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(Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli) Strike Force Chet Wilson doubles his pleasure, bowling his first two 300 games in the same series By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Chet Wilson was as excited and nervous as a father awaiting his firstborn. Sure, it was only bowling, but Wilson was on the verge of his first perfect game. Imagine his surprise, then, when he had twins. Wilson accomplished the unlikely feat of rolling two 300s in a three-game series in the Good Sports League last Friday at Lava Lanes. A 200-average bowler who competes in two leagues a week, Wilson rolled one 300, then, unable to immediately calm himself, recorded a 214 before coming back with another 300. Along with his two award games, the 814 is an award series. Advertisement "It was unbelievable, that's all I can say," says Wilson, 55, of Medford. "You bowl for that long and you wonder if you're ever going to get close to that. There it happens, then you get another. It was a lot of fun, and I had a lot of support from the people down there." Wilson and his wife, Marilyn, have bowled recreationally since their high school days, but it was only in the past eight years that they've competed in leagues. Wilson's previous high game and series were 279 and 745. It is the first time two perfect games have been bowled in the same block, says owner/general manager Ric Donnelly, since the center opened in August of 2000. That Wilson bowled his first 300 game was not shocking. That he duplicated it was. "It's not like it was Marshall Holman or Jerome Lee, who both have multiple 300s, doing it," says Donnelly. "Shooting a 300 is still a great feat, but when you shoot your very first one, then follow it up with a second, that's pretty impressive. That's definitely being on a roll." Wilson had been scoring well of late, he says. He'd been mentored by Neal Roberts, who encouraged him to slow down his approach, and by Leon Fogle, who advised him to remain perpendicular to the foul line and not drop his shoulder on delivery. Armed with those tips, Wilson set about warming up for what began as an ordinary turn on the lanes. "Things did look pretty good," he says. "Sometimes you can tell if you're getting a lot of strikes in warm-ups that you have a good shot." His practice success carried over to competition, and Wilson sailed through the first nine frames with nary a hitch. He'd struck to the 10th frame one other time and tried to draw on that experience. "I got up there and of course I was a little nervous," he says. "I took a little extra time at the line, took a couple of deep breaths on balls 10, 11 and 12. I just made sure to keep my head down and throw the ball right on the spot where I was supposed to go, and it carried through." A jubilant eruption occurred when the last strike hit, and Wilson was roundly congratulated. Marilyn Wilson phoned their son, Mark, to tell him the good news, and Mark hurried down to the center to congratulate his father. Who could have guessed the son would get to witness another perfect game by Dad. In the meantime, Chet Wilson began Game 2. "By the time I did that," he says of getting through the first game, "I was pretty messed up for Game 2. I was a little tight. It took me about five frames to get settled in. "I had to change out towels. The other one was soaking wet." Once he composed himself, Wilson began to string strikes together again. He finished the second game with five in a row, then embarked on his memorable Game 3. The only real drama, at least until the pressure of the 10th frame, came in the seventh frame. He pulled his shot and it went high through the head pin. The 7 pin was being pesky, threatening to stand tall, but another pin swung around and nudged it into the gutter. "The rest of them pretty much hit the pocket all the way," says Wilson, who uses a Detour ball by Columbia. Wilson was numb all the next day at having accomplished the unthinkable. "I don't know what happened," he says. "It was just one of those nights. There was a nice zone for my ball, and everything I threw just went down. It was just absolutely amazing." There were other high scores at the center that night. Chuck Eilenberger had a 299, Steve Tollefson had a 297 and 17 bowlers hit 250 or better. But no one else had a 300, let alone two. "We have a lot of good bowlers in Medford," says Donnelly, "and we have a lot of good bowlers at Lava Lanes. We have good scores, but I don't think the lanes are that easy. Somebody still has to throw the ball, still has to carry the pins. He was just bowling great that night and everything fell into place." Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] . Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com