The winter 2022 sports season at Wantagh High School featured some of the best individual athletic performances in school history, including its first individual Nassau County champion bowler, Seth Braum. It capped an undefeated season for the senior. 

With a score of 1403 in his six game series at the Nassau County finals, Seth cemented his name at the top of Wantagh bowling lore. He earned a trip to the state championship in Syracuse, where he placed eighth among 66 bowlers. 

Wantagh’s varsity bowling team, which Seth has been a part of since eighth grade, finished third overall in the counties. The individual championships were held a week after, and Seth dominated. His average score in those six games was 234, with a high of 279, which was also the best single-game mark of any bowler that day. Seth said, “I was hitting all of my spares,” which helped propel him to victory and a state tournament berth.

Seth began bowling when he was 8 years old and joined a PAL league at Wantagh Lanes. Some of his friends he bowled with them became his teammates in school. He joined the junior varsity bowling team in eighth grade but was called up to varsity with a few games left in the season and got his first taste of the playoffs. 

“That gave me a lot of experience coming into high school,” said Seth, who has been captain since 10th grade.

Seth said he would not be where he is without the support of his family and teammates. He said it is an honor that his fellow bowlers respect him as leader and welcome the knowledge and advice he has to offer. Additionally, Seth thanked his coach, James Polo, who gave him his shot on the team when he was still in middle school.   

With his Wantagh bowling career officially behind him, Seth hopes that his legacy will be the buzz he helped create about the bowling team at school, and hopefully that will inspire more students to join.