Dubuque Hempstead state bowling champion Stephen Habel has signed a letter of intent to enroll at Clarke College next fall. Habel claimed the inaugural Class 2A individual state championship last month in Des Moines with a three-game 738.

Habel started his state tournament bid at Plaza Lanes with eight straight strikes, finishing game one with 10 total strikes and a 263. He added nine strikes, including seven straight, in game two for a 262, and finished off his series with a 213.

"One of the first names I heard when I moved from Michigan to the Dubuque area was Stephen Habel," said Clarke Head Bowling Coach Chris Uffman. "As if there was any doubt in my mind as to what kind of bowler I would be getting, not two days after he called to tell me he had chosen Clarke, Stephen won the Iowa High School state championship."

Habel was a two-year bowling letterwinner at Hempstead, where he earned both first-team and second-team Mississippi Valley Conference All-Conference honors. He was the co-recipient of this year's Mississippi Division Athlete of the Year Award.

Stephen is the son of Tony and Kerry Habel, of Dubuque.