Bowling One-On-One with Brent Boho: Back in the Winner’s Circle
(Champion-2024 PBA Bowlers Discount Pro Shop Open)
You will not find a person in the sport of bowling with more passion and dedication for the game than Brent Boho. His character and pure love for the sport is undeniable. He has developed his own unique style, which is still similar to the style he first started bowling with as a young boy – holds the ball with two-hands as he slowly walks the approach in a noticeable low crouch, as if he was sneaking up on friends in a paint ball game. Then he releases the ball with conviction, uncanny accuracy and consistency.
From Colgate, Wisconsin, and currently living in Collinsville, IL the suburbs of St. Louis, Brent is a winner and an inspiration to all bowlers who want to develop and perfect their own style and game. I had the opportunity to catch up with Brent and I asked him about his bowling journey.
How did you get started in bowling and what led to the love and passion that you have for the sport today?
“I started bowling when mom would take my two brothers and I just as another fun activity to get us out of the house. Me and my younger brother joined league and then eventually when I got to high school, I joined the team with my best friends and we’re still best friends to this day! We all pushed each other to become better. I found tournaments in Wisconsin run by Phil Brylow and other youth tournaments in the area like JBST’s and started competing on weekends and I’ve never stopped.”
(Phil Watson, Ben Sobel, Kim Bolleby, Brent Boho)
You’ve had a successful youth bowling career. You’re a three-time Elite Youth Tour Champion; a two-time Junior Bowlers Scholarship Tour Champion; 2017 Midwest Youth Champion; 2017 U20 Singles Champion and a 2018 Team USA Member, to name just a few accomplishments.
Share a few of your youth accomplishments that you feel had an important impact on your bowling journey and why they were so influential in your life and bowling career.
“My first Storm Youth Championships title in 2017 in Reno, NV, is what I think was my breakthrough in my youth career. I went to Reno on a limb with my dad and college roommate Anthony Dodge, and I ended up winning! That tournament really, I think propelled me forward and gave me confidence I could compete at a higher level.”
“In 2018 I made my dreams come true at Team USA trials by making Junior Team USA and finishing 7th in the event. It was my last chance to make junior team and I wanted that jacket so badly! Making junior team definitely has opened some doors for me and I’m not sure I would have gotten to where I am now without that performance.”
You joined the PBA in 2019 and you’re now a two-time PBA Regional Champion. In May last year you won your first PBA regional title, the 2023 PBA Ohio Lottery/Baldo Campana & Dave D’Entremont Memorial Centra Open. And just this past month (April 2024), you won the PBA Bowlers Discount Pro Shop Open in Towson, Maryland.
Talk about this recent title victory, your mindset going in, how the experience unfolded and ultimately led to capturing your second career title.
“I hadn’t even decided to go to Maryland until the week of. I had just gotten home from missing the World Series field out of the PTQ. Firstly, I had decided to go to Indianapolis and work with my friend Zach Weidmann and I pitch changed my whole arsenal. It had felt a lot better than the week before and after being in Indy for two days changing nine balls and drilling three more, I decided I wanted to compete and see where I was at with the changes, so I continued on and drove to Maryland!”
“I didn’t have many expectations going in and even really after practice or through qualifying – I was just trying to make the cut! I believe I was +7 after three games and managed to make a good guess with the back five games and I got to +214 after eight games. After qualifying though the expectations went up, the feel was there, and I knew anything could happen in a bracket! I stuck to my game plan on Sunday just tried to make the pairs play to my strengths. I was on the ropes a few times, but I think in order to win at this level everything sometimes needs to go your way and on that day everything did for me.”
“In the final, the pair was tight and neither of us could get anything going. I got a lot of 9 and left the door open for him in the 10th. He needed to double but he didn’t! I couldn’t believe I had actually won! It has been a long season on the national tour so it feels really good to get back to regionals and get right back in the winner’s circle right away!”
Share your thoughts about life and the grind on tour and how you deal with the challenges. Also, are there particular bowlers you might especially admire or look up to on tour?
“Life on tour, either national or regional, is just a grind. A lot of driving and at least on the national tour a lot of not knowing how long you are going to be in the city you’re going to because you’re bowling the PTQ. Thankfully, I have surrounded myself with a great group of guys (Ben Sobel, Phil Watson, Zach Weidmann and Kim Bolleby) and staying with friends makes everything a lot easier. I try and bowl as many regionals I can in the off season of the national tour to stay sharp. A lot of the tournaments aren’t close at all, but it’s what I believe I need to do to try and help me take the next step!”
“I really admire guys like Kris Prather and Packy [Hanrahan] who not only are super nice to the young guys and always willing to talk, but they are grinders. The success didn’t come easy to them, but they have managed to break through, and it gives guys like me someone to look up to!”
Looking ahead, what are your goals for the rest of this season?
“I think the goal is to get back to winning as soon as possible and do whatever I have to do to get prepared for Tour Trials in August. That is a huge opportunity for anyone bowling to try and get exempt and sometimes that’s all anyone needs, is a chance!”
As a professional two-handed bowler, what are your thoughts on how this style is evolving and being embraced more and more by young bowlers just getting started – not to mention existing one-handed bowlers of all ages who are changing to the two-handed style?
“It’s so awesome to see so many youth bowlers bowling two-handed nowadays. When I was young, I was the only two-hander in the building when I started competing, it was still rare then. Now I think the younger generation can be more competitive at a younger age because they can keep up with the ball speed and rev rate. The style is always evolving though, and everyone throws it differently. I hope more and more bowlers become more accepting of it because it’s not stopping anytime soon!”
What other interests or hobbies might you have that readers and fans may not know about you?
“In my free time I love playing just about any sport. I also play in adult soccer leagues in St. Louis. I live across the street from my best friend, so we love just getting together watching the NBA playoffs and occasionally playing some video games.”
(Brent stays active in Adult Soccer Leagues and Cornhole/Bean Bag Toss with brother Ian)
What advice would you give to bowlers looking to improve their game and compete at their highest level?
“My advice to all bowlers would be to find a coach! There aren’t many athletes in any sports that get to the highest level without a coach. Be open to listening and getting worse before you’re going to get better, while changing things. I would also say try and compete as much as possible. Find some local tournaments or some that are drivable the day of and start from there.”
Thank you, Brent, for taking some time to share your story. You’re love for this great sport and your internal fire to compete and to be the best you can be continues to inspire me and all those around you. Congratulations again on your recent title at the PBA Bowlers Discount Pro Shop Open in Towson, Maryland. The bowling community world-wide wishes you the best of luck ahead as you continue on your great bowling journey.
“Thank you so much for reaching out. I greatly appreciate it and all you do for the sport of bowling!”
(Image Credits: PBA, USBC and Brent Boho)
