The scores are settled, all pins have fallen, and each frame has been filled. The Hempfield Area Girls Bowling Team ended their season the same way they started it: as winners.
Following their East-Southeast Section title win, the first post season tournament played was the WPIBL team and singles championship event. After 3 qualifying games, the girls were the first seed with 2717 pins going straight finals in the team event. To add on, two of the five starters made the All-Tournament Team: Amelia Droste (1st) and Clara Carmichael (5th). In the finals against long-time rivals Plum, Plum was off to a running start with a 216 to 171 win in the first baker match. Then, the Hempfield Area girls bounced back with a 168 to 155 win to force a third match. In the final match the girls took their first post-season victory with a 203 to 172 win to claim the WPIBL Team Girls Championship. For the WPIBL Girls Singles Championship, Amelia Droste won the title with a nail-biting win 239 to 237 over Plum’s Brooklynn Then. The rest of the varsity team all qualified for the Western PA Regionals singles event with Ashley Bensur placing 9th, Clara Carmichael in 10th, Phoenixx Melegari in 17th, and Lauren Naeger in 43rd.
At the Western PA Regional Singles Championship Amelia Droste (4th), Clara Carmichael (11th), and Ashley Bensur (12th) all qualified for the PA States Singles Championships. Phoenixx Melegari placed 18th and Lauren Naeger placed 60th. During the Western PA Regional Team Championship, the Lady Spartans were once again the first seed with 3983 pins, which was an over 300 pin lead to the second seed! The semifinals saw the girls advance to the finals over Freeport. Unfortunately, they came up short against Erie McDowell in the finals as they lost both baker matches 159 to 188 and 171 to 178, coming in as the runners-up. The All-Tournament Team consisted of Amelia Droste (1st) and Ashley Bensur (4th).
Lastly, in Lancaster, PA, the PA State Girls Singles Championship saw Amelia Droste place 4th, Clara Carmichael 19th, and Ashley Bensur 23rd in the state of Pennsylvania. Droste then went on to place 5th in the Girls Singles Finals. However, it all came down to the final day in Lancaster where the Hempfield Area Girls Bowling Team would be competing to defend their state title. And, defend it they did! After the qualifying rounds, for the third straight tournament, the Hempfield Area girls were the first seed with 4082 pins. The All-Tournament Team included both Amelia Droste (1st) and Ashley Bensur (2nd). With the first seed, the girls were already guaranteed a spot in the finals. Against Eastern PA team Shikellamy, Hempfield Area managed a two game sweep with a 165 to 162 and 212 to 157 to win back-to-back state titles with coach Chris Bensur, cheering louder than all of them, at their side!
While the finish of this historic season marks the end of an incredibly successful era for Hempfield Area Girls Bowling, the future still holds much excitement. Returning bowlers like Juliet Bompiani (Fr.), Phoenixx Melegari (So.), Sophia Mazon (So.), and Clara Carmichael (Jr.), all whom showed the necessary hard work and dedication this year to help with the team’s success, are more than ready and capable of carving their paths to achievements for Hempfield Area Bowling in the years to come.
As for the seniors, not only will they be leaving this bowling program, but they will be leaving this bowling program with an impact etched in Hempfield Area history books forever. Congratulations are in order for seniors Amelia Droste, who will be attending North Carolina A&T University to bowl and study bioengineering, Ashley Bensur, who will be attending Waynesburg University to study forensic investigations, Lauren Naeger, who will be attending Penn State Greater Allegheny to study radiology, and Eli Bitner, a junior graduating early attending Seton Hill University for forensic accounting.
Hour after hour, week after week, and month after month, these girls showed up ready to win. To win not for themselves, but for each other, for their coaches, Chris and Robin, for their loved ones lost over the years, for their family cheering them on at every match, for each loss they fought back from, for the love of bowling, and, for respect.
