Greg Young Shots 300 on PBA Viper

13-year-old Greg Young shoots in Loschetter Youth Tournament on PBA Viper pattern
United States
Gregory Young, 13 years old of Viera, Fla., shot a 300 game on the PBA Viper pattern, the most versatile of the five named patterns, during a Loschetter Youth Tournament at Shore Lanes in Merritt Island, Fla., on Nov. 13. The Loschetter Youth Tournament is named after PBA exempt player Chris Loschetter (pictured right) and is run by his parents and a lot of volunteers. It is a scratch tournament broken into two divisions (upper and lower) for the youth players up to 21 years of age. This tournament travels to different parts of the state of Florida every month and has a Tournament of Champions events at the end of their year.Greg started bowling at the age of eight (pictured) in a Saturday league at Satellite Beach Lanes, Fla. in 2004.The picture shows Gregory when he was eight and just got his first bowling balls. "His grandma and grandpa signed him up," Greg's mother Sandy Young told Bowlingdigital.com. "They are his biggest fans. You do not ask either one of them how he is doing in bowling. They will go on and on...... They are very proud of him."In 2004, still at the age of eight, he became the Grand Champion of the Junior Tournament of Bowlers in Merritt Island, Fla. "His competitors were mostly in high school. The second and third place winners picked him up and put him on there shoulders," Sandy said. "That was an eye opener for me that he had some talent. He stood knee high against these bowlers and won it!"Greg meets weekly with his coach Tom Blasco and also bowls weekly in a sport league at Shore Lanes in Merritt Island. On top of that he also practices at least three days a week on his game. Every weekend he is somewhere in the state of Florida at a tournament.Greg has bowled three 300 games before, all in practice, never during a tournament. His first perfecto came during practice with coach Blasco on March 21, 2008 just turning 12 years old."He has bowled two more 300 games during practice," Sandy said. "He would have been dying to get one during a tournament or league."Greg was close to accomplish the feat during another Loschetter Youth Tournament at Shore Lanes in Palm Bay, Fla. on Sept. 13th when he bowled a 299 on the PBA Cheetah pattern.The picture shows Greg with his idol, PBA super star Norm Duke, which was taken two weeks ago in Palm Bay. Greg got to bowl with him. Finally two month later he bowled his first registered 300 on the PBA Viper pattern. According to Sandy "there was not a dry eye in the house".This year will be Greg Young's first time going to the Junior Gold tournament in Indianapolis. He has already won his Junior Gold spot at a Kegel tournament last month."Going to Kegel monthly and bowling in these tournaments on all types of lane surfaces is also helping his game," Sandy states. "Kegel is currently the only tournament Gregory gets to bowl with his age group. All the other tournaments he participates, he has to be in the upper division bowling with the best of them. So this keeps him working hard at his game."Greg currently has won three consecutive tournaments at Kegel in Lake Wales, Fla. in his division (13 and younger)."As a mom Gregory's greatest strengths are he does not loose his temper and he is real team player and respects his competitors, which I find is just as valuable to have besides knowing how to play the game well," Sandy said."The younger bowlers along with the college bowlers have a great deal of respect for him due to this. Nothing goes to his head he is very humble."