After a grueling four straight days of bowling, the Wayland boys’ varsity bowling team still managed to bring home third place out of 14 teams competing in the Cedar Springs Invitational Saturday.

The morning started with two regular individual games in which the guys averaged 183.9. Highlights were Austen Begg’s 226 and 216, Cameron Heintzelman 149 and 240 (In the first game Cameron re-aggravated a nagging hip problem.) and Nick Couterier with a 212. Beggs narrowly missed making the top five for male bowlers.

Next came the six Baker games.

“This was where the boys struggled last year and it has been one of the goals for this years team,” explained coach Sherry Miklusicak.

The Wildcats averaged 172.5 in this set of games, far surpassing last year’s efforts.

“We then awaited scoring results from the tournament office and felt we had a great chance of making the cut of the top eight teams,” the coach noted.

The cut score was 1746 and Wayland had 1839, good enough for sixth place.

Advancing to the first match of playoffs, Wayland faced a talented Class A Rockford team. The first game went to Rockford 191-177.

With Wayland down just 14 pins, team captains Beggs and Heintzelman, rose to the occasion, “They pumped up the team with a short meeting and a loud roar and fought back 233 to 201, claiming a chance for first place,” Miklusicak said.

The next draw was an even more powerful Zeeland team, eventual champions of the tournament. This team had their anchor bowler roll a 299 earlier in the tournament and they were on fire. Game one was just as exciting as the previous Baker game, with Wayland pulling out a 204-201 triumph.

“We were up by three pins and looking at a chance at the finals,” Miklusicak confessed. “Oh… time for some more deep breaths as the coach was pacing with possibilities. We faltered just a little and had three opens; unfortunately too many against a team like Zeeland.”

So the Wildcats claimed a third by averaging 195.75 in the brackets.

“Also congratulations to the Lady ‘Cats with their first place finish and Alicia Sweeney and Sydney Urban for making the top five in individual play.” We are all so proud! The Wayland varsity boys’ bowling team is sure making their coach proud this year!”

Earlier in the season, coach Bill Holbrook public offered his and his teams congratulations when Heintzelman rolled a perfect 300 game.

PHOTO: The Wildcats and their coach post for a post-tournament photo opportunity. ((Photo courtesy of Linda Heintzelman)