Pictured Is Don Caron (Center), After Winning An SFT/AHT Eevnt At BZM. Photo Courtesy Of SFT/AHT.
Don Caron Rolls His 100th 300 Game, The Same Night UCONN Women Earn Own Milestone In NCAA Basketball.
Years Of Hard Work, And Adapting To Changes In Bowling, Is What Helped Him Get Major Accomplishment.
By Michael 'Chip' Begg - Managing Editor thetenpinexpress.com - Director Mesa Metro Association.
Mesa - - - While the University of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team, was in the process of making NCAA history on Monday February 13, 2017. With a 66-55 victory over South Carolina in Storrs, CT., to secure its 100th consecutive win.
Some 2,500 miles west of Storrs, another milestone involving the number 100, was being achieved at Brunswick Zone Mesa, in Mesa, Arizona.
During the second game of league play in the Tempo Mixed League at BZM that evening, Don Caron of Apache Junction, rolled his 100th career 300 game on lanes 17-18. Mr. Caron, a well established left-handed bowler in the 'Valley of the Sun', has a personal connection to the area surrounding the UCONN campus. Having grown up not far from the school, he rolled his first perfect game at Willi Bowl in Willimantic CT., in 1962.
"It was very exciting for me to achieve this milestone in bowling, on the same evening that UCONN was making women's basketball history with its 100th consecutive victory," he said, during a recent interview. "The UCONN women's team is incredible, and they have been the best in the country for the last seven to 10 years. It was the second time they broke former UCLA Coach John Wooden's record."
UCONN, 36-0 thus far this season, has won 111 straight games, and recently made its 24th appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 Women's Basketball Championships. It got through the Sweet 16 round, and is now headed to the Final Four in Dallas, TX. At the Final Four in Dallas, UCONN lost to Mississippi State, thus ending its winning streak at 111. The last time the UCONN women's basketball team lost a basketball game prior to this years final four, was on November 18, 2014. It was an 88-86 overtime loss to Stanford. There was one other time that UCONN came close to 100 consecutive victories. But, the Huskies, lost a game to St.Johns in February of 2012 that ended that bid. UCONN finished this season at 36-1.
UCLA's streak of 88 consecutive victories began after losing to Notre Dame on January 19, 1971. And ended ironically with another loss to Notre Dame 71-70, on January 19, 1974 as well
It took Don 55 years of a lot of hard work and practice, to get to this point of his career.
"I was surprised that I finally got my 100th perfect game, because I had not rolled a perfect game in my home center in three years," said Don, who is also employed at BZM. "It feels really good that I was finally able to accomplish this. I had rolled at least one perfect game a year, sometimes two, the last 55 years. I had rolled three at Brunswick Via Linda Lanes in Scottsdale last year. As a bowler, we are always determined to achieve this accomplishment. Whether its our first, second, or 50th perfect game."
But, out of the 100 perfect games he has rolled, he will always remember which one was the most special to him. That's because his mother, Irene, was also in attendance at Willi Bowl that evening to witness his first perfect game. He was 16 then, and the game was rolled in the City League on lanes 29 and 30. The bowling center had called her at home, and told her what was happening.
"I was excited, and my mom was crying her eyes out," he said, of his first 300 game. "The three toughest frames are, the seventh, because you are half way there. The ninth, because the nerves start to settle in, and you move two boards to the right to compensate for the nerves. And the eleventh, because the last thing you need to do, is start to think about it."
And, his first perfect game will always stand out as his first big accomplishment in bowling also.
"Oh, number one, in 1962 for sure," he said, of his first perfect game. "Back in those days if you had rolled the front seven, the entire bowling center would come to a halt. I could not hear a pin drop following the seventh frame on February 13 either. After the eighth or ninth strike is rolled, the excitement to roll another strike begins to build. You always hope to throw a good lose shot and come to the realization, that if they fall, they fall.
"Sometimes we also get lucky with three or four shots," he added. "I was fortunate that I was able to trip the six pin early in the game that I rolled my 100th 300 game."
He had rolled his 99th perfect game five weeks earlier in the same league on lanes 1 and 2 on January 2, 2017. As you can imagine after the 100th perfect game was rolled, getting congratulations from everyone in the bowling center that evening after the game was over. Was a bit overwhelming, too.
"It took some time, because there were other bowlers that were bowling around lanes 17 and 18," said Don. "I understand its also exciting for other league bowlers to witness a big accomplishment like this. Being congratulated by everyone else in the bowling center means a lot. Between a husband and wife, Valerie and I, have the most perfect games that have been bowled by a couple. She is currently stuck on eight, but when she is on her game, she is on her game."
The most perfect games that Don has bowled in one year was seven, and that was at Brunswick Via Linda Lanes in the late 90s. He obtained his highest average on wood in the Girl Watchers League at 300 Bowl in 1976. He has a theory on why he has been successful on wood lanes as well.
"Yeah, I do," he explained. "Depending on what night you bowled on back in those days, determined how the lanes were conditioned for that evening. Bowling centers did not strip and oil lanes every day like they do today. In my opinion, I found it to be a tougher lane condition to bowl on. You had to have very good hand and eye coordination and hit your target on the lane with consistency.
"On the other hand though, there were bowling centers that wanted good scoring all of the time," he added. "The equipment we have today, has helped the game tremendously. Another factor that always came up back then, was not who was capable of shooting a 300 game or 800 series. But, who could shoot a 200 game."
Don was elected to the Phoenix HOF in 1990, the Mesa Metro HOF in 2000, and the Arizona State HOF in 2010, for bowling superiority. He has 35 USBC National Tournament apperances. His best all-events performance came in 2000 in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he rolled a 2,053. It put him in the top 10 at the end of the tournament.
"All of them were exciting accomplishments for me, but getting elected into the state hall was the one I am most proud of," he said, of being elected to the halls. "Without winning a USBC Eagle, I doubt I will have a chance of getting elected to the USBC Hall of Fame."
Don's wife, Valerie, was elected into the Mesa HOF in 2016, for bowling superiority as well. She has over 150 700 series, but has yet to roll her first 800. They have not as yet bowled a 300 game together during league or tournament play.
"I was very excited and happy for my wife," he said, of her induction into the MMA Hall last year. "Former Country Club proprietor, Jay Means, is the individual who really got her going in the game of bowling. She has also received a lot of help with her game from Ron and Carl Simonis and from myself along the way. Her next step is the Phoenix HOF and State HOF."
Don's daughters Samantha and Susan round out this talented Arizona bowling family. It won't be long until we start to hear about these two sisters' accomplishments on the lanes either.
Arizona State Bowling News March 21, 2017