BRIDGEPORT — The Caro girls’ bowling team is headed to the airport.
Airport Lanes in Jackson that is.
The Tigers finished third at the Division 3 team regional tournament Friday to earn a spot in this Friday’s D-3 team finals at Airport Lanes.
Caro, ranked No. 10 in D-3, shot a team score of 2,973. Alma fired a 3,410 to win the regional while the Tigers’ Tri-Valley Conference East foe Birch Run was second with a 3,253 at Candlelite Bowling Center in Bridgeport.
The Caro boys team placed seventh of 16 teams in the boys regional tournament, also at Candlelite.
The top three teams at each of the state’s six regionals advance to the state finals.
The individual bowling regional tournament was held Saturday at LeFevere Family Bowl in Saginaw. No members of Caro’s boys’ or girls’ team qualified for the individual state tournament.
Corrine Schmaltz led the Tigers at the team regional with scores of 182-150-172. Nicole Severn and Kylee Kunse each shot a three-game set of 417 while Makalie Orton fired a three-game 393 and Rachel Zawerucha had games of 150 and 90.
After struggling to a 114 in the opening baker game, the Tigers shot 166, 159, 150, 168 and 133 in the remaining five.
Each team at the state tournament will bowl eight baker and two regular games during the qualifying round. The top eight, of the 18 teams qualified, advance to a single-elimination showdown.
On the boys side, Essexville-Garber won the regional with a score of 3,747, followed by Birch Run (3,687) and Saginaw Swan Valley (3,516). Caro shot 3,253.
In Saturday’s individual regional, Schmaltz was Caro’s top scorer with an 18th-place, six-game total of 948. Her top games were 189 and 179. Orton placed 21st with a 917 and top games of 173 and 171. Kunse and Severn finished in 35th and 36th place respectively with scores of 814 and 811. Kunse’s top games were 176 and 171 while Severn’s best lines were 159 and 148. Zawerucha was 43rd with a 770 and top scores of 150 and 141.
The top 10 bowlers advanced to the Division 3 individual state finals.
At the boys’ individual regional, also at LeFevere, Adam Jackson (16th) led Caro with a six-game 1016 and best games of 218 and 221. Kyle Severn (30th) fired a 948 with top lines of 177 and 181, Jesse Duensing (77th) shot 755 with a 148 game and Cole Keyworth (81st) had a 739 series, also with a high-game of 148.
