Nolan Littrell points at the scoreboard after bowling a 299 vs. Anderson on Jan. 24, 2023, at Cherry Grove Lanes. Five days later, at Eastgate Lanes, he would throw his first 300. Photo courtesy Nolan Littrell.
Nolan Littrell releases the ball during the Jan. 24, 2023, match vs. Anderson. Photo courtesy Aaron Zupka.
One pin can be the difference between ecstasy and heartbreak, immortality and disappointment. One pin, 15 inches tall by 4.75 inches wide (at the widest), weighing 3 pounds, 8 ounces, refusing to fall over.
One pin, the difference between a perfect 300 game and a slightly less-than-perfect but still rare 299.
One pin, and five days.
There is only one way to record a 299 score in bowling – 11 consecutive strikes, followed by a nine on the 12th and final roll, when all eyes are both on you and yet trying to look away, when everyone knows what is happening, but no one wants to acknowledge it.
Milford High School senior bowler Nolan Littrell knows that feeling. Jan. 24, in a match vs. Anderson at Cherry Grove Lanes, Littrell, already a member of the “oh so close” club, rolled a 299 in the first game and a career-high 538 two-game series. Both are the best in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference this season; the 299 is the highest single-game total since another Eagle, Josh Cooper, achieved a 300 in the 2017-2018 season.
Five days later, bowling after work at Eastgate Lanes, that final pin did fall, and Littrell had his first perfect game.
Littrell, who entered the week second in per-game average in the ECC (216.3; Turpin’s Colton Ziegler was at 216.7), answered questions from The Clermont Sun about the 299 game, the perfect game, and his season.
Talk about your perfect game
“It was a Sunday night, I got off work at 5 (p.m.), got some food, and came back to bowl. My friend Ryan Abeling was there bowling in a league with his family, so I got on lane 21 which was right next to them. I threw three games, none of which were very good. The fourth game I opened the first three frames, I then tried lofting the ball. I proceeded to strike out with the last ball being another 10 pin. It was a pretty good shot so I kept at it.
“Similarly to the 299, I just kept throwing the ball and striking until the 10th ball. Two more and it would be my first 300. Unlike the 299 five days prior, I was super nervous, which I found weird because the 299 was in a match and this would just be practice. I strike the 10th time, then it came down to the last shot. I was so nervous at this point, I had to set my ball back down twice and restart my routine. I throw the ball and it strikes just like the 11 before it. 300. The feeling really is inexplicable, but the closest emotion would probably be enthusiasm.
“The greatest part about it was that I did it less than a week after the 299. I knew I would eventually get my first 300 because my 299 on the 24th was actually the second time I got a 299 (which I got summer of my junior going into senior year). I just didn’t expect to do it so soon after the 299. What also surprised me was that I even did it in the first place. The lanes were very difficult until I started lofting the ball and I was using my oldest, most inconsistent ball, the Hammer Hot Sauce Pearl. My first 299 was shot with my Columbia 300 Authority Pearl and my previous 299 was shot with my Storm Intense Fire Hybrid.”
You bowled a 299 on Jan. 24 vs. Anderson at Cherry Grove Lanes. Talk about that game. How much pressure did you feel late in the game? Were others talking about the possibility of a perfect game?
“The match started like any other. I was on lanes 3 and 4 with my teammate Ryan Lemley. While we may have been against Anderson, every match has been me trying to beat myself. I then stretched my team out, threw a couple practice balls to see how the oil was, and started the match. Like most matches, I had the front three. After that, I just kept striking. It wasn’t until the ninth frame that I realized that I had the front nine.
“At that point, everyone came over to watch. Surprisingly enough, I wasn’t nervous one bit. I threw two more. Both strikes. Now it all came down to the last ball. I breathe, perform my routine that I do before every shot. I think ‘this is it … these past four years have led up to this moment.’ I take one step, then another, bring my ball back, release… and BOOM! Every bowler’s worst nightmare. The 10 pin. There is a big sigh from the crowd that has gathered, then everyone starts clapping.
“The biggest emotion I felt at the time was disappointment. I then proceeded to bowl a 239 the next game to end up with a 538 series. The previous school record was a 516.”
When did you first start bowling? What drew you to the sport? How often do you bowl? What is your favorite facility?
“I started bowling my freshman year in the winter of 2019. I got started bowling when my family signed up for the Kids Bowl Free program at The PinDeck. I have been working at Eastgate Lanes for the past three years. Because of this, I am able to bowl about three times a week. My favorite bowling alley is Cherry Grove Lanes.”
Your average has gone up each of your four varsity seasons, including by almost 25 pins this season. Talk about your improvement over the last four years. To what do you attribute your success?
“I feel that the main thing that contributed to my success was the mental discipline that I have earned through my four years in JROTC. Of course, my success cannot only be attributed to this. Coach Scott Thomas, and being able to practice often have all helped tremendously.”
What were your expectations heading into the season?
“My original expectations for this season have been completely blown out of the water! I began the season thinking that the team, myself included, were just going to be average. Not awesome, but average. What my team has been doing this season has been nothing short of amazing. Milford has not worked this well as a team in the four years that I’ve been doing this. Additionally, I never imagined that I would shoot not only a 299, but also finishing with a 538 two-game series for a school record!”
(Milford was 7-7, 3-4 in the ECC as of Feb. 8).
What are your goals for the postseason?
“After the season is over, I plan on bowling in a USBC Youth tournament to hopefully win some scholarship money.”
What are your plans for after high school? What are your career plans?
“After high school, I plan on attending Notre Dame University to study psychology and join their ROTC program to become a commissioned officer once I graduate.”