Gasso run at state helps earn him boys bowler of the year

DeKALB – Neither Sycamore boys bowling coach Aaron Williams nor Jeffery Gasso knew what to expect out of the junior's first varsity season.

Turns out they could have been aiming high.

Gasso surged late in the year and ended up 16th in the state tournament, missing a medal by 13 pins and earning the Daily Chronicle 2020 Boys Bowler of the Year award.

"My expectations [at the start of the season] were just trying to stay focused, not get anything in my head at all," Gasso said. "Focus on just throwing and everything and picking up spares. Spares are key to being successful."

That ended up earning him a trip to state with the team.

And while the Spartans bowed out of the team competition by missing the top 12, Gasso was in 27th place after the first six rounds and qualified as one of the top 10 bowlers not on a qualifying team.

"I had a fun time," Gasso said. "Just hearing from people who went to state, it's like, 'Oh yeah, state, it's all fun and blah, blah, blah.' So I was like, 'Let's see if it is.' And it was. I had a really fun time."

After rolling a 1,295 on the first day, Gasso rolled a1,307 on the final day to climb into 16th. He started his final series with a 249 and followed it with a 233 to help his climb up the standings.

"Once the first day ended and I saw where I was at, I was like, 'Huh, wow," Gasso said. "I didn't think I was going to do that well but I did. Then the second day and bowling well and everything and ending up 16th, to me that's pretty good I would say."

Williams said he thought both Gasso and the team would do well. He just wasn't expecting Gasso to finish as high as he did.

"I didn't expect it to be what it was," Williams said. "The road to state was our road to state – it was through here, through our center. That's what I was looking for. Then when we got to state the team had a rocky start, but he was solid the whole day on the first day. But my expectation was to go to state, not to place."

Williams credited Gasso's coachability.

"He's a smart kid who listens and does what you ask him," Williams said. "No matter what it is, he does it."

Williams said it helped Gasso hot at the right time of the year.

With both the regional and sectional tournaments at home, Gasso took eighth in the regional with a 1,308 – second on the Spartans, who also were second as a team. Riley Runowiecki was third overall with a 1,334.

'He started hitting his peak at the end of the year," Williams said. "It was like this kid is pretty solid. Going into it we thought maybe he could do some damage."

In the sectional, Gasso led the Spartans with a 1,358 as Sycamore was sixth to earn the final qualifying spot.

That led to the surge at the state tourney.

"The season went very well all together," Gasso said. "I tried to bowl very well and everything. Having fun with team, family, getting help from coach and everything. It went well."