High school bowling: Medina's Chase Gordon has state on his mind

Chase Gordon started the high school bowling season hot. Now he's on fire. The Medina senior shot a 720 three-game series to finish second at the G-Men Classic on Saturday and had a 486 two-game series in a win over Buckeye last week, raising his average to a Medina County-high 223 entering a Greater Cleveland Conference match against Euclid on Wednesday. The 6-foot-2 right-hander has much bigger goals, however. Despite earning All-Gazette honors as a junior, when he averaged 208, Gordon just missed advancing from sectionals to districts. In his final high school season, he not only wants to make that jump but advance to the state tournament at Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl and make some serious noise once there. "I want to be No. 1," Gordon said with no trace of bravado. "That's what my goal is. The conditions are a lot harder (in the postseason). The oil moves differently, so you have to be ready to make changes and adjust." Using primarily a 15-pound fingertip Infinite Physix ball that is a combination of blue, purple and black, Gordon has been striking it rich all season. "Something clicked with him," Bees coach Jarrod Rodriguez said. "He's just locked in this year. His drive is the biggest thing. He's always been the kid who's trying to do better. He puts in the time, but he's not cocky. He just does his thing." The son of adult league bowlers David and Debbie Gordon — his dad carries a 220 average — Gordon grew up around the game and started bowling in grade school. "I went every week with my grandparents with the gutter guards up," he said with a laugh. "I just threw the ball down the lanes and waited to see what happened. Ever since I started doing it, it was just a lot of fun. I've never stopped loving it." When he was in middle school, Gordon really got serious and asked his dad to teach him how to throw a hook, which is now so powerful the pins often explode or dance all over the deck. "I struggled at the beginning, but after a couple months I got the hang of it," he said. "My dad's definitely had a huge influence on me. I've watched him for a while, and he's crazy good. "I'm definitely glad to have him help me in the ways that he has. When I first started, he went with me a couple times a week, teaching me stuff. Even now, he goes once in a while to help me with stuff I'm not doing correctly." A level-headed competitor who doesn't do a lot of showboating or posing, Gordon's high game is 289. He also owns a 515 two-game series and a 754 three-game series. All are believed to be school records. None of this happened by accident. Gordon buys a summer pass to AMF Medina Lanes each year, which allows him to roll three games each day. He goes almost every day. The physical part of his game now rock solid, Gordon also is mentally strong. He doesn't let a bad shot or an unlucky split get to him and knows how to adjust as lane conditions change. "There's definitely a lot of mental, for sure," he said. "It's your ability to make transitions, whether it's a ball change or doing something mechanically. Spares are critical. Obviously everyone wants strikes, but spares can make a score go from good to great." Gordon, who carries a 3.5 grade-point average and plans to major in cyber security at the University of Akron, plans to try out for the Zips' club bowling team as a college freshman, but right now he's concentrating on high school. Sort of. Gordon currently takes just one class at Medina, which begins at 7:30 a.m., then works at Giant Eagle from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on days when the Bees don't have a match. He's also taking four college classes — two in person and two online — through the Tri-C Brunswick University Center. In February, he'll add college credit plus courses. Having been involved in the Medina bowling program for four years, including three at the varsity level, Gordon can't wait for the postseason to begin. "I worked all summer to get better," he said. "It's one of the main reasons I'm doing so well this year. "I just take a deep breath and don't overthink. I just throw my ball and see what happens. I don't think people understand the pressure, because they're not in the moment. If they were, it would be a lot different than just watching in the stands." Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4046 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @RickNoland on Twitter.