Western Illinois Bowler Has a Night to Remember

There are quite a few bowling stories that could be told every day in America, but none is like this one.

A bowler by the name of  John Hinkle, a two-time NCAA bowling champion at Western Illinois University in Macomb some 20 years ago, recently rolled a 300 game during his regular league night at Landmark Lanes in Peoria on April 12. That in itself is not unusual for Hinkle as he has rolled more 300 games in his lifetime than he can recall.

But, according to a story on the WMBD (Peoria) website, it was the first time he used a unique ball.  Since Hinkle is a two handed bowler he must legally use a bowling ball with just two holes in in rather than a traditional three-hole ball.

To use his ball he had to fill the third hole or thumb hole and fill it he did with, of all things, the ashes of his deceased father. His father was the person who introduced him to bowler as a kid.

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According to the story, his father passed away in 2016 and it has taken him years to find someone who would seal his father’s ashes in the third hole of his bowling ball. Once accomplished, Hinkle told his brother that he was rolling a 300 game that night using the special ball for the first time. He then went out and backed up his statement to his brother with a perfect game.  Hinkle firmly believes his father definitely was there in spirit that night in Peoria.