The Tacoma-Pierce Athletic Commission proudly honors Tamia Yeager, a senior at Spanaway Lake High School, as the 2025 recipient of the Stan Naccarato Scholarship—an award that celebrates extraordinary students who reflect Stan’s unwavering commitment to civic betterment, community leadership, and youth athletics.
Tamia’s love for the sport of bowling began as a leap of faith—and turned into a legacy. Over the past four years, she has grown from a new team member to a program-changing leader, setting school records and making history as the first individual state champion in Spanaway Lake’s bowling program. But her influence goes far beyond the scoreboard.
With a natural passion for service and inclusion, Tamia has made it her mission to grow and elevate the sport of bowling—not just for herself, but for those around her. She organized a high school bowling equipment drive that outfitted every team member with proper, custom-fit gear, removing barriers for teammates who otherwise had no access to personalized equipment. She also founded an annual Brown Bear Car Wash fundraiser, generating thousands of dollars to support lane time, travel, and team-building for a program that receives minimal district funding.
Tamia’s commitment to civic leadership mirrors the very heart of this award. Whether helping organize food drives, volunteering for Special Olympics Washington, or assisting with the Emergency Food Network Repack Project, she has poured her time and energy into causes that reflect compassion and purpose. Her leadership extends to roles like Secretary of the South Sound USBC Youth Committee and Youth Representative for local bowling initiatives, proving that she leads with both her heart and her hustle.
In the fall, Tamia will attend Vanderbilt University, where she signed a national letter of intent to join the university’s NCAA Division I Women’s Bowling Team. She plans to major in International Marketing and Digital Communications, with dreams of expanding bowling’s visibility—especially in underserved and underrepresented communities. “I want to inspire others from different backgrounds to not allow trivial matters like race or ethnicity to stand in the way of something they may love,” she writes. “Bowling gave me the confidence to be me—and now I want to pass that on.”
Tamia’s selflessness, determination, and spirit of inclusion echo everything Stan Naccarato stood for. Like Stan, she is driven to make her community better—not just by winning, but by lifting others along the way.
The Tacoma-Pierce Athletic Commission is proud to present the Stan Naccarato Scholarship to Tamia Yeager, a trailblazer, leader, and true inspiration for the next generation of student-athletes.