After the bowling ball crashed into the pins, La Salle-Peru junior Kamryn Oscepinski turned away from the lane with two pins still standing.
She looked back over her shoulder as one pin tipped, then knocked over the remaining pin.
Oscepinski’s jaw dropped, she let out a shriek and her hands went up to her face in shock.
The strike was Oscepinski’s 12th and final one in her first career 300 game.
“I was in disbelief,” Oscepinski said about the final strike. “I was so shocked. It didn’t feel real in the moment. It was a very emotional moment for me. It was so special because my teammates and my mom were there to be a part of it, plus my coaches, who are all great and push me to be great.”
Oscepinski’s perfect game came during the final round of the Belvidere Buccaneer Invite on Saturday at Cherry Bowl in Rockford.
“It was a great feeling,” Oscepinski said. “Truly, a feeling I’ll never forget.”
Oscepinski said she “felt strong and consistent by the fifth frame.”
“For me, a big part was staying calm and distracting myself, so talking with my teammates and my coaches kept my nerves down, and making sure I threw the ball in the right spot every time,” Oscepinski said.
While Oscepinski said staying calm was key, she said it was difficult as she entered the final frame.
“I was very nervous knowing people were watching me,” Oscepinski said. “It was hard to stay calm.”
Oscepinski’s 300 game, which was a first for the tournament, helped her place fourth individually with a 1,214 six-game series.
She helped the Cavs place fourth as a team with 5,513 pins.
Oscepinski said the 300 game is a momentum booster heading into the Dixon Regional on Friday at Plum Hollow Lanes.
“This definitely pushes me and puts me in a better mental spot for regionals,” Oscepinski said.