Johnson does it again – This Time at Nationals

He just continues to amaze, time and time again.

After a nail-biter win at states a few months ago, Coty Johnson went off to nationals to bring back honor to the Penn Manor name.

Although he did not come in first place, he finished in tenth, not bad for being the first Penn Manor bowler ever to make it to nationals.

Coty Johson

Saturday April 10, 2010 may have been the most stressful and the most glorious day in Johnson’s life.

At a 50-lane bowling alley in Erie, 25 of them were occupied by bowlers of the High School Junior Bowling League.

“We weren’t even seeded.  We had to get seeded by bowling 15 games.  We didn’t get a break all day.  My pinfall (total pins knocked down) was 1856 after the 15 rounds.  I just kept going,” said Johnson.

Johnson was seeded tenth after the preliminary rounds (out of 50 total players, one from each state).

“I thought I’d finish in the middle.  I thought I’d be 20 to 25 by the end,” he said.

The tenth seed was the final seed to continue on after the preliminary rounds, almost a déjà vu experience since Johnson was the last seed to get into states and he ended up winning it.

“I qualified as the last seed possible to get into the finals.”

“I focused like I did at states.  I concentrate I guess,” Johnson said.

“I just told myself, I can do it again.”

And he did just that, bowled his way up the ladder.  He only got to his second match in the finals.

“My first round I won, the second I got beat.  I finished kind of high, 195.  It’s good but the others did better.”

As terrible as it sounds to hear that Johnson made it that far only to fall short, he remains happy with his place.

“I’m happy with eighth, of course.”

Johnson is the number one bowler in the state and now eighth in the nation. What does he have to say after all of his hard work?

“My bowling is 10 percent skill and 90 percent luck,” said Johnson modestly.

Whether 10 percent skill or not, the practices on Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday for three hours a day, have definitely paid off. Johnson said he will continue to practice to stay in tune for next year.

Johnson plans on going to West Chester University, which is fairly well known for their bowling program. As of right now, he has a partial scholarship but may have a chance to get a full scholarship. While he attends college he plans to major in sports medicine, and of course continue to bowl.

By Mike Bouder

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