After rolling 11 consecutive strikes, Victor’s Dominique Newton lined up what she hoped would be her final ball of the game.
The ball struck the pins well, but the 7 and 10 pins remained standing for a moment. Nearby pins knocked both of the leftover pins down simultaneously to give the Blue Devil her first career 300 game in her third game of the morning at the Martin Luther King bowling tournament at Clover Lanes.
“It could’ve gone dramatically wrong,” Victor bowling coach Mark Foeder said. “A split would’ve been heart-breaking. The four and six pins are right next to the seven and 10, and those two pins knocked down the other two pins. It was meant to be. It was one of those days.”
The sophomore said her older sister Brianna and other teammates “attacked” her in celebration. Newton isn’t sure what made Monday, Jan. 21 her lucky day.
“I just kind of threw the ball, I don’t know,” she said. “I just kept going. I didn’t really think of it until the 11th ball I threw.”
Newton started bowling at the age of five and is in her fourth year on Victor’s varsity team. The Blue Devil’s previous high score was a 288. Her father Jerry and sister Brianna both have rolled 300 games of their own. Newton is averaging a score of 182 this season for Victor.
The bowler said she was aware of her score throughout the game that morning, but tried not to think about it. It became hard not to when more and more spectators gathered around her and the alley became silent when she bowled. Foeder didn’t want to talk to her starting in the seventh frame due to superstition.
“I got nervous in the ninth frame,” Newton said. “I was shaking, then I started crying.” She said it was a relief to come through on the last ball.
Clover Lanes presented Newton with a 300 jacket, and the United States Bowling Congress awarded her a ring.
After rolling 11 consecutive strikes, Victor’s Dominique Newton lined up what she hoped would be her final ball of the game.
The ball struck the pins well, but the 7 and 10 pins remained standing for a moment. Nearby pins knocked both of the leftover pins down simultaneously to give the Blue Devil her first career 300 game in her third game of the morning at the Martin Luther King bowling tournament at Clover Lanes.
“It could’ve gone dramatically wrong,” Victor bowling coach Mark Foeder said. “A split would’ve been heart-breaking. The four and six pins are right next to the seven and 10, and those two pins knocked down the other two pins. It was meant to be. It was one of those days.”
The sophomore said her older sister Brianna and other teammates “attacked” her in celebration. Newton isn’t sure what made Monday, Jan. 21 her lucky day.
“I just kind of threw the ball, I don’t know,” she said. “I just kept going. I didn’t really think of it until the 11th ball I threw.”
Newton started bowling at the age of five and is in her fourth year on Victor’s varsity team. The Blue Devil’s previous high score was a 288. Her father Jerry and sister Brianna both have rolled 300 games of their own. Newton is averaging a score of 182 this season for Victor.
The bowler said she was aware of her score throughout the game that morning, but tried not to think about it. It became hard not to when more and more spectators gathered around her and the alley became silent when she bowled. Foeder didn’t want to talk to her starting in the seventh frame due to superstition.
“I got nervous in the ninth frame,” Newton said. “I was shaking, then I started crying.” She said it was a relief to come through on the last ball.
Clover Lanes presented Newton with a 300 jacket, and the United States Bowling Congress awarded her a ring.
