As I threw my final shot, my fate was sealed. Whether I struck or not, it would change my life forever. Beating Kyle Lewis, who was just one inch short of being a complete beast would earn me a spot in junior gold and scholarship money. I watched the ball gliding over the heavily oiled lanes, the lights flickering as if time was in slow motion. I then saw the ball hit a dry patch and make its flip, and turn into a deep, heavy roll. The ball hit the pins, my stomach dropping out. This, is what I live for.
I had waited for this moment my whole life. I had spent countless hours in preparation for this one tournament. I had watched myself going up to make the final shot, the one that actually mattered. I had spent four hours qualifying, having my father help with my physical game and mother helping with the mental. All was going good for me, until I spotted the beast. He was 6’3, weighing in at a rough
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How was I going to ever beat this kid? I had once watched him throw the ball so hard it bounced off the back of the pin pit and back onto the lane. Kyle was going to get the best of me. Once I had made it to the fourth game, the first three games standing had been posted. Kyle had beaten me quite well, but I had beaten everyone else by thirty to forty pins. I finished my last shot on the fifth and final game, not knowing If I had been good enough to qualify.
Sitting and waiting for them to announce the finalist was the hardest and most time taking moment of my life. I knew I had done well, but had it been enough? I watched the tournament director walk up to the enercom. This was the moment I would find out if I had been good enough or not. I then listened to the director first call out fourth place, then third place. A few moments later, I heard it. The director read “Our second place finalist, James Ruoff.” My heart started racing, without even looking back I got around my equipment and readied myself to face the