Sports : Perfect game!!!! Cole Garwood scores a 300 at State!

Count the Xs -- all 12 -- on the scoreboard for Cole Garwood's 300 game at the State Youth tourney.

The Iowa State USBC Youth Association Tournament continues throughout next weekend in Davenport, where more than 1,300 youth bowlers from Iowa -- including several from Vinton -- are competing in individual, team and doubles events. Bowlers competed every weekend in April (except for the Easter weekend) and will finish this weekend.

Several Vinton bowlers have done well enough to place, although the final standings will not be known until after all of the competition ends.

One major highlight, however, was the perfect game bowled last weekend by Vinton-Shellsburg sophomore Cole Garwood.

Cole's dad, Charlie, described the scene: As the other bowlers began to realize that Cole was approaching a perfect game, they stopped bowling and gathered around to watch, which of course added to the nervousness Cole was feeling.

Yet, says his father, Cole kept knocking down all 10 pins -- and every strike was strong. None of them included any pins that wobbled back and forth before finally tumbling over.

The cheers grew louder through the final frames, and then the place exploded after Cole's 12th straight strike earned him the final tally of 300.

The way the rest of the bowlers reacted to Cole's accomplishment on Saturday is typical, said Michele Gosse.

"Usually everyone gets quiet and groups around the lanes where the bowler is bowling," said Gosse. "An announcement is made after the bowler bowls his/her 300 game and everyone in the bowling alley claps and many stop by to congratulate the bowler."

Cole was naturally excited about his first perfect game, and went on to begin his next game with consecutive strikes. He is still receiving congratulations from friends and fellow bowlers at Berry's Lanes in Vinton.

"It was great," said Steve Berry. "He was so excited."

Vinton bowlers will find out their final standings next month.

"Results but they won't be final until a week after the final weekend of bowling, which is May 3 -4," says Gosse. "As others bowl on the final weekend, our bowlers' places can change. So far we are doing really well! We took two teams to Davenport last weekend, which involved eight bowlers from our local league at Berry's Lanes. The bowlers competed on four levels: Team, Doubles, Singles, and All Events."