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Bowling News USA - March 17, 2010 Going for 800

 

OWATONNA — Mark Hill has joined a very exclusive club.

While bowling earlier this season at Southpark Lanes in Owatonna, Hill finished a three-game series with a score of 803. He’s one of only four local bowlers to cross the 800 barrier this year.

Bob Hager has two of the area’s six 800s, including a high of 858. Dave Oulman has an 812, and Chad Nelson has an 803.

Hill admitted that he thought he reached 800 with one throw left. He said he went through the motions on his final throw, just hoping to hit some pins. In fact, he wasn’t at 800 and needed a solid throw.

“Luckily, I hit enough pins on that final throw,” he said. “I needed almost all of them.

“It was really exciting. It was the first one of my career and I have been bowling since age 5.”

The big career milestone for most bowlers is the perfect game. Twelve throws, 12 strikes for a final score of 300. Most bowlers dream about it their entire life, but for some of Owatonna’s top bowlers, 300 is cake compared to what Hill did.

Local bowler Dan Bock has thrown nine 800 series in his long career, and a whopping 48 300 games. To reach 800, a bowler must throw three games in one night, averaging 266 a game.

“The conditions are always changing and that makes it tough to put up an 800,” said Bock, who has a perfect game this year, but no 800. “It’s easier to have one big game.”

For an up-and-coming bowler, the 300 is still the No. 1 goal.

“It’s a major career achievement,” Bock said. “The first one is really special. You don’t forget it. I haven’t forgotten mine and it was 20 years ago.”

Bock actually got his first 300 and 800 on the same night. The perfect game was in the middle of a 265, 300, 238 night. While Hill and Bock are in the 800 club, Joe Ethen remains on the outside looking in. Ethan bowled a perfect game earlier this year, but still hasn’t reached 800. His career high is 763.

“One game can ruin it,” he said. “You’ll have two good games and then throw a 230.

“I know most people would love a 230, but in the world of big shooters, 230 is just about par.”

Dan Langer also has a perfect game this year, but no 800. Langer has 12 career 800 series, but he hasn’t tossed one in a couple of years.

“Putting together one good game and getting 300 is hard enough,” said Langer, who has 23 career perfect games, “putting three games together is pretty tough.”

All four bowlers said fatigue doesn’t come into play when a bowler goes for an 800. The reason: the more strikes someone throws, the fewer throws needed. A perfect game requires 12 throws.

A game in which a bowler gets 12 spares requires 24 throws. The hotter a bowler gets, the fewer times he needs to lift the ball and fire it down the lane.

Hill admitted that he had a little bit off luck in his 800 series.

“I had a couple of splits fall early on that don’t normally fall for me,” Hill said. “When things get rolling, you just go with it.”

Although Hill picked up his first 800 series, he still owns zero perfect games.

“I always figured I would get my first 300 game before my first 800,” he said. “I must have been one strike away a dozen times.”

Courtesy of owatonna.com

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March, 2010