In a display of skill and composure, D’Iberville senior Adam Nguyen outscored 24 other participants earlier this month to claim the individual title as the top high school bowler in the state.
The 17-year-old rolled his best score in the fourth and final game to move from third place to first at the event in Jackson on Feb. 6. Nguyen finished with a four-game total of 841, securing his position at the pinnacle of high school bowling in the state.
Before the individual tournament, D’Iberville claimed the boys team championship in Class III. Other members of the team are Chris Arnold, Devin Hernandez, Keion Booker and Ryland Hebert. The team title was the Warriors’ fourth in six years. The other wins came in 2019, 2020 and 2022.
The D’Iberville girls team won state in 2023.
Nguyen’s brother, Alex, was on the 2019 team and was Adam’s motivation to begin bowling in the eighth grade.
To qualify for the individual tournament, a competitor had to finish in the Top 25 of all bowlers in the team event. Nguyen, who has a 3.5 GPA, said he didn’t expect to win the title and hoped to finish in the Top 10.
He said he was more nervous than usual in the individual tournament because his scores were poor in the week leading up to it.
He said he told himself, “Heck, just trust yourself, roll it and let the pins fall where they may.’’
The state format required each bowler to roll four games, with the highest total score determining the winner.
Nguyen started strong with a 224 in the first game, placing him fourth. He maintained his position with a 191 in the second game, then moved up to third place with a 197 in the third game. He stood 10 pins behind second place and 30 behind first with one game left.
The bowler in first place rolled ahead of Nguyen and left the door open with a poor 180. Nguyen entered the 10th frame coming off a strike. He needed two strikes in a row to win. After rolling a strike with his first ball, Nguyen said he felt the nerves.
“I was shaking in my boots, I can’t lie,” he said. “I was so nervous. I got up for my last shot and boom, another strike.”
He finished the fourth game with a 227 for an 841 total to win by eight pins.
Part of Nguyen’s success can be attributed to his two-handed style of bowling, a technique gaining popularity in recent years, particularly with younger bowlers. The style has been adopted by the entire D’Iberville team. He said the technique helps younger bowlers have more stability and control.
Nguyen’s bowling involves physics. He detailed his method during a break while being photographed at Cypress Lanes in D’Iberville, where the team practices.
“If I hold my wrist straight and roll it straight, the ball will go forward and not hook into the pocket,” he said. “If I turn my wrist right so the center of mass faces right, the ball, hopefully, spins at an angle into the pocket.”
Bowling is more than lining up and rolling the ball at 10 pins standing like silent soldiers, Nguyen said.
“Speed, technique and the number of revs you throw on the ball have to match up,” he said. “You can throw 18 mph, but if your revs are like 100, that’s going to be nothing. If you have a whole bunch of revs, but low speed, that’s going to be nothing as well. So, you want to make sure everything evens out, and that all happens with technique.’’
Being a left-handed bowler is beneficial, too, Nguyen said. Most bowlers are right-handed, meaning there is less traffic (balls) on the left side of the lane, allowing for better oil on the lanes and more consistent rolls.
“Being left-handed is an advantage,’’ he said.
Nguyen uses two different balls during competition. His primary ball is designed to spin more and is used for the first roll of a frame and some spares, depending on the pins remaining. The second ball is designed for less spin and is used for some spare attempts.
Nguyen’s bowling shoes look like a pair that won’t last another roll of the ball. He’s been wearing them since he started bowling.
“They are comfortable,’’ he said laughing as he looked at them. “I think it’s cool I’ve had them since freshman year.’’
When bowling, Nguyen chews gum to calm his nerves and help keep him focused.
“In bowling, you want to have a routine so you can throw consistent shots,” he said. “If you get the mental and physical right, you can have success. Gum helps me with the mental.’’
Johnny Cobb, D’Iberville’s former bowling coach and now coach at Mobile College, has watched Nguyen grow from an energetic novice to a confident veteran. He was impressed by Nguyen’s championship.
“I started coaching him in his eighth-grade year and he has made a big progression,’’ Cobb said. “He had the physical skills, but he struggled with the mental aspects.
“This past year leading up to the bowling season, I noticed he put more emphasis into his mental game. He had all the physical skills to perform well.
“If you don’t have the mental logic to tie into the physical game, you are not going to get everything you want out of yourself.’’
With bowling over for the season, Nguyen will turn his attention to tennis, where he plays No. 1 doubles. He said there are some similarities between the two sports.
“Hand-eye coordination, stamina and footwork. That’s about it.’’
Nguyen plans to attend the University of Southern Mississippi after high school. His family lives in Mississippi and he would like to stay near them. He would like to bowl in college but that would require going to a school outside Mississippi as the state doesn’t have college bowling. If a scholarship offer comes along, he said he would consider it.
He plans to major in nutrition and dieting.
“I care about my health,” he said. “I want to be in my 30s and not have a bunch of weight on me. I will be able to help other people with their diet and help myself, too. It will benefit both ways, which I think is a pretty good trade.’’
His final words for those who might think bowling is a sport for people when they retire.
“Hey, bowling is fun, no matter the age. You can put as much time into it as you want and can get pretty good. Give it a try.’’
And he could have added … You might find out you like it.
