Annabeth Sembrower

Vikings Sports Now wanted to wish the best of luck to the Hopewell High School Girls bowling team as they’re preparing for a huge event this weekend.

On Saturday, the Hopewell Girls Bowling team will be competing in the Western Pennsylvania Regional High School Bowling Team Championship which will take place at Bowlero Pittsburgh (formerly Noble Manor Lanes) in Pittsburgh.

It will be a busy two day stretch for Hopewell’s Annabeth Sembower as she’ll not only bowl with her teammates on Saturday but a day earlier, Annabeth will be bowling individually representing Hopewell in the Western PA Regional High School Bowling Championship.

Despite only being a sophomore, Sembower has become the face of the Hopewell girls bowling program, becoming their top performer for two straight seasons. Sembower will be competing in this individual championship for the second consecutive year, which is something she takes pride in accomplishing.

Hopewell’s Annabeth Sembower

“I feel very proud of myself,” Sembower tells Vikings Sports Now. “It was a big goal of mine and to place 32nd in sectionals and earn my spot was very gratifying. Making it two years in a row is just unbelievable and I’m really happy with how far I’ve come. It’s really helped with boosting my confidence too. I feel like I’ve accomplished something and that I can only get better from here.”

Annabeth’s skills didn’t just improve magically from a year ago, as she’s put in countless hours practicing at various bowling alleys, mainly Sheffield Lanes. As she tells VSN, her ability to knock down pins hasn’t been the only thing she’s improved from a year ago.

“Firstly, I’m a better bowler when it comes to the mental side of the game. Last year, I was a nervous freshman, and though I did good, I didn’t perform at my best. If I had a bad game, I was done. This year, I was able to stay positive and have more fun with my team. If I had a bad game, I often bounced back and was able to bowl better the next game. Also, I would say I’ve improved in the sense that I’m throwing a more consistent shot. I’m repeating my mechanics and hitting where I’m aiming at more often. I also have more speed on my ball, am striking more, and have a better release.”

Hopewell’s Annabeth Sembower

“I’d say the main way I’ve improved during the offseason and in-season would be the Saturday Junior’s League at Sheffield Lanes. This league is helpful to stay in bowling shape the whole school year. There are great coaches, such as Coach Adam Loverich, who are really good bowlers and have given me insight into what I need to improve on, and how to do it. I’ve learned so much and have been able to get my average and scores up. During the season, practicing different release and arrow drills have helped me with my form and consistency. At practice, sometimes we even had competitions to see who could throw the most strikes or get the most pin fall. This helped me to stay cool under pressure and just keep doing my best.”

It was a breakthrough season for the Hopewell Girls Bowling Program as they made their first playoff appearance since 2017. The team’s playoff roster consisted of senior captain Marissa Platko, senior captain Jenna Willy, senior Baylen Carmichael, senior Gianna Krayniewski, senior Desiree Shepherd, sophomore Krysten Clary, sophomore Danica Jackson and Sembower.

With 4 players graduating, making the playoffs was a goal that this Vikings team set prior to the season and were able to accomplish it. In order for that to happen, a big burden was on Sembower’s shoulders each match to perform at her best if the team hoped to come out victorious.

“I have felt some pressure this year, but it’s all internal,” said Sembower. “I feel like it’s because I’m not a freshman anymore and I expect myself to be better than I actually am sometimes. The higher game I throw, the more often I want to bowl that good, and that’s just not achievable all the time. There was this one match where we lost by only 6 pins, and I bowled under average for the day. I obviously felt terrible after that because I want to do my best to help the team, and what just wasn’t it.”

“However, it’s important to note that bowling’s a team sport. I couldn’t have gotten as far as I did without my team there behind me to back me up. They’ve become some of my closest friends and have always supported me. One person doesn’t make a team, and part of the reason we did so well this season was because of bowlers like Danica Jackson, who improved her average an insane amount, and Krysten Clary, who came in clutch and bowled high games at the MACs and team sectionals. Two of our seniors and captains, Jenna Willy and Marissa Platko, also improved tons this year. They were the calm presence on our team and carried the team when everyone else was down. Without the hard work put in by every member at practice, we would’ve never made it this far. I’m so grateful to have a team that loves and cares about the sport as much as I do.”

The big weekend for Sembower and the Lady Vikings kick off tomorrow morning as Annabeth will begin individual competition at 9 AM. The team event begins on Saturday at 9 AM. Sembower believes she has a chance to advance to the state tournament and having competed in this event a year ago will help.

“I think bowling in regionals last year will help me on Friday because the first-time jitters of not knowing what to expect are gone. I’m ready to walk in and act like I own the place. The oil pattern is different this time, but Coach Stan was able to get them to put it on some of the lanes so that the single qualifiers could practice. I bowled some high games on the pattern at practice, so I’m hoping I can pull through and do it again when it counts.”

Last year, Sembower’s 5-game series was 154-164-131-112 and 141 with a 702-pin fall total, which placed her 57th out of 70.

“My goal this week is to place in the top 40 somewhere and possibly make it to states,” Sembower tells VSN. “It would really mean a lot to go to states, though I’m not sure how likely it is. I think I can at least accomplish doing better than last year, even if it’s just by a few pins.”

Hopewell’s Annabeth Sembower

Regardless of what happens this weekend, Annabeth will have two more years to bowl for Hopewell and because of all the players graduating, the program is in need of some new members for next season. Annabeth put her recruiting hat on and made this pitch for students at Hopewell to consider coming out for the team next season.”

“We are losing a lot of bowlers next year because most of them are seniors. Though I am really sad that my seniors are leaving, I’m excited to meet new people and make new friends through the sport. I think people that are interested in bowling should give it a shot.”

“First of all, it’s really fun and is a great way to do something active, accomplish something, and make new friends. If you are a person who is looking to get involved in a school activity and don’t know where to start, bowling is perfect for you. It’s a small, tight knit group of girls who are very welcoming and supportive. Bowling isn’t necessarily easy, but it is one of the less demanding sports. We only practice once a week and have one match a week. So, if you’re busy, bowling is also a good option for you. Also, it’s good for other types of athletes, such as softball players because it’s good to build arm and muscle strength. Finally bowling is a sport you can do your whole life. Even when you graduate, it’s a great way to be social and make even more friend. I’m planning to have a recruiting event at Sheffield Lanes next year. I’ll put flyers in the hallway most likely so look out for that.”

Aside from bowling, it sure sounds like Annabeth might have a future in coaching!! Best of luck to her and the Hopewell Girls team on Friday and Saturday!