TOWAMENCIN – James Carnal’s love of bowling began at a young age. Little did he know, it would turn into a large part of his life.

“My dad and I decided to go bowling one day, and I ended up really liking it. I kept going back and just really got into it.” Carnal reminisced.

A star bowler on North Penn’s bowling team, he naturally spends a large sum of his time at the lanes. The team is a large commitment, one that he’s happy to make.

“The level of commitment for bowling is pretty high. For me, every weekend, both days, I have bowling all day long. On Saturdays, I have leagues in the morning and then a travel league in the evening. Sundays, I have the option to do an all day tournament.” explained Carnal. “In addition to that, we have two or three matches during the week.”

Although time-consuming, for Carnal, the team is worth every minute.

The team is actively looking for new members, especially girls. A major pull for new members is the varsity letter that goes along with being a part of the team. Another benefit is the strong aspect of community and working together throughout the various competitions and matches each week.

“My favorite part about bowling is being in a team setting, working together with other people. The team is opened up to anyone, even if you’re not a great bowler or have never went bowling before. It’s a good opportunity to learn how to bowl and get that varsity letter.”

The best overall message he’s learned from the team is how to control emotions and nerves. It’s natural to get nervous before each shot, so this skill is especially beneficial when it comes to competitions. Mentally preparedness is another attribute that bowling challenges, one that is required not just at the lanes, but in life.

“It’s a good lesson to fight the nerves before you make a shot.” Carnal remarked. “It’s such a great feeling for you and your team when you bowl a strike, and being able to fight through those nerves and get to the other side is equally as good.”

Besides bowling, Carnal is heavily involved in the music program. He’s in both the marching band and wind ensemble, playing the bassoon and the saxophone. In addition to music, he greatly enjoys skiing and archery.

Overall, his dream is to go to college for engineering – specifically majoring in engineering physics. Delving into the field further, Carnal hopes to study nuclear physics. He plans to apply to Penn State, University of Wisconsin, and MIT. He’s also considering Cornell.

With a promising future ahead, as both a bowler and an engineer, Carnal keeps a few very important messages close to his heart, using them as the inspiration to keep moving forward.

“I always try to do the best I can every single day, in academics and extracurriculars. As H. Jackson Brown Jr. once said, ‘The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.’ I believe that if you live by that, you’ll make the most out of every day.”