FORT RUCKER, Ala. (February 5, 2015) -- The Fort Rucker Bowling Center is known to many as a place to share fun times with friends and family, but for one Fort Rucker youth, it's a place where he accomplished his most impressive feat to date.
Spencer Kilcrease, Fort Rucker Youth Bowling League member, bowled a 756 honor score during a morning youth program at the Fort Rucker Bowling Center Jan. 24. The score was achieved through a combined score of three individual games in a series.
Bowling above a 700 in a series is impressive enough for adults, said Ron Cook, Fort Rucker Bowling Center manager, but Kilcrease managed to do it at age 16.
"A 700-series, as far as an adult accomplishment, is always a good thing," said Cook. "It's an achievement that's a little bit on the rare side, so to have a youth bowler do it is an amazing accomplishment. It actually puts him up for USBC (U.S. Bowling Congress) local awards and even USBC national awards."
In his individual games, Kilcrease bowled a score of 222, 267 and 267 with a total of 28 strikes, which accounts for 77 percent of all possible throws.
"When I bowled more than 700 in the series I was really happy," he said. "I almost felt a sense of relief."
Kilcrease said he eventually hopes to get good enough attain scholarships for college or even make it to the pros.
"I want to go to college and hopefully bowling can help me through that," he said.
Kilcrease started bowling shortly before he joined the Fort Rucker Youth Bowling League when he was 13 years old. He found that he had a natural knack for the game and he said he enjoyed the company the sport brought about.
"Most people that bowl are really nice," he said, adding that his coach, Nick Gatewood, has been instrumental in his growth in the sport.
"He has helped me a whole lot," said the youth bowler. "He gives me tips, keeps me focused and helps me stay motivated. We normally come on Sundays, but we'll take any other chance we can take to bowl together."
Kilcrease has the full support of his family, who watch him each week grow into a better player.
"We're very proud of him," said Stanley Webb, Kilcrease's grandfather. "It's taken him four years, and a lot of practice and dedication on his part to achieve what he's done so far."
Webb said that bowling will not only open up new opportunities for his grandson, but has also helped shape and develop him into a better person.
"Bowling is more than just a sport to him, and it helps him with a lot of different aspects of life, such as temperament, keeping his body in shape and discipline," said Webb. "If he stays with it long enough, I believe he'll be able to get scholarships."
Cook also shares Webb's sense of pride and has full confidence in Kilcrease.
"I'm just proud," he said. "With his level of dedication, it opens him up to a lot of stuff. There are scholarship tournaments that he will be competing in, and for him to be putting down these kinds of scores and building that kind of reputation is a really good thing for him."
Related Links:
USAACE and Fort Rucker on Twitter
Social Sharing