Carbon County resident Tony Cook delivered 12 strikes in a row as he bowled the first local sanctioned perfect game of 2023 Monday night at Gateway Lanes in Helper.

Competing in the alley’s Monday night doubles league, Cook recorded the first perfect game of his bowling career. No stranger to the situation, Cook managed to stay locked in and finally completed his longtime goal of a 300 game.

“My last shot was nerve racking knowing that I’ve been in that situation quite a few times before and came up short,” said Cook. “I stepped back, took a couple of deep breaths, tried to compose myself and threw the best ball I possibly could. I was just praying I didn’t leave a 10 pin.”

The 300 came in Cook’s second game of his three-game series. For the evening he finished with a 679 series, shooting a 176 and a 203 in the other two games.

Cook’s perfect game comes during the first ever sport shot league at Gateway Lanes, which adds to the difficulty of the accomplishment.

A typical house pattern, which is laid out for most league night bowlers, is generally 40 feet with a ratio of 10:1. The 10 in the ratio refers to the amount of oil found in the middle of the lane, allowing bowlers more room for error. A sport shot ratio is typically 3:1 or less, meaning you must be precise with your shot making and equipment choices to have a greater chance of success.

“I did not think I would ever get a 300 on one of the sport shots, so this is awesome,” said Cook. “Bowling on these patterns definitely makes you better.”

Now with a perfect game under his belt, Cook says he has another goal in mind, throwing another so he can catch his father, Van Cook. “It would be awesome to throw another, because my Dad has two of them.”