BILLINGS — Ryan Kass entered last summer with one dream. Eight months later, it became reality.
“He set a goal to be the youngest in Montana to throw a 300,” said coach Rich Foran. “He shot his 300, and he was 14 years and five months.”
Now he’s part of Montana’s record books.
“It was huge, because, like, I finally did it,” Kass said. “I was worried I wasn’t going to do it this year.”
Kass was bowling Jan. 31 at Fireside Lanes in Billings and says he was so upset with himself that he nearly cost himself a shot at history.
“No, it was a really rough night,” Kass said. “I honestly didn’t even feel like I should go out to Town and Country because I bowled so badly, but I’m really glad I did.”
“He had a couple mediocre games, and then, last set he came out of the last game with the 300,” Foran recalled. “Yeah, it was pretty exciting to see. Someone of that age to throw a 300 is pretty cool.”
In baseball, there is an unwritten rule: don’t speak to a pitcher in the middle of a perfect game. Apparently, the same doesn’t apply to bowling.
“(A) friend had said something to me in the ninth frame, kind of got me a little nervous,” Kass said. “And went up into the 10th, my 10th ball was great.”
Already well above his average of 195, Kass had only one thing on his mind: close it out.
“My 11th, I was really nervous because I didn’t throw the greatest shot, but once it carried I was really confident in the 12th,” he said.
And with that, a longstanding Montana bowling record was broken, according to Foran. But not even those closest to him could believe it.
“There were about 15 people there, but my parents weren’t there,” Kass said. “They were like, ‘No. No way, you didn’t do that.’”
And Kass has high hopes. He’d like to bowl collegiately and eventually reach the pro circuit. Between now and then, though, his immediate goal is an 800 series.
