Pin prodigy: Spokane's Gleason Garske, U12 bowling national champion, rolls out plan to go pro

Aug. 16—Gleason Garske walked into Lilac Lanes, put on his bowling shoes and threw a couple warmups. Moments later, Garske had thrown eight strikes in a row, threatening another perfect 300 game. But he left the 7 pin standing on his ninth toss, ultimately settling for a 278. His 22nd 300 will have to wait. The 12-year-old Garske is on an upward trajectory in the sport, and he's coming off his biggest feat to date. He won the U12 Junior Gold national championship in mid-July in Minneapolis. Garske dominated the field at the national tournament, earning the top seed by advancing to the stepladder finals undefeated. He remained unbeaten going into the final match, meaning he had to be beaten twice to be surpassed. Colin Park of San Jose, California, beat Garske 199-191, forcing a second match. Garske rebounded, topping Park 192-170. It's the biggest accomplishment so far for Garske. But it won't be the last, not by a longshot. "It meant a lot because I could come home to my coach and have him be a part of it," Garske said. "And my parents were super proud." Shortly after winning the national title, Garske headed off to a smaller tournament in Minneapolis and won, rolling his 21st 300. Then last week, he won another tournament in Hillsboro, Oregon. All prize money he earns goes into a special savings account. He'll have access to it when he turns 18 and can use it for a college education. The nest egg has grown to nearly $50,000. National champion has a nice ring to it. It's something Garske can get used to. And if he has his way, it'll lead to bigger and better things. Garske has come a long way since his dad started taking him bowling at 3 years old. His great grandmother Sibyl Garske used to accompany her great grandson to the bowling alley to watch. "It was to get him active and get grandma out of the house," Gleason's father, Griffin Garske, said. "She was in a nursing home, she couldn't drive ... She was just miserable. So I was just looking for ways to get her mind off of how she felt and then something for him to do." Gleason has literally grown up in the sport and continues to grow. He's 5-foot-6 and wears a size 12 shoe. It's likely he'll top out between 6-3 and 6-5. It stands to figure. His father was a standout quarterback at Mead and went on to play at Eastern Washington where his father, Scott, was a standout tight end. No wonder Gleason Garske has football in his genes. He's the quarterback on his flag football team. But he won't advance to tackle because he doesn't want to risk injury and harm to his future as a professional bowler. He's equally talented in basketball, playing on top area club teams. He may continue to play in high school, but it's too early to say for sure because bowling could mean that he won't have a traditional school schedule. Garske is serious about making a life out of bowling, though. Everything else will have to take a back seat. "It's going to take a lot of hard work and dedication," he said. "I know that what I have now is good enough to go compete and compete in a tournament (in pro bowling). Not necessarily do well but compete and have a great experience." The next big tournament on his schedule is the Storm Youth Championships for Juniors next month in Reno, Nevada. He'll be favored after coming off his win in Minneapolis. He averaged 234 during a fall league two years ago, and the average dropped to 219 last year. He hopes to raise it to about 245 when he starts league soon. Garske averaged 207 at the national tournament. That may seem like a drop off, but lane conditions — the amount of oil applied and the pattern in which it is applied — vary from tournament to tournament, alley to alley. A common house pattern used at Lilac Lanes, for example, doesn't offer much of a challenge for Garske. The bigger the tournament the tougher the conditions. To make the transition to the professional level, Garske must learn to adjust to more challenging lane conditions. He welcomes the challenge. He hopes to play in his first professional event in four or five years. Griffin Garske used to bowl with his son often. But he quit going head to head last year when Gleason surpassed him in 300 games (Griffin has eight). Gleason has had 13 300s in the last year. He uses an unconventional approach. Gleason has a two-hand release that allows him to get more revolution and hook on the ball. He uses just two of the three holes on the grip, never inserting the thumb. The fingers stay under the ball and that allows him to keep his elbow tucked tight to his body before release. Garske said 17 of the top 20 competitors on the Professional Bowlers Association circuit now use the two-hand release. It's grown from an uncommon rarity into a regular occurrence. "I've developed a strong relationship with two hands," he said. "I've been doing it since I was 6 years old. I just feel more consistent that way." The goal, obviously, is to knock down as many, if not all, of the 10 pins. The two-hand release allows for more pin action. Garske doesn't collect bowling balls like marbles, but he has a fair share. He had six in two bags during a practice session Tuesday and another half dozen or so at home. They're rated for various conditions. Garske's coach is retired pro bowler Eddie Williams, general manager at Lilac Lanes. Garske has become Williams' prodigy. "He's at such an advantage having Eddie as his coach," Griffin said. The biggest impact Williams has had on Gleason is more so in temperament than mechanics. Gleason is ADHD and his competitive nature and lack of focus at times can get the best of him. Williams has worked on Garske's demeanor, teaching him to relax and not show any emotion. It's worked. "Be like Eddie is sort of my motto," Garske said. Garske knew at a young age that he could be good. "It was like when I got my first 300 when I has nine," Garske said. Twelve strikes in a row constitute a perfect game. They've come in rapid fire since and there's no sign they're slowing down.