Sweet 16 Lanes has been around for over 60 years in Le Mars. The building has never had a female bowl a 300 game in a league contest until Sunday, September 24.
Le Mars Community junior Natalie Vanderloo achieved the feat in an adult-youth league on Sunday night. Vanderloo says being the first to do something this big is pretty incredible.
Consistency is key to bowling a game in which you need 12 perfect throws to achieve the mark. Vanderloo says that consistency came from slowing things down and making sure she did everything right before letting the ball go.
When bowlers get part of the way through a perfect game, they start feeling a rhythm to their game. Vanderloo says that feeling is good but stressful as you start to nitpick a lot of your shots.
Vanderloo says getting to share the moment after her 12th ball with her parents was truly special.
Of course, Vanderloo is not just a league bowler in Le Mars. She is a stellar bowler for the Le Mars girls bowling team that has become a dynasty over the last decade. Vanderloo finished fourth in the state as a sophomore last year. That experience, plus some work in the offseason, and a new ball all led to the perfect game.
The Bulldog bowling team did not graduate a lot of girls off last year’s team. That makes Vanderloo excited for what is to come with the 2023-2024 Bulldog bowlers.
The first bowling competition of the year for the Bulldogs is November 27th at Sioux City West.
