9-year-old bowled a perfect score of 300, a feat professional bowlers can only dream of

In the world of sports, where being strong is usually super important, sometimes there are really cool stories that break all the usual rules.

A regular 9-year-old Iowa boy named Pierce Abbotts surprised everyone by hitting a perfect score of bowling 300 – that means getting a strike every time!

In Iowa, cool and unforgettable moments happen every day. It’s one thing to hear about them later and another to be in the room when they happen.

Picture this: the town square in Jefferson is still buzzing about Pierce’s extraordinary bowling achievement, even weeks later.

Bowling is exciting, especially when someone is about to get a perfect score.

John Woodford, who owns Spare Time Lanes & Lounge, says people love watching the pins fall, especially when it’s a new bowler like Pierce.

“They get three or four in a row, and then it’s like, now you’re watching because you want to see what they’re going to do next,” said Woodford.

Carter Fecher, who is part of Greene County’s High School team and started bowling when he was 9, said he was only averaging 30 points when he started bowling.

With that being said, he loves it when the 9-year-old Pierce Abbot shows up on Lane 6 with his ball to play.

Pierce caught the bowling bug when he was just 6 years old, said WESH 2.

His dad, Brett Abbotts, also loves bowling, even though it can sometimes be frustrating. 

“It’s a lot of fun from a lot of different aspects, but it’s also just as frustrating,” said Brett.

Pierce uses two hands to bowl, just like some professional bowlers. It helps him throw the ball faster and hit more pins.

“It helps me because I’m 9,” Pierce said. “So you can increase the weight of your ball and throw it faster,” he said.

“The one takes out the two, four, and seven, and then the three takes out the six and 10,” Pierce said. “And then the ball takes out the seven, eight, and five,” Pierce added.

Pierce entered a New Year’s Eve tournament in Jefferson.

Everyone knew he meant business when he started throwing strike after strike.

People were so impressed that someone even offered him $20 if he got a bowling 300!

“About after the fifth, sixth frame, he couldn’t miss,” said Fecher, who had been playing in the lanes next to Pierce.

Word spread quickly about Pierce’s perfect game, and soon, a crowd gathered to watch.

“We all just stopped and just watched,” Fecher said.

Even high school freshman Jacob Rumley was amazed, saying, “He’s strike and strike and strike and strike. Impressive … He’s 9. That’s crazy!”

Bowling nine strikes in nine frames at 9 years old is a big deal. The lane owner Woodford says it’s not something you see often in bowling.

Pierce’s dad was worried as his son approached the final frame. He was scared that Pierce might miss and everyone would be disappointed.

“My fear, honestly, was that he was going to miss,” Brett said. “And then you have this big letdown.”

But guess what? Pierce didn’t miss a single pin!

Forty-two minutes into the new year, Pierce hit a perfect bowling 300 with his dad recording, and the bowling alley exploded with cheers.

Everyone was giving him high-fives and talking to him. Pierce felt like a champion!

Getting a bowling 300 at 9 years old is super rare – it’s like getting a hole-in-one in golf.

However, it was unofficial because the tournament had a special rule (nine-pin no-tap).

“My 300 wasn’t sanctioned,” Pierce said. “So … it didn’t count.”

Pierce’s dad calls it a “bummer,” but Pierce is still proud of his achievement, even if it didn’t officially count.

Pierce moved on in the tournament, even beating Jacob Rumley for third place.

And how did he celebrate? Just like any 9-year-old champion would – by asking for chicken nuggets!

Check out Pierce Abbot’s bowling 300 feat by watching the video below: