Satisfying Trip In Fast Lane Event’s Youngest Bowler Stays With Touring Pros

Jennifer Stewart represents the newest generation of bowlers.

The 20-year-old Spokane native has grown up during a time when bowling has undergone a number of changes in order to compete for consumers’ entertainment dollars.

Traditional bowling alleys have been replaced with “bowling centers,” large multi-media halls which offer everything from espresso to video games. Manual scoring has been replaced by omniscient computers, and the composition of balls and lane oils have evolved to such a superior technological state that old records are routinely being shattered.

The basic concepts of the game remain the same, however, and while Stewart said a large percentage of the fellow bowlers from her junior bowling days have lost their zest for the sport, her passion remains strong.

“It’s the head-to-head competition I really like the best,” Stewart said. “It’s being right alongside someone until the very end of the tenth frame, and then it’s all up to you. I like the pressure I guess, and you get to know a lot of other people from all around.”

Recently, a number of people have become acquainted with Stewart’s game. In the second annual LPBT (Ladies Pro Bowlers Tour) Silver Lanes Open on April 8-9, she rolled a total score of 2473 in 12 games, good enough for ninth place overall and second only to fellow Spokanite Gail Bruketta (who bowled a 4110 in 20 games) among local bowlers.

Stewart characterized the event as the most important tournament of her life, and it marked her arrival upon the professional bowling scene. Sponsored by her mother Kathleen, Jennifer bowled high games of 267, 256 and 244.

“I just had to remember to stay calm and take my time,” said Stewart, who was the youngest bowler in the Silver Lanes Open. “I started with a 202, which isn’t real good, but to start out on the positive side gave me a little more confidence.”

In the process, Stewart also learned how she compared to some of the Northwest’s best bowlers.

“I was really intimidated by a lot of them,” Stewart said. “They all seemed to know what they were doing, and when I walked in there they all had their little groups they were standing around with.

“I tried to go around and talk to people to see what was expected; it was kind of like you had to prove yourself at first. It seemed like it was going to be a lot more than I could handle, but I really surprised myself doing as well as I did, and it gave me a lot more confidence.”

While she surprised herself, Stewart’s performance might not have shocked those people who have followed her career. At the age of 6 Stewart began bowling, and just two years later she was bowling against older opponents.

“When I was in the third grade I met up with some kids that were just a little older than me who were really inspiring,” she said. “They were good and I always wanted to run with them and be just as good as they were.”

Stewart took a break from the game between 1989-90, but she returned to the sport in 1991 where she won the state Coca-Cola tournament and earned a trip to the National Junior Tournament.

In 1992, Stewart continued her odyssey by travelling to a number of Junior Bowling tournaments, and in 1993 she competed on the Rogers High team which went to state.

Upon her high school graduation, Stewart continued to bowl junior events until she joined an adult league last fall. After giving it some thought, Stewart opted to compete at the next level, which is something she would like to continue.

“I guess I’ll stay with regionals and see how far that can get me,” Stewart said. “If I continue to do well I would think that someday I could bowl on the national tour.”

She also said she hopes to give something back to the game.

“I’m going to start coaching the youth bowlers next year,” Stewart said. “I think if we give kids something to believe in and something to do besides go out and get into trouble - give them something to keep their minds straight and give them something to fight for - then it will keep them in the game as long as they’re having fun and can compete.”