As I was warming up, I had a hard time getting a feel for the ball and the lanes, but I watched other bowlers around me struggling in the same way. After observing this scene, I was cautiously optimistic that I could make a little noise at this shin-dig.
Then the first match happened. It was such a blur, I can't even remember the guy's face, body build, or what he rolled. All I remember was that it was over, and over quickly.
"Pictured: My first round matchup. From left to right: Scott Selin, Erica Nielson, my opponent's friend, my opponent"After allowing my opponent to roll over me like a tank over a pacifist, I got matched up with a skinny kid, that looked like he couldn't have been over 16. I noticed he was hanging out with a known bowling professor at BYU. I found out that the kid was the professor's son and I said,"Oh geez, I get matched up with the bowling professor's kid." He started strong, and I seriously considered the possibility of two inauspicious losses. Then I stepped up for the fourth frame.
And BOOM went the dynamite. Five strikes in a row put me up for good and I ended with a 201, my personal best by almost 30. I followed that up with two quality wins over two quality opponents, with both of my scores registering in the 180s. In the next match, I went against a serious member of the bowling club, who had fans watching. The game went back and forth until the seventh, when I closed him out with a couple of strikes, to end at 180.
I was dealing, and hoped to keep the roll going. Unfortunately, I ran into an employee at the Bowling Alley there, and he made quick work of me. He was a worthy winner, but my arm and grip were waning quickly. After coming strong with four games over 180, I finished with a feeble 112 and bowed out.
A 4-2 record isn't bad though, especially when it seemed likely that I would roll two games and have nothing to show for it. On a related note, Erica Nielson, who accompanied me, ran into a buzzsaw in the first round (her opponent bowled over 200), won a close match, and finally lost to a tough opponent. She did very well, and her scores seemed to get better and better as the night went on.
And BOOM went the dynamite. Five strikes in a row put me up for good and I ended with a 201, my personal best by almost 30. I followed that up with two quality wins over two quality opponents, with both of my scores registering in the 180s. In the next match, I went against a serious member of the bowling club, who had fans watching. The game went back and forth until the seventh, when I closed him out with a couple of strikes, to end at 180.
I was dealing, and hoped to keep the roll going. Unfortunately, I ran into an employee at the Bowling Alley there, and he made quick work of me. He was a worthy winner, but my arm and grip were waning quickly. After coming strong with four games over 180, I finished with a feeble 112 and bowed out.
A 4-2 record isn't bad though, especially when it seemed likely that I would roll two games and have nothing to show for it. On a related note, Erica Nielson, who accompanied me, ran into a buzzsaw in the first round (her opponent bowled over 200), won a close match, and finally lost to a tough opponent. She did very well, and her scores seemed to get better and better as the night went on.
2 comments:
Love your use of the term "shin dig". When I used that same term in family conversations I was much maligned for doing so. I will only praise you.
Was it me doing the maligning? Because I love the word shin-dig....
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