ROCKINGHAM — Starting the new year with the first edition of The Richmond Observer’s weekly feature series is a Richmond Senior High School student-athlete who is familiar with success.
Hanna Smith, a senior bowler, has been named the Official Richmond County Female Student-Athlete of the Week presented by Rockingham NC Self Storage.
Having her best outing of the winter, Smith helped the Lady Raider bowling team secure two wins and eight total points in the Sandhills Athletic Conference standings.
Smith, a four-year bowler for Richmond, notched her fourth career recognition. She’s earned it three times previously as a tennis player.
Athletic Profile
Year: Senior
Winter sport: Bowling
Lineup: 1st and 6th frames
Varsity experience: 4 seasons
Other sports: Tennis, soccer
“CLASSROOM CREDITS” WITH HANNA SMITH
It’s final exam week at Richmond and Smith is closing up the first of her two semesters during her senior year.
Always putting her academics ahead of her athletic success, Smith is a straight-A student. Entering her final exams, she had a 100 average in Economics and Personal Finance Honors and a 99 average in Annual Production Honors.
Also taking courses at Richmond Community College as a dual-enrollment student, Smith finished her fall semester last month with high marks. She earned As in Biology 111 (98), Philosophy 240 (98) and Psychology 150 (98).
In the spring, Smith will enroll in Biology 112, History 132 and Mathematics 152 at RichmondCC and take English IV Honors and Junior Leadership Honors at the high school.
A member of Senior Senate, National Beta Club and National Honor Society, Smith has a 4.654 weighted grade point average and is ranked fifth in her graduating class. She plans to attend a four-year university after she graduates.
“KNOCKING DOWN PINS” WITH HANNA SMITH
With a pair of wins Thursday at Laurinburg Lanes, the Lady Raiders knocked Pinecrest High School out of first place and moved themselves into a tie for second place in the Sandhills Athletic Conference standings.
Richmond defeated the Lady Patriots 3-2 to start the meet, and followed with a 5-0 win over Union Pines High School. Currently, the Lady Raiders are tied with Scotland High School (27 points).
As part of a 500-498 win over Pinecrest, Smith closed out two of her eight frames. She rolled on strike and one spare.
Contributing in a bigger way against Union Pines, Smith notched a .630 closing percentage (5-of-8 frames). All five of her closed frames were spares, a single-match season-high for Smith. Richmond won the match 463-279.
At the conclusion of both matches, Smith registered a .438 closing percentage (7-for-16), her best performance of the season.
The Lady Raiders (6-2) will compete in another conference meet Thursday at the Sandhills Bowling Center in Aberdeen. The pivotal matches against first-place Hoke County High School and Scotland will start at 4 p.m.
“RAPID RESPONSE VIDEO” WITH HANNA SMITH
The Richmond Observer will publish its Official Richmond County Male Student-Athlete of the Week soon.
Sports editor’s note: The writer of this article is also Smith’s Annual Production teacher.