Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 8, 1994 TAG: 9412090009
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Board has proven he's quite adept at picking his numbers at the bowling alley.
On Wednesday at All-Star Lanes in Roanoke, the 24-year-old racked up his first 300 game, a few hours after he predicted the feat.
``There's a guy named Louis Mays who bowls in a league next to us, and he came into the restaurant where I work [the McDonald's in Vinton], and I took his order,'' Board said. ``I told him tonight's going to be the night I shoot my 300. And I did it. He came up and shook my hand and said, `You told me you'd do it.'
``And I told him three weeks ago I'd shoot a 279, and I did. I was wondering if I was ever going to [roll a 300]. It's a dream come true for me.''
Board had bowled a 290 during the summer and had flirted with 300 many times before. But he said he wasn't nervous when he reached the final few frames Wednesday night.
``I didn't say anything to myself at all. It wasn't long ago I rolled the first nine, and I was real nervous,'' Board said. ``I was more mellow tonight, but the jitterbugs are there. I don't care who you are.''
Board, who bowls for The Bad Boys, said he didn't get a lot of attention from teammates Treaver Smith, Joseph Sparrow, Preston Thomas and Sam Fleming during his run at perfection.
``Everybody knows that when I'm bowling that well I don't like to be spoken to or bothered,'' he said. ``There was only one ball I doubted a little - I had the five-seven split, and they both fell backward. The other 11 all fell solid.''
by CNB