Bowling: Brian Gunn accomplishes a first at Sport Shot Classic
By Anthony Nasella Post-Tribune correspondent September 25, 2012 11:36PM
From left, Post-Tribune Fall Sport Shot Classic division winners Mitchell Katic (youth), Kaity Galka (women) and Rob Krooswyk (men). | Steve T. Gorches~Post-Tribune
Updated: October 27, 2012 6:26AM
In the round of 16 at Sunday’s Post-Tribune Fall Sport Shot Classic, Brian Gunn rolled the first 300 of the day, defeating Chris Cundiff to advance to the round of eight against John Verbich.
Gunn kept striking against Verbich and he did the unthinkable — shooting a second straight 300 to advance to the semifinals against eventual men’s champ Rob Krooswyk. While Gunn was eventually stopped by a bad shot in the ninth frame — which gave Krooswyk the opportunity to win — Gunn was relishing in a rare bowling achievement.
“Never — I never bowled back-to-back 300s in practice, league or any environment,” Gunn said. “It was an unbelievable feeling to be able to do it. I had a good ball reaction (in the first 300). I tried to play away from the dry boards, and keep my ball on line; it just worked.”
Gunn shot the first 300 on the low end of the house and the second one on the high end. Yet, he was able to flawlessly transition — which he also gave credit to his Wicked Encounter bowling ball performing well on the shot.
“I just kept doing the same thing (in the second 300),” he said. “My Wicked Encounter behaved properly when I needed it to. The only problem was I knew I couldn’t miss to the left. The match I did lose is where I missed to the left. I left a split that cost me.”
Gunn said he wasn’t disappointed, even in the face of a disheartening defeat, because of the progress he is seeing in his game on a wide variety of conditions, which helped him to remain calm during the second 300.
“I’m proud of myself because I’m able to work and bowl on a lot of different conditions and it’s paid off,” he said. “I’ve been working on my patience and trying to take each shot individually. And that’s a testament to a lot of people who have been helping me lately. It’s manifesting and working. I’m more patient on the lanes and not frustrated when I don’t strike. Now I’m able to sustain more strikes because I’m only concentrating on one frame at a time.”
Calumet College ties: In two different finals on Sunday, individuals from the Calumet College team were represented: Mitchell Katic (youth) and Jacob Glass (men). Glass couldn’t say enough about how his game has improved in college.
“There’s a great caliber of bowlers at Calumet College: Justin Hauser, Josh Toth, Brett Wagner, and that’s just the first three that come to my mind,” Glass said. “I’ve learned so much there. The program has also impacted my attitude, and which was great today. I took it as it came, and hopefully I can carry that attitude into the college season.”
