Clinton Township, Mich. – The breakthrough had been coming. On Saturday, it arrived with a championship, a little history and two pins to spare! The Aquinas women's bowling team held its ground through the final shots of the WHAC #2 Great Lakes Open, securing the program's first tournament victory since 2018. Head coach Harold Klukowski believed this group was ready to surprise some people. The Maroon and White delivered quite an answer.

Aquinas women: First of 10, 5,955 pins | Aquinas men: Sixth of nine, 6,018 pins

The Saints competed Saturday, Nov. 7, at Imperial Lanes, with the tournament featuring three traditional team games and 16 Baker games. In traditional competition, bowlers complete their own games; in Baker play, five teammates alternate frames to build a shared team score.

Aquinas Women — Two Pins, One Historic Championship

The Saints' first WHAC victory since the 2017 conference championships required contributions throughout the lineup and the composure to withstand a determined Indiana Tech charge. When the final pins were counted, Aquinas finished with 5,955 to the Warriors' 5,953, turning years of waiting into a championship celebration.

The Saints built their opportunity by improving each game during traditional competition. Aquinas opened with an 849, climbed to a 974 and finished with a 1,059, the highest traditional team game in the women's field.

Tayler Mohney helped drive that climb, improving from a 173 to a 223 before delivering a closing 268. She finished third individually with 664 pins and a 221.3 average, giving Aquinas its highest individual finish and biggest single game of the women's competition.

Anna Bartz supplied an immediate lift with consecutive games of 209 and 208, finishing eighth with 587 pins and a 195.7 average. Veronica Flanagan responded to an opening 143 with a 214 and a 225, placing ninth with 582 pins and a 194 average. Together, the pair gave the Saints three bowlers among the top nine in the individual standings.

Skylar Davy stepped into the third game and delivered a 229, while Emilee Nowicki contributed a 167 in that same game. Alongside Mohney's 268, Flanagan's 225 and Bartz's 170, those performances pushed Aquinas past the 1,000-pin mark when the Saints needed their strongest collective effort.

Carly Pavka contributed games of 165 and 175 for a 340 total, while Sophia Santo added a 159 and a 154 for 313 pins. Seven Saints helped build a traditional total of 2,882, placing Aquinas 68 pins ahead of its nearest challenger, Cleary, and 161 ahead of Indiana Tech entering Baker competition.

The Warriors made that advantage feel smaller with every big game. Indiana Tech produced Baker scores of 266 and 280, along with two games of 234, but Aquinas continued answering with enough steady work to remain in front.

The Saints totaled 783, 732, 792 and 766 across their four Baker sets, accumulating 3,073 pins. Their third set featured a 231, AQ's highest Baker game of the day, and a timely 223 helped anchor the final four-game stretch.

Indiana Tech gained 159 pins during Baker competition, leaving the championship dependent on the closing shots. Aquinas had built a 161-pin cushion over the Warriors, and the final two pins belonged to the Saints. After their best traditional game and 16 Baker games spent protecting what they had earned, the women had their breakthrough.

Aquinas Men — Strong Individual Efforts, Another Step Ahead

Curtis Swezey and Kyle Pranger supplied two of the top four individual finishes as the Aquinas men placed sixth with 6,018 pins. The Saints finished 16 pins ahead of Cleary and 80 behind fifth-place Michigan-Dearborn, showing flashes of their potential while leaving room for a more complete team performance.

Swezey tied for second individually with 713 pins and a 237.7 average. He followed an opening 200 with consecutive games of 258 and 255, finishing just 11 pins out of first place.

Pranger delivered the highest individual game in the men's competition with an opening 290. He followed with a 170 and a 216 to finish fourth with 676 pins and a 225.3 average.

Joshua Boersma gained momentum throughout traditional play, improving from a 160 to a 225 before closing with a 244. His 629 total placed him 11th overall with a 209.7 average, giving Aquinas a third bowler above a 200 average across the full series.

Tony DeLuccia contributed 542 pins with games of 191, 179 and 172. Dylan Maurer added a 124 in the opener and returned with a 210 in the third game, while Levi Rigelman supplied a 137 in Game 2.

Aquinas opened with team scores of 965 and 969 before closing traditional competition with a 1,097. Swezey's 255 and Boersma's 244 led that final effort, with Pranger adding a 216 and Maurer a 210 to help the Saints finish traditional play with 3,031 pins.

The Saints added 2,987 in Baker competition and improved their four-game totals throughout the afternoon, moving from 719 to 737, 748 and a closing 783. Their final set included games of 206 and 201, providing a productive finish and an example of the consistency Klukowski wants his team to carry throughout an entire tournament.

Coach's Comments

Klukowski credited the women's determination against an Indiana Tech team that kept applying pressure.

"The IT women are an impressive group of bowlers," Klukowski said. "They threw some of the biggest team baker games. Our Ladies didn't shy away and kept fighting and did just enough in the end!"

He also credited the women's coaching staff for its work preparing the team, pointing to the impact of their combined efforts and the players' growing commitment to one another. To Klukowski, the championship reflects both stronger preparation and a group learning how to compete together.

"This is just the tip of the Iceberg for these Ladies!" Klukowski said.

His message for the men centered on trust and putting their talent together from the opening game through the final frame.

"On the mens side we just need to get back to work and start believing in everyone from start to finish," Klukowski said. "We have the talent and we just need to put it all together. Back to work for WHAC 3."

He remains confident in the direction of both programs as the Saints continue building toward the postseason.

"Both these teams have the talent to compete nationally and now they have both shown it," Klukowski said. "The upcoming months will be fun as we keep working towards the postseason."

Saints Snapshots

• A championship years in the making: The women earned their first tournament victory since 2018 and first WHAC title since the 2017 conference championships.
• Every pin mattered: Aquinas outscored Indiana Tech by 161 pins in traditional competition. That advantage proved decisive when the Warriors recovered 159 during Baker play.
• Seven Saints, one winning effort: Seven women contributed to AQ's traditional total, with Davy and Nowicki stepping into the lineup for the tournament's highest women's team game, a 1,059.
• Finishing with authority: Mohney improved by 95 pins from her opener to her closing 268, while Swezey finished with consecutive games of 258 and 255.
• A big opening statement: Pranger's 290 stood as the highest individual game in the men's competition.
• Depth on display: Both Aquinas junior varsity teams finished fifth in their respective divisions, adding valuable tournament experience throughout the program.

Up Next

Both Aquinas teams return to conference competition Saturday, Dec. 5, at WHAC #3 at Five Star Lanes in Sterling Heights, Mich. The women will look to build on their championship performance, while the men pursue the complete effort Klukowski knows they can deliver.

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It's a great day to be a Saint.