The Talon staff sat down with Josh Imhoff, a member of Oklahoma Christian University’s bowling team, to discuss what brought him to campus and how he came to love the sport.
Why did you want to bowl at Oklahoma Christian?
I was looking at a few other schools, but the coach here gave me a really good offer with a scholarship. This is one of the only schools that offered scholarships up front. It’s kind of close to home—only five hours away—so that’s why I took it.
How did you start bowling competitively?
My whole family has been in bowling. My grandma was a really good bowler, back in her day. My dad was a really good bowler. I’ve been around a bowling family, so it’s just kind of natural.
What’s the most difficult part of your sport?
That’s really complicated. In short, the conditions from bowling alley to bowling alley vary. For lack of a better word, the playing conditions are invisible, because the lanes look exactly the same everywhere you go. You have to look to see how you’re going to bowl. It makes it really challenging.
What’s something about the bowling community you wouldn’t know looking from the outside in?
There’s actually a lot more money in it than people think. Especially in youth [bowling], there’s a lot of scholarship money to be had. There’s a lot of tournaments. There’s a lot more money, and I guess people don’t really see that.
What are your goals for this season?
I want to make nationals as a team and individually. I got really close last year. You have to qualify for sectionals—that’s a tournament—to get to nationals. I got really close last year; I was 20 pins out of the cut. I want to make it back this year.
How do you train for bowling competitions?
It’s basically just a lot of practice at the bowling alley. We practice four days a week, a lot of spare shooting and trying to simulate competition within practice.
What’s the hardest part about competition within bowling?
Probably some of the pressure. There’s a lot of pressure when it’s getting later in the day and you’re getting tired, and you still have to make good shots. When you’re mentally exhausted and trying to stay 100 and in the game at all times, that’s probably the hardest part.
What is your favorite bowling memory?
It was last year, around September. They have this huge bowling tournament in Oklahoma called the Oklahoma State Masters, and it’s basically the biggest singles tournament of the year. Me and my teammate both made the cut, and we each ran the bracket through match play. We made it to the finals, and I ended up beating him. That’s probably my favorite memory.
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