Lemke Hired as New Bowling Coach
8/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Bowling
Aug. 18, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin Director of Athletics Robert Hill announced on Thursday the hiring of former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater head coach Amber Lemke as the newest head coach of the Ladyjack bowling team.
"I was most impressed with Amber's success and how much she accomplished working with limited resources," Hill said. "Given the resources she will have at SFA, I expect our bowling program to reach a much higher level."
Lemke guided the Warhawks to United States Bowling Congress collegiate championship appearances in 2010 and 2011, where the Warhawks advanced to the second round. Just sixteen teams earn a spot in the national tourney. UW-W qualified through sectional play, where the team also placed fifth in 2009, one spot away from qualifying for another national meet. During her tenure Lemke helped the Warhawks roll the top seven team Baker games in the school record book.
Lemke's emphasis on academics was demonstrated by five members of her 2009-2010 team earning National Tenpin Coaches Association All-Academic honors.
Amber Lemke (then Amber Griffin) was a freshman when UW-W added women's bowling as a varsity, intercollegiate sport for the 2002-2003 school year. She helped get the program off and running, earning four varsity letters. The Warhawks won Wisconsin Collegiate Bowling Conference championships in 2003, 2004, and 2006. She had a 177.7 average her senior year when she earned NCTA honorable mention All-America honors, following a 167.0 junior year. In the classroom at UW-W Lemke graduated cum laude with a degree in middle childhood/early adolescence education with a coaching minor. She completed work on a master's degree this spring.
Lemke was also with the program for the 2006-2007 school year, serving as an assistant coach.
Away from the UW-W team, Lemke attended the Junior Gold National Championship in 2004, 2005 and 2006. During the 2005-2006 school year she served as an assistant coach for the Kenosha high school girls team that won the USBC state title.
-SFA-
