Dylan Manderscheid did something only one other person in Humboldt has done before.
On Feb. 3, he bowled the second perfect game in Kemway Lanes history.
They are very proud of him, says Eric Ruthven of Kemway Lanes.
“We’ll put it up on the plaque and it’ll be here forever. It’s a big achievement in our industry and everybody out here was really excited for him.”
Manderscheid has been bowling for 15 years, he says, and he has gotten some good scores in the past.
Bowling that perfect game, it was all about keeping calm and playing the game mentally as well as physically.
“Doing the basics, like the 1-2-3 follow through, all that stuff really adds up. When you put that all together you get better results but it is also a mental game. Soon as you start thinking about it and getting worked up, you won’t get the results you want to see.”
Mentally, Manderscheid had already accepted the fact that he was going to have another high scoring game. Even by the 11 strikes out of the 12 needed, Manderscheid was happy with his game. As long as he threw his last ball well, that was all he wanted.
“Right when I let it go, I was like that felt really good, that’s going to be something good. ”
The place erupted, says Manderscheid with everyone gathered around to watch.
The place was booming.
With the recent loss of Ken, Manderscheid’s coach, he could feel Ken with him, says Manderscheid.
”He helped me improve my game. I think he just told me it was my time to get the 450 and I believe that’s why I got it...He was the one there and he was watching me and he felt I was ready.”
Eric says this is obviously the goal of the game is to get the allusive 450 score but it is difficult to achieve.
The last, and first, perfect game thrown was Jamie Biehn in 2005 and Eric says that only nine people across the country bowled a 450 that year.
Eric, with his brother, Ken, has owned the alley for 32 years and no one before they owned it had bowled a perfect game. The alley was built in 1979, estimates Eric.
The game itself is a game of angles and mental focus.
After you throw the ball, says Eric, there is not much else the bowler can do.
At 18 years old, Manderscheid is a member of the Youth Bowling Council but is leaving the council at the end of the year since he does not know where he will be. Before he finishes off his time in the council, he still has a tournament in Prince Albert to look forward to with a trip to Nationals on the line.
Manderscheid is still looking forward to continuing bowling after he leaves the council.
“I want to take in the Masters tournament and the Open. Some of the tournaments in the big leagues are averaging 270-290. That would be some good competition.”
Manderscheid wants to see where he would stand with other bowlers and where he needs to improve. His perfect game does not mean a halt on practice, he says.
Check out the Humboldt 5-pin Bowling Association’s Facebook page for a video of Manderscheid’s last two strikes.
Visit the Humboldt 5 Pin Bowling Association Facebook group for a video of Manderscheid's last two strikes in his perfect game.
