By: Anabel Epstein

Layout Editor

Imagine being one strike away from a perfect score.  Senior Jon Leeds knows the feeling.

Out of a possible perfect score ranking a 300, this past season Leeds earned a personal record of 277.

“When you are one frame away from a perfect game, you get very nervous.  It’s exciting,” said Leeds.

Getting so close and missing the goal by so little, he has a newfound passion to continue working up to that coveted perfect score of 300.  Each bowling game consists of ten “frames,” which is an individual turn to roll the ball.

A score of 300 requires a strike in the first nine frames, and three strikes in the final frame. What this means is that in each of Leeds’ ten frames, he either bowled a strike or a spare, knocking down all pins.  He was one frame away from all perfect frames.

Leeds joined the bowling team in his freshman year.  He remained dedicated ever since.

“My mom bowled in high school and that is one of the reasons why I joined the bowling team,” he said.

During the season, the team practiced twice a week at Bird Bowl.  The teammates all got along quite well, sharing their dedication for their sport that demands a great deal of concentration and finesse from each player.

The bowling team recently came back from state competition.  Leeds called it a stressful experience because he did not realize that people dedicate their lives to the sport, giving them a major advantage over many other avid bowlers.  Regardless of the competition, Leeds takes pride in his near-perfect game and hopes to continue striving for the best.

“I hope to continue bowling.  The feeling of getting so close to a perfect score motivates me to keep trying.  Maybe I will soon score the 300,” he thoughtfully concluded.