LA GRANDE — A Cove bowler is now enrolled into the Bowling Hall of Fame after bowling Brickyard Lanes’ first sanctioned 300 during a Masters League game.

Bret Blanca has been bowling for close to 30 years, and he’s gained a reputation in his league of being a consistently high scoring bowler, but even then, a 300 game is rare in a bowler’s life, and it’s a moment to remember and celebrate. 

“A sanctioned league is part of the United States Bowling Congress (USBC),” he said. “Bowling a 300 in this league has earned me a 300 ring with a gemstone in it.”

Not only that, but Blanca’s name, bowling ball serial number and the date of his record will be forever inscribed in the elite registry of 300 bowlers of certified games at the Bowling Hall of Fame in Arlington, Texas.

A unique night

Blanca recalled the exciting night — Thursday, Oct. 19 — that earned him the accolades. It was just another Thursday night, and he was bowling with his league teammates, Thumper Baum and Ben Vidourek, at Brickyard Lanes.

There was the usual camaraderie among them mixed with laughter and jokes. All around them were other bowlers in their lanes, surrounded by the sounds of their balls hitting the floor, rolling down the lane and ultimately creating that thunderous crash of pins colliding in a heap.

On this night, Blanca was using his favorite ball that he bought in Florida 25 years ago, one that he admittedly feels sentimental about and could never quite retire. He felt the old ball still had some life in it. Of course, he has newer balls, he said, but they just never felt as comfortable as his conventional-style green ball. That night, though, his green ball was knocking pins down as never before. 

“It was my last frame, and I knew I had to get three strikes in a row to get a 300,” he said. “When I picked up my 12th ball, I looked around quickly and people were running around getting their phones out to record my last ball.”

Usually, this kind of moment calls for every bowler to stop and watch, but Blanca admitted that makes him even more nervous. Thankfully, he said, some people kept bowling and that helped steady his nerves before he started his five-step approach.

“I kept telling myself, ‘Don’t throw this in the gutter.’ But when I threw my ball, I knew it was a good shot. I just hoped I didn’t leave a 10 pin because that’s a nemesis,” he said.

Blanca’s 15-pound green ball spun its way down the lane for that last roll and laid every pin down. Blanca turned around and walked about five steps back when he was met by his excited teammate, Baum, for a high five.

His other teammate, Vidourek, was video recording the big moment for Brickyard Lanes’ Facebook page and verification for his award.

“Whenever there is someone in the bowling alley who needs just one more strike to complete the 300, there is always someone to get it on video to document it,” Vidourek said.

When Blanca got his strike, everybody at Brickyard Lanes started yelling and screaming, he said. They all converged on him with hugs and started congratulating him. None were happier than his teammates.

“It was quite an ordeal in there,” Blanca said. “I just got lucky, and all the pins carried. Brickyard Lanes is going to do up a bowling pin for me. It will have 300 inscribed on it and the date.”

Getting his start

Blanca’s bowling history started when he was seven years old, living in Cleveland, Ohio, where his father taught him how to bowl. Back then, he bowled in a kids’ league every Saturday.

As he grew up, his family moved to Florida, and at age 25, he started bowling in leagues again, and that’s when he bought his winning bowling ball. Then, he moved to Canada and quit bowling for a while. He didn’t start again until he moved to Union County in 2001.

He started bowling at The Rock bowling lanes when he moved here, he said. He joined a team and bowled leagues there until those lanes shut down in the mid 2000s. Then he started up again when Brickyard Lanes opened in September 2021. New teams were being formed and new leagues too. That’s when he formed a team with Baum and Vidourek. They won the league last year and hope to win it again this year, Vidourek said.

Blanca describes his bowling style with a touch of sentimentality.

“I try to bowl like my dad did,” he said. “I throw a normal hook. I’m not a cranker or throw 100 miles an hour, but I usually throw at a nice steady pace like my dad did.”