Boys bowling: South Elgin's Wells fires perfect 300 game

It always helps when a player gets off to a strong start in a sporting contest.

For South Elgin senior boys bowler Dylan Wells, the start to his outing earlier this week couldn't have gone any better.

Wells bowled a perfect 300 in his first game during South Elgin's Upstate Eight Conference victory over district neighbor Bartlett at Elgin Lanes.

"It was a great way to start," he said, of his first 300. which according to South Elgin athletic director Jason Ward is also believed to be the first 300 in South Elgin history.

Wells had an inkling he was onto something great early in the game.

"I felt great the entire time," he said. "I got 5 strikes in a row and then the nerves started to lock in. I was shaking a little bit and then I got through 7, 8 and 9. By the 10th frame, I knew I had it. A calmness set in and I knew I would get it."

Wells admits a tiny bit of doubt briefly entered his mind in the 10th. "I was thinking 'don't choke,' " he said with a laugh. "I focused on repeating the shot I was using the whole time. I tried to think about that. I wanted to do the best I could even though people were watching me. You try to zone it all out and stay within yourself."

Wells said the crowd around his lane progressively swelled when word spread throughout the house of a possible 300.

"I think about the eighth or ninth strike people started making their way over," he said. "By the 10th everybody was behind me."

Wells had an understandable letdown in the second game where he rolled a 198. "Right after it I was so relieved," he said. "I had a 198, but I didn't care. I finally did it."

He rounded things out with a 245 for a 743 series, which is a high for him. His previous high game was a 280 in a Saturday morning league.

"I've never pieced together that many strikes in a row," said Wells, who noted his Saturday league 280 consisted of a strike, a spare and then 10 strikes in a row.

Wells has been bowling for close to a decade, taking the lead of his parents, both former high-school bowlers. "They got me started early," he said. "I love doing it. When I don't perform well, I practice and practice. I want to do better. I never have felt this way about something I enjoy doing."

Wells is a two-time sectional qualifier and has his sights even higher. "I always seem to fall off and have my worst performance at the sectional," he said. "My No. 1 goal at the moment is to get to the state meet. I went bowling just about every day over the summer. I want to go out on top."

Wells, also a pitcher on the South Elgin baseball team, would like to study engineering in college and participate in club bowling.

The Storm standout has one minor beef with the perfect game.

"I have the scorecard from it and I think I'm going to get a plaque," he said. "I looked into getting a 300 ring from the United States Bowling Association. But high school is not sanctioned by USBA so I don't get anything."

But Wells has a memory that will last a lifetime.