A sophomore at the Pelham Memorial High School, Josiah Hewlett has established himself as one of the most dedicated young bowlers in recent Pelham history. Hewlett is the first ever bowler in Pelham to qualify for Division 1 sectionals which took place in February at Fishkill Bowl in Fishkill, NY. He recorded a score of 299, narrowly missing out on a perfect 300. Inspired by his performance, Hewlett believes he can have a future in bowling and competes regularly in tournaments, in team and individual events.
“Going to sectionals was slightly nerve-wracking but mainly a pretty cool experience,” Hewlett said in a phone interview. “It allowed me to see the top bowlers from schools all over.”
Schools in the Lower Hudson Valley compete in Section 1 Bowling during the regular season and the top student-athletes then qualify for Section 1 Championships, also known as sectionals. Schools commonly qualify as a team, but Hewlett got in as an individual after receiving high scores during the season.
Hewlett began bowling just three years ago, after his grandmother recommended it and helped him get started with all the equipment and encouragement he needed. Members of his mom’s side of the family are also into bowling, and Hewlett now competes regularly in the sport, while maintaining his commitment to basketball and football.
“Bowling is one of those sports that you can see immediate progress in if you focus,” Hewlett shared. “I try to focus on something specific during each tournament such as my form along with staying calm. My favorite thing is figuring out what I’m bowling on; for example how much oil there is because that can affect the balls that I use.”
Along with competing on the boys varsity team in the winter, Josiah bowls at Homefield Bowl in a scholarship league. College scouts often watch bowlers in this league, and Hewlett will begin the college bowling process soon.
Hewlett competes as often as he can, already participating in more than 50 tournaments since he began to bowl competitively. In addition to sectionals, he’s also gone to Delaware with his Homefield Bowl team. He’s planning to go to Minnesota this summer for the 2026 Junior Gold Championships, which offers college scholarships for top participants.
A true standout in his newfound sport, Hewlett will be fun to watch as he continues his bowling journey.
