If Massapequa is known for one thing, it is its widespread reputation as a perennial contender in nearly every major varsity sport. MHS students rally around their favorite team, and the stands are always filled with blue and gold at every game.

Massapequa has its fair share of individual athletes as well, not the least impressive of which being varsity bowler and junior Danielle Probst, who represented Massapequa in the all-star bowling team that competed for a sectional championship.

Since she started bowling in the Police Athletic League at the age of nine, Probst has developed her game and matured into one of the top bowlers not only in Massapequa, but in the state of New York.

“I started bowling with my brother when I was little but that was more for fun,” Probst said about becoming a competitive bowler. “My mom’s cousin taught me a lot of things about how lanes work and about oil patterns, so I always wanted to be like him.”

At the age of thirteen, Probst joined her first competitive league, and she has been hooked since then.

“I actually threw a straight ball in the beginning, but my coach taught me a lot, and I eventually averaged around 150. It was a lot of fun,” Probst said. She has since become one of the most consistent members of the team, and in 2014 her work finally paid off.

At the Nassau County individual competition, which began the week after she and her squad placed fourth in the team event, Probst posted a stellar 193 average for the day—a score high enough to land her a spot in the state competition.

“We practiced a ton, trying to learn all of the ways the lanes work, and even becoming friends along the way,” Probst said.

She and her team of local all-stars placed sixth amongst the eleven teams competing at the sectional championship at Babylon Lanes. Despite falling short of victory, Probst felt the experience still had a profound positive impact.

“The best word for it would be enlightening,” said Probst after all was said and done. “From the time I made the all-star team up until the day I bowled for states, I was exposed to a completely different world of bowling than I normally am on my high school team. I learned just how technical the sport really is and I became a much better bowler as a result.”

With this season behind her, Probst looks forward to next year, and hopes to bring her average up to the boys’ level of 200. She is also aiming for a chance at redemption in the state competition—though even she admits that bowling is a tough sport to predict.

“The way you play on the day of the county’s competition could be completely different than how you play the whole season,” Probst said. “I’m just hoping to have a good season next year, and take it from there.”

After high school, Probst hopes to find a college with a bowling team that also fits her academic interests, and she hopes to continue to impress in other competitions as well.

“I became friends with an amazing group of girls,” said Probst about her fellow all-stars. “I realized that it’s best to make friends with people who do what you do because only they understand just how hard it is to be good.”

While it may be hard for Probst, she makes it look all too easy, and after this incredible 2014 season, who knows just how far she can go?