Hannah Chase has had quite a season so far for the Alma girls bowling team, and she’s confident of having an even better ending.
It’s her senior year and her third varsity season. The past two seasons, she made it to the state finals, finishing in the top eight last season.
“I’ve done a lot better” this season, Chase said. “This whole summer, I was out practicing a lot more and focusing on that. I plan on going to college and bowling. I got accepted at Pikeville University [in Kentucky]. That’s where my sister [Rebecca Chase] went on a bowling scholarship. They want me to come down and bowl with the team. I have to get a hold of them and see what they have to offer.”
This season, Chase’s team has already won a tournament.
“I think some people underestimate our team,” she said. “We only have five girls. And a couple of them, it’s only their first or second year coming out. We have come together as a team. We can do anything.”
Alma went to the state finals as a team Chase’s sophomore season.
“We have a good chance [this season],” she said. “We just have to focus and keep our heads up. That’s something we have to work on. Once we get down, it’s hard to get back up.”
Chase’s top game has been a 255, and her average has been around 190.
“I really went and worked on spares,” she said. “Strikes are good, but at the end of the game…once I’ve been practicing my spares, my game has gotten better. I’m used to strikes a lot. As long as I work on my spares and keep that up, everything else is good.”
It’s natural for Hannah to compare herself to Rebecca. “People have told me that if I go to Pikeville, I might do a little better because she’s more laid back and doesn’t like pressure, while I like pressure,” Hannah said. “When she was in high school, her average was a little lower than what mine is now.
“I’m really working on trying to keep my average and game up. The last couple of weeks haven’t been my best games.”
She’ll focus on bowling during the off-season. She also plays golf in the fall.
“It’s going to be close in conference this year,” she said, adding that St. Louis and Ithaca will be tough opponents. “I like to be under pressure.”