Jonesville 2023 graduate Abby Gutowski joins Jackson College bowling team

Jonesville 2023 graduate and valedictorian Abby Gutowski was joined by parents Missy and Scott Gutowski when she made the commitment to continue her bowling athletic career at the next level. The senior signed her letter of intent to join the Jackson College women's bowling team.

The senior ended her bowling career at Jonesville as one of the Comet bowlers who helped take their high school teams to successful state qualifying runs and even state championships. She hopes to continue that success in her favorite sport at the next level. The 2023 graduate said that bowling has always been the most important sport in her life. Gutowski was a multi-sport athlete at Jonesville high school, but the laid back and fun environment at the bowling lanes were what pushed her to continue her competitive pursuits in the sport at Jackson College.

“It’s the most fun out of the sports that I do,” said Gutowski. “It’s pretty laid back and I got a scholarship to do it. So, I decided to take the opportunity. Jackson College is close to home, and I'll get to see my dogs. They also have a nice campus.”

The former All-State bowler also had back up plans to pursue bowling options at schools like Saginaw Valley State University, but the scholarship and academic opportunity at Jackson College helped make her decision final. Gutowski plans to pursue a science degree and then post graduate studies in the dentistry field. She was inspired to follow that career path through her own interests and also from the local dentists in the area.

Gutowski will bring an impressive list of high school athletic accolades with her to Jackson College. Gutowski was an athlete of the week winner in her Jonesville bowling career. She was a part of multiple girls state qualifying bowling teams. Gutowski helped the 2021-22 girls bowling team qualify for the state finals her junior year. They took second as a team at regionals and Abby took the individual regional title. She qualified twice for the state finals that season, once as a member of the team and again for the individual state finals.

After the initial qualifying round, the team were seeded third in the finals bracket. They lost to the eventual state championship team. In the individual finals, she qualified sixth overall for the finals bracket, ending the tournament with an eighth-place finish and All-State honors. She was selected First Team All-State by the MHSIBCA.

During her senior year, Abby Gutowski helped lead the bowling team to an undefeated regular season and a conference championship. The team was a number one ranked team in the girls state poll throughout the season. Gutowski took second overall in the tournament. She then helped lead the girls team to a 2023 regional championship. They won the title by around 250 pins. They qualified as a team for the state finals, entering the tournament as the number one ranked team in the state polls. Gutowski took all-region honors with a sixth-place finish to qualify for the individual finals for the second year in a row.

The team earned the second seed in the finals team bracket. The Comets ended the tournament in fourth place. Gutowski would bowl to a 35th overall placement in the individual finals.

In addition to Abby's bowling career, the senior was a senior leader on the 2022-2023 Jonesville Comets softball team. The senior was an all-conference honorable mention honoree during the 2021-22 season and was a member of the district championship team. This year, the senior helped lead the team to a 20-13 overall record. She earned First Team All-Conference honors.

This season, she played every position on the field for head coach Marlena Nichols and the Comets. She finished the season with the highest fielding percentage on the team. Gutowski had a batting average of .402 and led the team in total hits for the season. She also was a part of the fundraising effort the Comets made this season, helping the team raise over $1,400 for the 'Wear Orange for Ray Day' fundraiser game.

Gutowski thanked all of her coaches, including Marlena Nichols and Hall of Fame coach Matt Molinaro and coach Lynsey Molinaro, for their support and for helping push her to pursue her academic and athletic goals.

“I want to thank my coaches for always pushing me and encouraging me to do better.”

Gutowski isn't the first collegiate athlete in the family. Her older brother, Jackson, had played baseball at Glen Oaks. Gutowski thanked her brothers and her parents for the amount of support they have shown throughout her time at Jonesville.

“I just want to thank them for all their support,” said Gutowski. “They are at every single event of mine and they continue to support me in my athletics.”

Scott Gutowski, Abby's dad, believes she will achieve the same levels of academic and athletic success she had at Jonesville at the collegiate level. He says the entire family is proud of her decision to continue her passion for bowling at Jackson College.

“It’s been so much fun watching her grow up and be successful,” said Scott Gutowski. “We are all proud of her."

Jackson College

Jackson College is a public college in Jackson County, Michigan. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The Jets play in the NJCAA DII collegiate division. The women's bowlign team is led by head coach Steve Sears, who is a member of the Jackson Bowling Hall of Fame. They play in the Western Conference and the MCCA.

The women's team had a first-place finish at this year's conference tournament. At the NJCAA nationals, the women's bowling team took fifth overall, with one individual bowler, Kathryn McArthur, taking fifth overall and becoming a two-time All-American.

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Jonesville 2023 graduate Abby Gutowski joins Jackson College bowling team