by Dennis Dalman
After bowling a perfect game (12 strikes in a row) 17-year-old, two-handed bowler Cody Adams of St. Joseph is heading again – for the third time – to the national Junior Gold tournament, this time in Indianapolis.
He bowled his perfect game on the night of May 22 at Great River Bowl in Sartell. The chance of bowling a perfect game is a phenomenal 1 out of 11,500. So far, in his young life, Adams has bowled three perfect games.
His parents, Wendy and Sean and his 18-year-old sister, Samantha, will drive with him to Indianapolis during the second week in July.
Adams also competed in Indianapolis two years ago, and last year he participated in the nationals in Grand Rapids, Mich.
After striking down all those pins that night in Sartell, Adams said he felt wonderful.
“I’m very happy that for the last three years I qualified for the nationals,” he said. “I’m super excited.”
In Indianapolis, there will be about 1,200 bowlers from all states, all competing individually. Usually a Junior Gold National Tournament has about 900 bowlers, Adams noted. Last year, Adams placed 115th in Grand Rapids.
By competing in Junior Bowl nationals, Adams and other bowlers are eligible to win scholarships, in amounts up to $10,000.
Bowling practically surrounds Adam’s life. He began to bowl when he was only 5 years old. He is a member of the Apollo High School seven-member bowling team, the Eagles, which won the conference tournament last year. Adam’s father, Sean, is a bowling coach at Apollo. Sister Samantha, who will graduate from Apollo June 3, also enjoys bowling. Adams even has a job at – you guessed it – a bowling alley, Southway Bowl in St. Cloud, where he works at the main counter and helps out with all kinds of tasks.
To score a perfect game, a bowler must get the “perfect,” maximum score, 300. Adams’ bowling average is 214 a game. He also enjoys football and track.
“I’m glad I got involved in bowling because I’ve met so many good friends,” he said.
Cody Adams and his father, Sean, who is an Apollo High School bowling coach, hold up their awards after the Apollo Eagles team won the 2022 All Conference Tournament in Bloomington.
