PIONEERING STATE CHAMPION – Graves County High School junior Nathan Hackel (right) poses with his coach, Michael Delaney, and his state championship trophy for individual boys’ bowling. Hackel won the title in the GCHS bowling team’s inaugural season and first trip to the Kentucky Bowling Proprietors’ Association’s State Bowling Championships, held March 19-20 at Eastland-Collins Lanes in Lexington.

After qualifying as an individual in the regional tournament in Campbellsville three weeks earlier, Hackel joined three individual qualifying girls and the GCHS girls’ team by competing in the state finals.

One year ahead of bowling’s becoming a sanctioned sport of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, the KBPA includes participation from more than 60 high schools across the Bluegrass State and hosts the state finals for the top 16 teams and top 32 individual qualifiers.