By Grace Pisarik
Bowling is a sport for people like Austin Ash who have extra talent to SPARE. Ash, 18, is an extremely talented senior at Mount Vernon High School. Most people know Austin Ash as the captain of the basketball team and KCRG’s Athlete of the Week. But what people don’t know about Ash is that he has a secret talent.

Ash started bowling around the age of seven. Ever since then he has gone bowling as a hobby. With practice and attending bowling alleys once a week, Ash has trained himself to be an above average bowler. He is proud of his highest score, 191, and is eager to beat it. Ash enjoys bowling because “it’s cheap for the most part and a good way to get out of the house and be with friends.”

What is Ash’s secret to his success? “Spin the ball from the outside and throw it slow and steady,” said Ash. He bowls with two hands on the ball and doesn’t use the finger holes. Ash uses the number 10 weight ball because it is the best weight for him. He absolutely does not use bumpers.

But like every skilled athlete, Ash has a rival. Both of them are tall, talented, and play basketball together. This rival is none other than the one and only Cale Snedden. While they may be teammates on the court, they are opponents at the alley. According to Ash, Snedden is “good competition.” Ash said, “The score goes back and forth the entire game. We usually alternate who wins.”

Ash recalls many memories of bowling but one event sticks out to him most, his fifteenth birthday. He invited seven of his closest friends and split into two teams. “It was kind of devastating, my own team lost,” said Ash. “But it ended on a good note because everyone got strikes at the end.”

Even though Ash is going to pursue basketball in college, bowling isn’t out of the picture. He plans on continuing his hobby in college and is even looking into buying his own bowling ball. Ash said, “Maybe someday I’ll start my own bowling team and we’ll get matching T-shirts.”

Ash’s advice for beginners learning to bowl is, “Don’t bowl too hard and don’t get the ball in the gutter.” Ash said, “Everyone should try bowling. Anyone can be good or bowl a perfect game if you practice a lot.”