FORT STEWART, Ga. - Conditions were just right for Sgt. 1st Class Michael Wagoner, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Divison, to bowl a perfect game June 8 at Fort Stewart’s Marne Lanes. In the coming weeks, the United States Bowling Congress will award Sgt. 1st Class Wagoner, an Ohio native, with an award ring for his achievement during the USBC-sanctioned game.
“Bowling a 300 is a lot of luck and consistency,” said Sgt. 1st Class Wagoner. “I was pretty consistent that night … and throwing to target. It’s just getting the ball out there and maintaining.”
“You try and make the lane conditions perfect … that is ideal so that the bowler can do what they need to do,” said Marne Lanes manager, Jerry Evans.
The night of the flawless game, Sgt. 1st Class Wagoner bowled around boards eight and 12 off the right hand side of the gutter using his 14 pound 12 ounce ball. After some minor tweaking during the practice game, Sgt. 1st Class Wagoner, found his rhythm.
“I was not even looking forward to bowling that night,” Sgt. 1st Class Wagoner said. “I started practicing and I felt pretty good. All five balls during the second practice game were strikes.”
By the seventh frame the pressure was mounting as onlookers began to notice his perfect score, but Sgt. 1st Class Wagoner, who typically scores around 200, kept his cool and stayed in the zone.
This is the second time Sgt. 1st Class Wagoner has bowled a perfect a game in his 30 years of bowling. He reached the first milestone back in 2007 but this time was special because his Family was present.
“The first time I bowled a 300 was a school night but this time everyone was with me… after I finished I turned around and there was my wife smiling.”
Bowling three to four times a week, Sgt. 1st Class Wagoner considers himself a tweener because he bowls with a modified delivery method.
After joining the four-man league “Team Trouble” three weeks ago after a spot opened up, he has been perfecting his game consistently. Playing with a league is not only fun because of the camaraderie but it’s also a great stress reliever.
Like the Army, bowling is second nature to Sgt. 1st Class Wagoner, who has been bowling since the age of five. Both parents belonged to a bowling league where his love for the sport began.
“I always trailed along and once they were finished playing, I would get out there and start bowling,”Sgt. 1st Class Wagoner said.
Currently, bowling is a Family affair for the entire Wagoner clan. He met his wife Amanda at a bowling alley in 1993 and their fourteen-year-old daughter Courtney has aspirations to become a collegiate bowler.
Sergeant First Class Wagoner is not just an avid bowler; he spends time helping others to perfect their game.
His advice to novice bowlers is to learn the fundamentals and remember that consistency is the key to bowling a perfect game.
He arrived to Fort Stewart in December 2008, and was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division’s 2/7 Inf. ever since.
Sergeant First Class Wagoner started bowling at Marne Lanes in March 2009 and averaged in the mid 170-190s in winter-league bowling. His average now is up to 200.
“I like the atmosphere, the camaraderie and it’s a close-knit Family,” he said. “I met my wife at a bowling alley, and now we also bowl on a team as well as my two kids.”
Sergeant First Class Wagoner said his daughter Courtney hopes to earn a bowling scholarship and compete at the collegiate level. His daughter and son, Michael, 7, currently are tournament bowlers who have competed at state events.
Sergeant First Class Wagoner said bowling helps them stay focused and creates good work ethics. They practice at least two to three times a week for about two hours.
“When I go to the bowling alley, they go to the bowling alley. We practice all together as a Family,” he said.
Sergeant First Class Wagoner’s first perfect game occurred March 29, 2007. But Wednesday’s feat definitely was special.
“This 300 was actually different from the first because my Family was there to observe this one,” Sgt. 1st Class Wagoner said.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of fanfare. Once I was done, that’s when everyone kind of erupted and the high fives started, but there was my wife and there was the hug and the kiss. They were there to share the moment with.”
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