, an individual state runner-up finisher and a host of other competitors with impressive finishes at tournaments and dual matches, the 2012 All-North Oakland Area Boys bowling Team is packed with talent.
The squad, selected by NOS Staff in conjunction with area coaches, features 11 competitors on the first team from five different schools. Clarkston co-coaches Lenny Kersten and Alan Pittman share the Coach of the Year honor after leading their team to one of its best seasons to date.
Below are the profiles of all of the members named to the first team:
FIRST TEAM
KEVIN YANG, Lake Orion: After an inconsistent year in the OAA Red Division, where he earned just all-league third-team status, Yang picked it up in the season’s final month. The senior and three-year letterwinner was 27th at the Oakland County championships, placed second at the Farmington Drakeshire Lanes regional (1,233), finished 14th in the qualifying block at the D-1 state meet (1,186) and then made a run to the state runner-up finish by falling to Davison’s Tylor Green in the finals (438-435). Yang finished with a 201 league average.
JOSH BARYLA, Lake Orion: The league runner-up Dragons just missed a state qualifying berth by only a couple of pins, but that didn’t overshadow a fine season by this junior, who earned second-team all-league in the OAA-Red Division. Baryla was 27th at the D-1 regional (1,064), fifth at the county (674) and 56th at the OAA Super Meet. His 282 individual game this season was one of the highest of any player in the two-division OAA and he averaged 207 against conference opponents.
MIKE BRUMMITT, Lake Orion: A senior captain and three-year varsity veteran for Lake Orion, Brummitt’s season ended with a 26th-place showing at the D-1 state finals (1,136). An All-OAA Red Division Second Team bowler, Brummitt averaged 206 in league play. He was sixth at the OAA Super Meet (692) and had the 15th highest game at the league tournament (204). He was also fifth at the Drakeshire Lanes regional (1,213) and 14th at the county (645).
JOSHUA HULTEN, Troy: A four-year letterwinner and three-time state qualifier who competed on Troy’s Final Four team two years ago as a sophomore, Hulten capped his career with another state finals appearance. A senior, Hulten was fifth at the OAA Super Meet (398) and had the 17th high game total (200) at the event. He was also fifth at the Five Star Lanes regional (1,267), 13th at the county (649) and 60that the Division 1 state finals (976). Named to the All-OAA Red Division Third Team, Hulten averaged 201 in league play this season.
REASON TO CELEBRATE: Oxford's Sean McKinney came on strong this season to become one of three sophomores on the All-Area First Team. File Photo | Larry McKee, www.lmckeephotography.com
MATT HARRISON, Holly: While Holly was a middle of the pack team in the Flint Metro League and regional this season, Harrison still had a fine senior campaign. After finishing only 30th in the qualifying block at the FML meet (590), he gained a shot of redemption at the Division 2 Owosso regional by placing seventh (1,133) to gain a state finals pass. Harrison, who averaged 206 in league play, was 21st at the county (618) and 37th at the D-2 state finals (1,080).
BRANDON HURLBERT, Oxford: A sophomore, Hurlbert really came into his own this season. Posting the second highest average in the OAA Red Division at 211 and averaging 206 for all matches, Hurlbert earned first team all-league status. This season he was 11th at the OAA Super Meet with the 14th highest individual game (207), finished 53rd at the Romeo Singles and placed 38that the Division 1 5-Star Lanes regional (1,078). He was also eighth at the county (666) and had a career-best 278 in a tournament this season.
SEAN MCKINNEY, Oxford: Another talented sophomore in the Wildcats lineup, McKinney helped a young team finish third in the OAA Red Division and a surprise second at the county meet this season. He posted a high game of 259 this season, with a 194 league average and 192 overall average. He placed 18th at the OAA Super Meet (360), 19th at the 5 Star Lanes regional (1,137) and sixth at the county (670). McKinney also made the all-tournament team at the Farmington Early Bird Invitational after placing fourth (670).
ERIC WAGNER, Clarkston: In his second season of varsity play, Wagner upped his game to become the Wolves’ top bowler. The sophomore posted a 213 average in league play which was the highest of all OAA-Red Division competitors and trailed only Davis Vandercook of Farmington-Harrison Unified in the entire two-division OAA. Wagner went on to place 12th at the OAA Super Meet (376), where he had the fifth-best single game of 219, and was 40th at the D-1 Drakeshire Lanes regional (1,007). At the county, he finished 26th overall, while he bowled seventh (652) at the Farmington Early Bird Invite. He was named All-OAA Red Division First Team.
TYLER HANSCAK, Clarkston: The second of four Wolves on the first team, Hanscak was consistent throughout the whole season to keep Clarkston near the top of most tournaments. A senior, Hanscak was 19th at the OAA Super Meet (359), 19th at the D-1 Farmington Hills regional (1,101), 25th at the county (610) and sixth at the Farmington Early Bird Invite (654). Finishing with a 205 league average, he also earned All-OAA Red Division Second Team honors.
CHRIS GEMBOYS, Clarkston: One of three seniors in Clarkston’s top five, Gemboys earned All-OAA Second Team honors after posting a 204 average against league opponents. Although he bowled just one game at the OAA Super Meet and placed 62nd, he did finish 25th at the D-1 regional (1,101) and 35th at the county meet.
KYLE KIRBY, Clarkston: A junior in his second year of varsity competition, Kirby’s best day came at the OAA Super Meet, where he was eighth overall (385) and had the second-highest game of the day at 245. Kirby was a distant 60th at the Drakeshire Lanes regional and placed 37th out of over 150 competitors at the county meet. He averaged 208 inside league play.
CO-COACH OF THE YEAR
LENNY KERSTEN AND ALAN PITTMAN, Clarkston: In their first season of coaching Clarkston, the Wolves posted one of their best seasons in the program’s 10-year existence. This winter Clarkston finished with a 7-1 dual meet record to win the OAA Red Division title by one game over Lake Orion. The Wolves also captured their first regional title (3862), finished 13th in the qualifying block (3,441) at the Oakland County championships and eventually falling in the quarterfinals at the county to Farmington-Harrison Unified. At the Division 1 state finals in Battle Creek, Clarkston finished 12th overall (3,118). At the OAA Super Meet, Clarkston was fifth in the qualifying block (2,784) and went on to place third overall at the event.
FOR MORE BOWLING COVERAGE: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Bowling&x=4&y=13
ALL-AREA BOYS BOWLING TEAM 2012
FIRST TEAM
Kevin Yang Lake Orion Senior
Josh Baryla Lake Orion Junior
Mike Brummitt Lake Orion Senior
Joshua Hulten Troy Senior
Matt Harrison Holly Senior
Brandon Hurlbert Oxford Sophomore
Sean McKinney Oxford Sophomore
Eric Wagner Clarkston Sophomore
Tyler Hanscak Clarkston Senior
Chris Gemboys Clarkston Senior
Kyle Kirby Clarkston Junior
CO-COACH OF THE YEAR
Lenny Kersten Clarkston First Season
Alan Pittman Clarkston First Season
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian: Jon Engelmann, soph.; Clarkston: Brian Billipps, sr.; Holly: Mason Kerner, jr.; Mitch Sharpe, soph.; Lake Orion: Wes Brummitt, soph.; Ortonville Brandon: Tony Patten, sr.; Nick Udolon, fr.; Oxford: Sean Donaldson, jr.; Troy: Danny Berger, jr.; Jess Peltier, jr.; Troy Athens: Ben Nelson, jr.; Matt Benes, jr.; Alexander Grosso, soph.
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