Hempfield bowling rolling through season, sets lofty goals

By: Ted Sarneso
Monday, January 13, 2025 | 12:16 PM

The Hempfield bowling team enjoyed plenty of success in the 2023-24 season.

The girls team finished first in its section with a 10-0 record and had sophomores Amelia Droste (first) and Ashley Bensur (fifth) seeded in the top five in the WPIBL individual tournament. Droste also finished as a WPIBL all-tournament selection and was third in the state championships.

The boys team took second in the section with an 8-2 record behind Greensburg Salem and finished second in the team championships.

However, there were still a lot of accomplishments that went unfulfilled.

Bensur and Droste lost to Kiski Area junior Veronica Flanagan in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, and the girls team finished fourth in the WPIBL team championships.

“We were hitting the pins, but they weren’t falling for us,” Hempfield coach Robin Ross said. “That girl was tough, and she carried the strikes when my girls couldn’t and that’s why she won. It was kind of disappointing, but I was still proud of the girls and what they did.”

Josh Cayer was the only Spartans boys bowler to finish in the top 10 in the individual competition but did not qualify for the playoffs.

So it comes as no surprise the Hempfield bowling team has started the 2024-25 campaign on a blazing note, looking to claim what was left behind.

Both teams lead the East Southeast section with 4-0 records, and neither squad has dropped a game, sweeping each of their opponents.

“It’s been an interesting year this year,” Ross said. “We’re still playing very well, but we’ve also been playing tough.”

The girls team again is led by Droste and Bensur, now juniors. Droste leads the East Southeast section with a high game of 237, a high series of 668 and an average of 210 pins per game.

Her average places her third in the WPIBL behind Flanagan’s 218.33 and Freeport’s Hannah Windows (210.25).

“Amelia gets a lot of bowling in, and she’s been competing in a lot of tournaments,” Ross said. “She bowls in junior league and travel leagues as well as bowling for us. She’s been doing very well.”

Bensur is second to Droste in the section in average (191.08) and high game (236) and is third in high series with a score of 602.

“Ashley does pretty well, but sometimes she just gets upset with herself if she rolls a bad game,” Ross said. “I tell her not to worry about it, concentrate on her mark, give it her best and things will come around eventually.”

Although Droste and Bensur continue to be the standouts for the girls team, they also have off nights and that’s where having a deep team is crucial.

“There are games where Amelia and Ashley don’t play as well as we’ve come to expect them too,” Ross said. “Everyone isn’t perfect so that’s where their teammates come in to pick them up. I have to remind them all that bowling is a team sport.”

Two newcomers, sophomore Clara Carmichael (163.5) and freshman Phoenixx Melegari (153.20) are fifth and sixth in the section in average.

Another bowler just outside the top 10 is junior Lauren Naeger, who sits 11th with just over 151.5 pins per game.

The Spartans also have two seniors, Brooke Hess (135.80) and Jordyn Armbrust (134.33), who are in the top 20. Hess sits 14th and Armbrust at 16th.

“I think we have a very good chance at finishing on top with the girls we have,” Ross said. “They all try to give it their best, which is all I can ask of them.”

The only close encounter for either the boys or girls came for the boys team against Latrobe in the second match of the year.

After giving up the lead late, the Spartans climbed back and took the match in the final frame.

“Our boys came back in the last frame because Latrobe’s anchor bowler threw a split in the 10th frame or they would have taken a game off of us,” Ross said.

Seniors Josh Cayer and Cam Elder again lead the boys team in average. Elder is fourth in the section with a 206.45 average, and Cayer (201.17) is eighth. Elder is third in the section with a 267 high game.

Right behind Cayer and Elder are junior twins Braylon and Eli Johnson. Braylon gives the Spartans a third bowler in the top 10 with an average of 200.73, and Eli sits 11th with a 198.67.

Other Spartans bowlers in the top 20 in average are sophomore Bradley Hoffman with a 186.50 (14th), freshman Maxim Rosendale with a 184 average (16th) and senior Evan Konieczka with a 183.44 average (17th).

Junior Parker Cernuska sits 23rd with an average of 173, but has only played in three games all year. A football player as well, Cernuska opened eyes in team tryouts.

“He was second on the team after the first round of tryouts and looked very good,” Ross said. “But in the second half, his game took a serious dip and he ended up on JV instead of varsity. He has come a long way with his bowling and is doing a lot better as the season has gone on.”

On Jan. 4, Hempfield competed in the annual Saint Vincent College Bearcat Challenge tournament.

Last season, the boys finished fifth, and the girls finished fourth. This year, both teams made it to the playoffs but lost in the first round to Plum, which took home the boys and girls titles.

“Both our boys and girls missed a lot of easy spares, but I was still proud that we made it to rolloffs,” Ross said.

Hempfield also will look to defend its Westmoreland County Coaches Association titles when the annual tournament takes place Jan. 18 at Hillview Lanes.

Last year, the boys finished with 2,867 points, and the girls put up 2,515. Droste took home the girls individual title, bowling a 620. Cayer was fourth for the boys with a 615 score.

At the midway point to the season, the Spartans are poised to make runs at WPIBL team and individual championships.

“I’m very happy with the way they’ve come along in their bowling accomplishments,” Ross said. “All my bowlers try to give it their best to stay at the top.”

Tags: Hempfield