Boys Bowling: Rare spare helps Shank reach sectionals

Rochelle bowler earns at-large qualifying bid, leads Hubs to ninth place at IHSA Freeport Regional

Russell Hodges
Posted 1/11/19

The 4-6-7-10 split, known as “The Big Four” or “Grandma’s Teeth” by many players, stands as one of the most difficult splits to convert in the sport of bowling. According to data gathered from the PBA website, the chances of successfully making the split are roughly 1 percent.

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Boys Bowling: Rare spare helps Shank reach sectionals

Rochelle bowler earns at-large qualifying bid, leads Hubs to ninth place at IHSA Freeport Regional

Posted

FREEPORT — The 4-6-7-10 split, known as “The Big Four” or “Grandma’s Teeth” by many players, stands as one of the most difficult splits to convert in the sport of bowling. According to data gathered from the PBA website, the chances of successfully making the split are roughly 1 percent.

Rochelle senior Brady Shank left the 4-6-7-10 split during the IHSA Freeport Regional at Four Seasons Bowling Center on Saturday. The tough conversion chance left Shank discouraged, but when he lined himself up to throw his spare ball at the 6-10 combination, something magical happened.

The senior hit the 6-10 combo with enough speed and power that one of the pins ricocheted off the back wall and flew into the 4-7 combo, knocking over both pins to complete the split conversion. It was only the second time that Rochelle head coach Doug Koch had seen the 4-6-7-10 made during high school competition.

“I was a little upset when I left the split and so I carried on like usual and threw at the 6-10,” Shank said. “I was very excited and I was actually really shocked. It’s very rare to see somebody pick that split up, and to see all the bowlers surrounding me cheer me on and give me high-fives was a fun and exciting experience.”

It couldn’t have come at a better time for Shank, who led the Hubs with an 1,163 series over six games to place 13th in the regional tournament. The big conversion helped Shank qualify for the IHSA Rockford Jefferson Sectional as a top-10 at-large player, and Shank will compete at Don Carter Lanes this coming Saturday for a chance to reach the IHSA State Championship.

“I felt a wave of excitement and motivation when I heard my name called,” Shank said. “I have lots of support from bowlers in other towns who knew I’d make it and who believed in me. Having their support helps so much more. I’m more than happy.”

Rochelle finished ninth out of 10 teams at the regional tournament, with Freeport knocking down 6,003 pins for first place. The Hubs recorded 4,909 pins behind Shank and seniors Dallas Driver and Tyler Johnson, who recorded 1,049 pins and 1,035 pins, respectively. Senior Nick Stevens added 938 pins, with freshmen Devansh Patel and Sergio Guevara combining for 724.

Shank began the tournament with 216 in his opening game before rolling 185 and 172 to finish with a 573 series. The senior shot a tournament-best 222 to begin the second half of competition, adding 191 and 177 games to finish with a 590 series and seal an at-large bid.

“I think everything went smoothly for the most part,” Shank said. “There were some roller-coaster emotions but that just comes from my determination for the sport. I was able to jump back up and get my feet under me, and I continued going with my plan to bowl well. I’ll need to be prepared to pick up my spares and come in with a hungry attitude next week.”

Rochelle totaled 800 pins in the first game before adding 780 pins in the second game and recording 831 pins during the third game behind Johnson’s 215. Driver’s 232 helped the Hubs knock down 937 pins in the fourth game, and Rochelle wrapped up the tournament with 787 in the fifth game and 774 in the sixth game.

“I will be practicing for at least 2-to-3 hours every day and I will be working a lot on my spares, especially single-pin spares,” Shank said. “I want to spend some time getting back to the fundamentals and getting to the root of my game. I’ll be doing a lot of mental preparation and positive thinking this week.”