ROCKINGHAM – Savannah Lampley, a senior on the Richmond Senior High School bowling team, has been named the Official Richmond County Female Athlete of the Week.
Termed the team’s “No. 1 bowler” by first-year head coach Ralph Butler, Lampley is set to begin her run through regionals Thursday. She’ll look to continue her high school bowling career at the Sand Hills Bowling Center in Aberdeen, as a top 10 finish would put her in the state tournament.
This selection by Butler makes it Lampley’s fourth career selection, which is the most of any student-athlete since ROSports began the award during the fall sports season of 2017.
Athletic Profile
Age: 18
Birthday: Oct. 25, 2000
Year: Senior
Winter Sport: Bowling
Position: No. 1 Bowler
Years on Varsity: 2 Years
Height & Weight: 5-9, 165 pounds
Experience: 2 years
“KNOCKING DOWN THE FACTS” WITH SAVANNAH LAMPLEY
RSHS Academics: Set to graduate in June, Lampley began her final semester as a Richmond student-athlete two weeks ago. With most of her core classes already completed, she’s shifted her focus on getting ahead in the college classroom.
During the summer of 2017, Lampley verbally committed to continue her education and softball career at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In November, she signed her National Letter of Intent alongside teammates Taylor Parrish (Pfeiffer University) and Greyson Way (UNC-Greensboro).
Currently, Lampley is taking a public speaking course, as well as English 112, at Richmond Community College. On days when she’s at Richmond, she takes Weight Training with Coach Shellie Wimpey, and also interns for head softball coach and assistant principal Wendy Wallace.
“I really like interning for Wallace,” Lampley shared. “I get to spend more time around the softball field while I’m at school. With the season getting started, I’ve been helping work on the field and I really enjoy dragging the field after workouts.”
Lampley has proven she takes her academics seriously, as she’s ranked No. 3 in the graduating class of 2019. She boasts a 4.7222 GPA, and is a member of the National Beta Club and National Honor Society.
Previous AOW Recognitions: Lampley has been recognized three previous times as the official Richmond County Female Athlete of the Week. During her junior year she was selected twice, and picked up her third recognition this past fall.
Her first and third awards recognized her efforts on the volleyball court, as she was a four-year starter for the Lady Raiders. She capped off her playing career last fall with her third-straight All-Sandhills Athletic Conference team selection.
During her junior softball campaign, Lampley earned honors for hitting an 11th-inning walkoff home run against eventual 4A state champion Jack Britt High School. The left-handed batting shortstop powered a ball over the scoreboard in right field to help keep a perfect conference season intact, and marked the second of three wins against the Lady Buccaneers last season.
Savannah Lampley bowls during a match in Aberdeen earlier this season.
Athlete of the Week Stats: To close out the regular season last Thursday in Fayetteville, Lampley helped the Lady Raiders split their matches between Hoke County and Seventy-First high schools. The win came against the Lady Bucks, as Richmond downed them 5-0.
As the team’s No. 1 bowler using the Baker format, Lampley bowled a total of 25 frames, collecting a team-high six strikes in the process. She closed out 15 of those 25 frames (60 percent), adding 10 spares to her tally. Her best sequence came in games one and two against Hoke County, as she bowled for three strikes and four spares.
RAPID FIRE – FAST RESPONSES
1) Describe your No. 1 talent when it comes to athletics. Why did you pick this?
“I’d have to say my leadership skills, which come pretty naturally to me” Lampley said. “I’m pretty good at being a leader, and I think it’s important no matter which sport I’m playing. My goal is to help the team keep its focus.
“In volleyball, leadership was important this season because we had a down year and lost a lot of seniors,” she added. “We needed someone to step up and I tried to help make the best out of it.”
2) How has being a three-sport athlete at Richmond prepared you for UNCW softball?
“Softball at UNCW is going to be every day, whether it’s working out or being at practice,” Lampley shared. “In high school, the softball season starts in January, so playing three sports year-round has really helped with my time management skills, and it works on my conditioning.
“Bowling has been fun for me to do, but softball and volleyball overlap because you have to be able to work well with others and shape your craft,” she added.
3) What are some of the things on your high school bucket list you hope to check off before graduation?
“One thing I want to do is get some local scholarships,” Lampley said. “Of course, I want to have a successful senior softball season and make a good run in the playoffs. I’d also like to graduate in the top five of my class.”
4) What’s your favorite high school memory? Favorite athletics memory?
“Definitely the walkoff home run against Jack Britt,” she smiled. “Jack Britt just came into our conference and it was a close game – I knew as soon as I hit the ball it was a home run. I don’t really remember running around the bases.
“For school, being a junior marshal was pretty cool,” she continued. “Being able to help out with graduation and work senior day toward end of year was also nice.”
5) What has made you successful in bowling?
“At first, I really didn’t practice a lot,” she admitted. “I didn’t know a lot of the proper technique. And I remember when I first started bowling, I couldn’t pick up spares. I’ve just worked to get better and (former coach) Jeff Ingram helped me pick up spares.”
6) What’s the coolest things about coming from a family with a history of athletic success?
“It’s really just something we all share,” Lampley said of her family. “Having my brother, JD, play football this year, we were always pushing each other to the limit. Each of us want to always do better and we try to challenge each other whether it’s in the weightroom or throwing a ball around in the yard.”
Lampley’s parents, Danny and Angela Lampley, were both pitchers at Wingate University in the late 1990s. She credits both of them for giving her her athletic talents, competitive spirit and helping her succeed in high school athletics.
“It’s nice to have so many people in my household who push me to always be better,” Lampley noted. “My parents met at Wingate and were both named freshman of the year in their conference. It’s also cool to say my dad was an All-American, is the Division II all-time strikeout leader and that he pitched for the Red Sox.
“My mom also won three state championships,” she concluded. “It’s nice for JD and I to have such a strong bond with our parents through sports.”
Coach’s Corner: The one thing Butler is most impressed by with Lampley is her competitive edge. He also noted her growth over the course of the season.
“Savannah is a competitor, and I can see it in her face,” Butler said. “She wants to compete and do her best, and she wants to win. During the last few meets, Savannah has been picking up more of her frames, and has really been outstanding for us.
“Early on, she was near 50 percent on closing out her frames,” Butler closed. “The last few weeks she’s gotten closer to 70 percent, and nearly 50 percent are for strikes. She competes with the boys on the team, and has a really good chance if she bowls well to qualify for states.”
