Iowa's Rush Steen selected as 2026 Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow
March 25, 2026
ARLINGTON, Texas – Rush Steen of Waterloo, Iowa, has been chosen by the United States Bowling Congress as the 2026 Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow, earning a $6,000 scholarship.
The award recognizes star qualities in a male high school junior or senior who competes in the sport of bowling, as well as their achievements off the lanes, in their community and in the classroom.
Steen, 17, currently serves as a Youth Ambassador for the Greater Cedar Valley USBC Association, a position that allows youth bowlers to provide feedback on programs, events and tournaments.
As part of the role, Steen meets regularly with other ambassadors and association leaders to discuss ways to improve local youth leagues and support upcoming events. As such, he has also gained a deeper appreciation for the effort required to keep things running smoothly.
“We usually meet at least once a month,” Steen said. “It’s me and a couple other ambassadors with some of the adults who help run things. We talk about leagues and events coming up and give our input on them.
“There’s a lot more that goes into helping out with the youth leagues than I realized. It made me appreciate what the USBC people and the adults helping with our leagues do a lot more.”
Steen also has shown an interest in helping youth bowling reach new audiences, particularly through social media platforms that appeal to younger players.
One idea he plans to present during a future ambassadors’ meeting involves creating a social media presence for local leagues.
“A lot of new bowlers come in and see how good some of the kids are, and they get intimidated,” Steen said. “If we showed that league can just be fun with your friends, more people might want to try it.”
In 2025, Steen was selected to the Iowa All-State First Team and has continued that hard work on the lanes while remaining focused on academics at Waterloo West High School, maintaining a perfect grade point average and balancing practices, competitions and schoolwork.
“I always try to focus on academics first and maintain my 4.0 GPA,” Steen said. “If I have a big paper coming up, maybe I skip practice that day, and if I have free time, I’ll put in extra work. It’s all about balancing it.”
Steen credits much of his development in the sport to his father, who introduced him to bowling and continues to play an active role in his training.
“My dad was my first coach and the one who got me into league,” Steen said. “He’s always been my No.1 fan.”
When bowling centers closed during the COVID-19 shutdown, Steen found creative ways to continue improving his game.
“We were doing drills in the basement and even bowling in the backyard in the grass,” Steen said. “If I wanted to get better, I had to put the work in no matter what.”
Beyond competition, Steen values the friendships and community that have come with the sport.
“We always have a big group of people we hang out with,” Steen said. “I always call them my bowling family. It’s brought me a lot of connections, and that’s probably the best part about bowling for me.”
Looking ahead, Steen plans to study finance or wealth management in college while continuing to pursue bowling at a high level.
“One reason I’m interested in finance is because it can be flexible depending on where you work,” Steen said. “That flexibility might allow me to keep bowling or even pursue the PBA Tour someday. It’s always been a dream of mine to compete on the PBA Tour.”
Regardless of where bowling takes him, Steen hopes his dedication and character stand out to those around him.
“I hope people see the work that I put in,” Steen said. “But I also hope they see me as someone who’s nice and kind to everyone.”
He also credits the support of his family and friends for helping him reach his goals.
“My mom has always been a huge part of everything too,” Steen said. “She was always taking me places before I could drive and coming to watch me bowl.”
For Steen, the relationships built through bowling remain one of the most meaningful parts of the sport, such as when USBC Hall of Famer Leanne Hulsenberg helped Steen become one of the earliest bowlers to join Storm Youth Staff.
“Bowling doesn’t always have to be super competitive,” Steen said. “You should always have fun with it, make some friends and enjoy it because it can be a lifelong sport.”
Steen will be recognized in April during the 2026 USBC Convention at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada.
For a list of past Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow winners, click HERE.
Learn more about awards for adult youth leaders and scholarship opportunities for youth bowlers at BOWL.com/ScholarshipAwards.
The award recognizes star qualities in a male high school junior or senior who competes in the sport of bowling, as well as their achievements off the lanes, in their community and in the classroom.
Steen, 17, currently serves as a Youth Ambassador for the Greater Cedar Valley USBC Association, a position that allows youth bowlers to provide feedback on programs, events and tournaments.
As part of the role, Steen meets regularly with other ambassadors and association leaders to discuss ways to improve local youth leagues and support upcoming events. As such, he has also gained a deeper appreciation for the effort required to keep things running smoothly.
“We usually meet at least once a month,” Steen said. “It’s me and a couple other ambassadors with some of the adults who help run things. We talk about leagues and events coming up and give our input on them.
“There’s a lot more that goes into helping out with the youth leagues than I realized. It made me appreciate what the USBC people and the adults helping with our leagues do a lot more.”
Steen also has shown an interest in helping youth bowling reach new audiences, particularly through social media platforms that appeal to younger players.
One idea he plans to present during a future ambassadors’ meeting involves creating a social media presence for local leagues.
“A lot of new bowlers come in and see how good some of the kids are, and they get intimidated,” Steen said. “If we showed that league can just be fun with your friends, more people might want to try it.”
In 2025, Steen was selected to the Iowa All-State First Team and has continued that hard work on the lanes while remaining focused on academics at Waterloo West High School, maintaining a perfect grade point average and balancing practices, competitions and schoolwork.
“I always try to focus on academics first and maintain my 4.0 GPA,” Steen said. “If I have a big paper coming up, maybe I skip practice that day, and if I have free time, I’ll put in extra work. It’s all about balancing it.”
Steen credits much of his development in the sport to his father, who introduced him to bowling and continues to play an active role in his training.
“My dad was my first coach and the one who got me into league,” Steen said. “He’s always been my No.1 fan.”
When bowling centers closed during the COVID-19 shutdown, Steen found creative ways to continue improving his game.
“We were doing drills in the basement and even bowling in the backyard in the grass,” Steen said. “If I wanted to get better, I had to put the work in no matter what.”
Beyond competition, Steen values the friendships and community that have come with the sport.
“We always have a big group of people we hang out with,” Steen said. “I always call them my bowling family. It’s brought me a lot of connections, and that’s probably the best part about bowling for me.”
Looking ahead, Steen plans to study finance or wealth management in college while continuing to pursue bowling at a high level.
“One reason I’m interested in finance is because it can be flexible depending on where you work,” Steen said. “That flexibility might allow me to keep bowling or even pursue the PBA Tour someday. It’s always been a dream of mine to compete on the PBA Tour.”
Regardless of where bowling takes him, Steen hopes his dedication and character stand out to those around him.
“I hope people see the work that I put in,” Steen said. “But I also hope they see me as someone who’s nice and kind to everyone.”
He also credits the support of his family and friends for helping him reach his goals.
“My mom has always been a huge part of everything too,” Steen said. “She was always taking me places before I could drive and coming to watch me bowl.”
For Steen, the relationships built through bowling remain one of the most meaningful parts of the sport, such as when USBC Hall of Famer Leanne Hulsenberg helped Steen become one of the earliest bowlers to join Storm Youth Staff.
“Bowling doesn’t always have to be super competitive,” Steen said. “You should always have fun with it, make some friends and enjoy it because it can be a lifelong sport.”
Steen will be recognized in April during the 2026 USBC Convention at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada.
For a list of past Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow winners, click HERE.
Learn more about awards for adult youth leaders and scholarship opportunities for youth bowlers at BOWL.com/ScholarshipAwards.