Flint Powers girls’ bowling clinches state title in Cinderella story

SAGINAW, Mich. (WNEM) - The Powers Catholic High School girls’ bowling team out of Flint won the state title Friday night in what’s been an unlikely road to victory.

Four years ago, when the three seniors were freshmen, they decided to try bowling for the very first time.

“We were just excited if we broke 100,” senior Olivia Tremaine said.

Now, Lauren Harrold, Libby Hagan, Olivia Tremaine, Lillee-Ann Jacobs, Elizabeth Teuber and Sydney Thomas are holding up a trophy.

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But this team almost didn’t exist.

When seniors Lauren, Libby, and Olivia were freshmen, they just wanted to do something fun to do in the winter. So, they decided to try their hand at bowling for the first time and they ended up saving the team.

“I’ll never forget the practice the three of them walked in,” Coach Matt Wheeler said. “That was the practice I was gonna tell the one senior on the team, ya know, you’re going to either have to join the boys or not bowl at all this year. And their favorite story to tell you is the reaction on my face when they walked in and said they wanted to join the team, it was pure relief. To go from that moment to watching them realize that they’re state champs, it was everything I could hope for.”

The seniors said their initial lack of skills really showed, but they persevered.

“Every single match we lost, basically that just sums up the way that we went from completely at the bottom to fully gaining our skill and making it out at the top,” Lauren said.

Lillee-Ann, Elizabeth, and Libby will be competing in singles on Saturday with the rest of their teammates cheering them on.

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