Stars and Strikes: The 2025 HSAS Bowling Senators

Azad Antia, Grade 12, Sebastian Kopp, Grade 11, and Olivia Goldman, Grade 11, Staff Writers

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On the first day of school, High School of American Studies Athletic Director Mr. Schulman issued an urgent plea to the students of HSAS: With a week left before their first Public Schools Athletics League match, the HSAS Bowling Senators did not have the minimum number of players on their roster and would be forced to forfeit regular season games. 

Returning only three bowlers from the 2024 iteration of the team, Coach Valerio and Captain David Irom(‘26) had to recruit five new bowlers before their first match. 

By the beginning of the season they had recruited 10 new bowlers, and proceeded to embark on the most successful season in program history, placing second in the Bronx division.

Captain David Irom(‘26) led the team with a 115.8 pin average followed by rookie bowler Angel Mota(‘26) with a 110.4 pin average punctuated by a 164 pin performance in a narrow victory over William H. Taft Educational Campus. 

    Other notable feats included  Javier Belnavis’s(‘26) late season surge capped off with an electrifying 177 pin performance against South Bronx featuring three straight strikes. Irom and Mota were invited to the City Individual Bowling Championships. 

Aside from their prowess on the bowling alleys, what stood out about the 2025 iteration of the Senators was their tight knit camaraderie. 

Each bowler, whether they bowled a strike or shanked a ball into the gutter, would receive high-fives and encouragement from their teammates upon returning to the bench. 

“I was very nervous at first because I was the only woman on the team, but the whole team was very supportive, always cheering me on,” remarked Miriam Krasinski(‘28), a sophomore bowler. The supportive culture of the team stood out to those not bowling, too.  

“When someone bowled a strike the whole team would celebrate with them, including Coach Valerio,” added Ruby Greenberg(‘26), a senior in attendance at a few games. 

Bus rides to the bowling alley were filled with a balance of mental grounding and team bonding over mobile video game Clash Royale. Post-game meals at McDonalds became a routine over the course of the season. 

“It felt like we were all a family,” said Diego Nehme(‘27), a junior and a two-year veteran of the team.  

The season ended on a bitter note after a PSAL error forced the Senators to forfeit their play-in spot on short notice. Despite the sour end, the Senators can look back with pride in the standout results of a memorable season of HSAS bowling. 

The 2025 HSAS Bowling Senators