Bowman signs with Nebraska

PERU | Kathryn Bowman is entering her senior year as a Nighthawk varsity bowler, already knowing where she will be going to continue playing the sport she loves in college. The Peru senior signed her National Letter of Intent to bowl at the University of Nebraska in a ceremony held at Peru High School Nov. 10, committing to play her college career at the premier women's college program in the country. The Cornhuskers' bowling team won its eighth national championship earlier this year, putting them on par with programs like Alabama football, Penn State wrestling, UCLA men's basketball and UConn women's basketball. "All of my hard work has paid off for the past 14 years — I have been working at this for a long time, and getting the chance to bowl for the number one team in the country is surreal," said Bowman. "This is the biggest dream I have had for the longest time. It's an accomplishment where I can say all of this was worth it and this is where I am going with my life. It was euphoria and a relief when I decided this was where I was going to go." Bowman said having the chance to compete for national championships was a factor in her decision made possible by the support of the Peru Central community. "Peru has always been very supportive, and I looked at the people who have come before me and saw that this is a place that can foster great student-athletes and great people, so it definitely was a goal of mine to go to a place where I could win a national championship and a goal I knew I could accomplish," she said. "I joke that all of the people in my corner were more excited about this decision than I was. Everyone I told was jumping up and down and were so happy." Bowman thanked her coaches — including her father, Rick, for their guidance over the years, having been coached at both the local and national level, adding another key aspect to being a top-level student-athlete is to be coachable. "It's a huge part of it," she said. "Listen to what your coaches are saying, take into mind people who may know more than you do or see it differently. Just look at everything coaches and others bring to help you be better." While Bowman will embark on her college career in the fall, the Nighthawk standout still has one season on the North Bowl Lanes in Plattsburgh, where she will lead a Peru team while being the top returning bowler in a league that just said goodbye to another D-I bowler in Beekmantown's Morgan Brunett. "It will be a very different season this year," said Bowman. "We had our first bowling meeting and there are a lot of young kids, so I am very excited about seeing the future of our sport coming together. I hope they stick with it and they find as much love for the sport as I do. There are so many opportunities in bowling, especially for girls. There are so many things they can do in this sport and things they can find value in." Bowman also encouraged young bowlers to cherish each game they get to play in the league, saying she almost was wishing away games in seventh and eighth grade while now dreading the countdown of games in her final season. "Just make sure you appreciate every game you get to play here." While in her final high school season, Bowman — who has several Section VII records already — hopes to do the one thing no female bowler has ever been able to do in CVAC play: a 300 game. "It really has been a goal since seventh grade knowing that nobody on the girl's side has had a perfect game," she said. "I would love to be able to break my own record (289 high game) this year and shoot 300. It would be my first sanctioned 300 and I would love to do it for the Nighthawks in my senior year as a gift to them that is well-deserved for everything they have done for me."

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Bowman signs with Nebraska

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