Star athlete sophomore Riley Hays joined bowling to be with friends but quickly thrived on the bowling team.  

“I first joined bowling as a joke, because my friend convinced me we could do it together, and I just fell in love with it after that,” Hays said.

With this joke she found herself getting better and better at the sport. Eventually not even considering the decision a joke.

Hays’ schedule can be intense with one and a half hour practices with a bus ride ends up at around a two-hour daily commitment. With weekends devoted to tournaments. Hays’ highest score is at 192, and she’s looking to break 200 this season.  

“The tournaments are really loud and fun with all the cheering,” Hays said, “everyone gets super hype, it’s great.”

Hays is also involved in swimming and water polo. For her, having no breaks in between seasons helps her stay on her academic A-game. Keeping her focused and on task throughout the school year.

“It sounds nice to have a break, but season motivates me [academically],” Hays said.

According to the  University of Rochester, sports have been proven to help students academically because they need to maintain a certain GPA, or grade, to stay on the team, this extra pressure can lead to more academic success during the season. For most student athletes it can be stressful to balance school and sports, but the pressure overall benefits their performance.

From bowling to water polo Hays contributes to ETHS athletic success.