April 14, 2009
Courtney Morgan signed her National Letter of Intent to attend Vanderbilt at Fiesta Lanes in New Braunfels, Texas.
View Photo Gallery of Signees
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Five high school bowlers have signed agreements to attend Vanderbilt University, Coach John Williamson has announced.
“This is an outstanding class in every way,” Williamson says. “They are obviously talented bowlers but they are also strong students that we believe will carry on our proud tradition of academic and athletic excellence.”
The quintet is Vanderbilt’s largest signing class since 2006 and will draw some comparisons to Williamson’s original recruiting class of five which graduates next month after establishing the foundation for the program.
The incoming class includes Jessica Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., Sarah O’Brien of Aurora, Ill., Kim Carper of Fort Ripley, Minn., Courtney Morgan of New Braunfels, Tex., and Lauren Rhein of Hackensack, NJ.
Many close followers of high school bowling consider Jessica Earnest the No. 1 prep prospect in the country. She is a member of the 2009 Junior Team USA, an elite unit that also includes current Commodores Brittni Hamilton and Josie Earnest.
Earnest has a deep bowling background over many years. She won the Third Annual Chris Barnes Thanksgiving Tournament (scratch division) in 2007 and was 13th at the National Amateur Championships in Las Vegas. She was second at the 2008 Junior Masters and her best Junior Gold effort was eighth in 2008. She has won numerous Illinois Scholarship Bowling Club titles, earned Bowler of the Year accord in 2007-08, and is a three-time Pepsi Cola Zone 10 Scratch Champion.
Jessica teamed with her older sister, Josie, to win the Illinois State Doubles Championship in 2005, and won the Keystone Tournament Zone 8 title seven times. She also won the Indiana Youth Scholarship Tournament in 2007.
Earnest is a member of the National Honor Society, the Student Council for three years, Who’s Who is Science two years and the National Society of High School Scholars.
Sarah O’Brien was the Beacon News Bowler of the Year this year after placing seventh at the Illinois State Tournament as a senior and 12th as a junior. She led her Waubonsie Valley team to one conference title and third and 10th place finishes in the state meet.
O’Brien has a high game of 297 with a 737 high series. She qualified for the 2008 and 2009 Junior Gold events and was 27th at the 2008 Teen Masters. She wrote her name in the 2008 Illinois High School record book with the top state individual score (2604/12 games, a 217 average) and the top individual game, a 268. In 2007 she also had the top individual score and series (711).
O’Brien was a four year member of the high school honor roll, in addition to being a class officer and member of various honor societies.
Kim Carper comes from a family of quality bowlers and is known for her ability to close frames. As a two-time Most Valuable Player in her conference, she had the highest strike/spare percentage for both boys and girls for three years running.
Even more impressive, she led the state in strike/spare percentage for three years and was third in Minnesota when lumped with the boys in 2008 at 90.16%.
Carper had the highest series in the state in 2008 and has had a 300 game and 735 series. She was the 2008 Minnesota Junior Bowling Tour Bowler of the Year, won two MJBT championships, one Central Minnesota Junior title, the 2009 Minnesota singles championship along with wins at the ’08 Minnesota Jamboree and ’09 Brainerd Youth Invitational.
Kim’s older sister Rhonda was in the top 10 girls in the nation in 1993 for highest game (289) and older brother Terry has one sanctioned 300 and a sanctioned 800 series.
Carper is a member of the National Honor Society, Central Lakes College Phi Theta Kappa and for two years was on the Central Lakes College President’s List.
Courtney Morgan was the Most Valuable Player on a strong Texas prep team. New Braunfels High was state champion in 2007 and state finalists from 2006-2009 as well as being district champs all four years.
Courtney was the district MVP and a state singles participant for four years, reaching the state quarter-finals twice. She was runner-up at the 2008 Chris Barnes Youth Tournament and third in the state singles in 2009. She was her team co-captain and anchor for two years. Her high game is a 290 with a high series of 721.
Morgan is a member of the National Honor Society and will graduate in the top 10% of her class.
Lauren Rhein was a two-time all-state bowler and the North Jersey Bowler of the Year in 2008 and 2009. She carried a 206 average for 2009 for her prep team, which won league, county and North Jersey sectional titles for four years. She was fifth at the state tournament in 2008 after averaging 214 over six games. Her best game is 279 with a 729 series and a 715 honor series. She
Rhein’s Immaculate Heart Academy team was the first to have a perfect season in Northern New Jersey in three decades. She also earned four letters in golf, placing second in the Bergen County Tournament. She captained both the bowling and golf teams.
Lauren is a member of the National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society and the Tri-M Music Honor Society.
