Doug Kelley Rolls 300 Game at State Tournament
Covington Bowler Doug Kelley Rides Perfect Game to Gold at State Bowling Tournament
Covington athlete Doug Kelley bowled what is believed to be the first perfect 300 game by an athlete in Special Olympics Kentucky history, when he completed the feat in his second game at the 2017 State Bowling Tournament on Dec. 2 at Fern Valley Strike and Spare. After the last pin fell, Kelley was immediately congratulated by fellow athletes Bill Smith of Erlanger and Dave Plested of Bowling Green, whom he was competing against.
Kelley, 40, paired his perfecto with a 200 in his opening game for a 500 series and the gold medal in his division of the singles event.
It wasn’t the first big game for Kelley at the State Tournament or even the firs time he approached perfection, In 2008, Kelley left one pin on his final ball in the singles event at Eastland Lanes in Lexington to bowl a 299.
Kelley was one of a record 1,283 bowlers and nearly 300 Unified partners who competed at this year’s State Bowling Tournament. The event is the largest single sport championship on the Special Olympics Kentucky calendar, and only the annual State Summer Games includes more athletes overall. Athletes competed in singles on Dec. 2 and in either doubles or Unified events on Sunday, Dec. 3, at Fern Valley Strike and Spare or King Pin Lanes, both in Louisville.
Bowling is one of the most popular and fastest growing sports in the Special Olympics Kentucky program. For information about how to be involved in the 2018 bowling season, contact Amanda Wade, Program Director-Individual Sports, at 502-695-8222 or [email protected].