Kellogg Community College bowler Kelsey Kipp achieved All-American status with her second-place finish at the National Junior College Athletic Association Championships on April 8, according to a press release from the college.
Kipp, a sophomore, obtained a score of 622 in the women’s singles competition. A total score of 2,212 landed Kipp in fifth place in the all-events category.
Kipp boasts an impressive season resume, including a win at the very first invitational that KCC attended. The bowling season lasted from Feb. 12 through April 9.
“I couldn’t be happier for Kelsey. She worked hard at her game and it shows in the finishes that she had throughout the season,” Head KCC Bowling Coach Brad Morgan said.
Another notable KCC individual performance was freshman Jacob O’Donnell, whose mark of 601 earned him a ninth place finish in the men’s singles competition.
The KCC women’s team finished eighth overall in the national championship event with a total score of 10,402, while the men came in 11th with a total score of 11,223.
Both five-member teams competed in four invitationals leading up to the regional and national tournaments, according to Morgan.
The NJCAA Championship event, held at Royal Scot Golf & Bowl in Lansing, concluded the 2021 bowling season.
The year 2021 will stand out in KCC history books as the college’s first year with bowling teams. Morgan said in the college’s press release that the program’s maiden season was “a great learning experience.”
COVID-19, although it affected the bowling teams in several small ways, did not seem to put a damper on KCC’s success. The restrictions imposed upon bowling matches were comparable to most other activities taking place in Michigan.
“The teams wore masks and practiced social distancing while practicing and competing in events. Everyone was screened prior to being able to practice or compete,” Morgan said.
