INDIANAPOLIS — Jillian Martin, a 17-year-old bowler from Stow, celebrated her first perfect game, rolling her first 300 during the Bowling.com Youth Open Championships in Indianapolis.
Martin was competing against the best high schoolers in the country when she accomplished the feat, putting her in second by just five pins in the entire U18 Singles Division.
The Stow-Munroe Falls High School soon-to-be senior has been making a name for herself in the pro bowling circuit.
Martin is not only a standout bowler on the Junior Team USA bowling squad, an 11-time Junior Tournament Bowlers Association champion and a 2019 Ohio High School Athletic Association state champion—she also has finished as high as second place in Professional Women's Bowling Association events earlier this year.
Bowling a perfect game has been in the making for Martin for some time now, she said.
"I had the front 11 out at the PWBA in January and that was kind of my first time ever having front 11, came out with a 299. Shot a 297 in March. Shot another 299 back in the end of May and then out here we're fourth front 11 and we finally got it done, so that's pretty cool," Martin said.
Martin had her family in attendance for the big moment, with her dad, grandpa and mom all behind her cheering her on.
"It was really cool to have them all here and just be able to experience it with them all," Martin said.
Martin had previously said that she hopes to be a trailblazer for other young women and girls chasing their dreams on the lanes.
“I’ve always wanted to be that person. Just being able to inspire everyone,” Martin said. “I’ve gotten messages from people and it’s so cool. I can not even describe the feeling when you get a message from someone and they’re like ‘I look up to you.’ It’s just great.”
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