When TU general maintenance mechanic Tyra Thomas first bowled at 16 years old, he didn’t think he’d end up in a league years later. He also didn’t think he’d ever bowl a perfect 300—but he did just that in TU’s Faculty/Staff bowling league on Thursday, February 11.
“The experience was amazing,” Tyra reflected afterwards. “I didn’t process what happened at first. I couldn’t believe I bowled a 300.”
Tyra has worked at TU since 2008 and has bowled in its Faculty/Staff League since 2010. Playing in the league each Thursday night with teammates Brant Carson and Marc Stephan, he says, is his outlet for fun; he enjoys both hanging out and competing with them.
“I like winning, but what I like most about the league is that it’s all about fun,” he says. “I never lose sight of that. Everyone in the league wants to win, but no one walks away pouting if they lose. It’s social. That’s why Thursday nights for me are just for bowling.”
The atmosphere Tyra describes is not only social, but supportive, too. The league gathered around Tyra and watched with bated breath as he prepared to roll his twelfth strike in a row—the last strike needed to complete his perfect game—and erupted when all 10 pins fell. The opposing players, all smiling ear to ear, were the first to congratulate Tyra on his perfect game—even though it meant they lost. That’s the spirit Tyra appreciates, and that’s the spirit the league embodies.
