Bowling One-On-One with C.J. Petrin: Young Leader Seeks ITC Title
As a two-time Collegiate All American, named to the Tennessee Sports Writer Association’s All-State team, and member of the 2023 Junior Team USA, to mention just a few accolades, the world will be hearing more from C.J. Petrin as he is on a mission to be the best he can be at the sport he loves. I had an opportunity to catch up with C.J. and asked him about his bowling journey.
At a very young age, and with a family full of bowlers around him, the love and passion for bowling was bound to rub off on C.J. Knocking things over was just pure fun for him and today he’s one of the best at knocking pins down at the collegiate level.
“It started when I was growing up, I used to throw round objects at empty 2 liters in a hallway and kept doing it. I started getting into league when I was 5 and then competitively when I was 8. My family are all bowlers and I just kept cruising along with it.”
It may appear that for C.J., bowling is like a walk in the park. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s simply who he is and an indication of his comfort level with the game. When C.J. walks into a bowling center, it’s like a second home to him. It’s as if he owns the place. Being comfortable and confident are two important traits to being successful in any endeavor. The rest is dedication and commitment to one’s craft, not to mention having talent too.
While in high school, bowling for the Fighting Irish at Notre Dame High School (NDHS), Tennessee. C.J. was runner-up in both his sophomore and junior years for the Division II Individual State Championship. During his junior year, he led his team to the Division II Team State Championship title. With unfinished business, in his senior year, he went after the individual state championship once again and this time he took home the 2021 State Championship title. There’s no quit in C.J.’s game.
His development as a young bowler through his high school years speaks volumes about his growth, dedication and love for the game. C.J. appreciates his successes and victories that he’s earned but is also very humble and aware of those who helped him develop his game along the way.
“I want to thank David McGowan (current coach at Tennessee Wesleyan University) for the lessons and help he has given me because he is the one who helped me become who I am today in bowling. Making state for bowling was pretty thrilling. It excited me to encourage all my teammates to get together and perform better to improve our chances of winning and we did just that. I enjoyed bowling with my guys and NDHS as they created a fun environment to bowl in.”
David McGowan is currently coaching at Tennessee Wesleyan University as Girls coach and assistant Boys coach. He has 20 years under his belt as a high school coach. Three of his teams have won state titles. As a bowler, he was inducted into the Chattanooga Bowling Hall of Fame with multiple titles at city level multiple at state level. David knows bowling and talent and his positive impact on C.J. is apparent. I was fortunate to take a few minutes of David’s time and asked him about C.J.
“C.J. showed potential at an early age, his mom was very supportive and gave him every opportunity he needed to get better. He was involved with lots of competitive tournaments. High school is where we saw a major change as he matured as a person and was a great leader for his high school team. I think his major maturity for bowling came entering his freshman season at OC when he bowled some big events before school and at start of school against strong fields in the Oklahoma/Texas area. C.J. has a huge ceiling for bowling ahead of him and is just a great kid in general.”
After high school, C.J. made his decision to continue his academics and bowling journey at Oklahoma Christian University (OC).
“When I toured OC for the first time, I really enjoyed touring the campus and practicing with the team after. Then I went home and contemplated what school I wanted to choose and ultimately it came down to Tennessee Wesleyan University and OC with OC being a better offer for me and I chose them. I really enjoyed our teams in my freshman and sophomore years and the team we have now. The guys at OC are kind of like the guys back at NDHS, which is good. I just have fun with all the guys, and it lets me be who I am and be loose on the lanes.”
Looking ahead to the rest of his junior year, his upcoming senior year, and beyond, his love for bowling remains close to his heart with current and future goals in sight for the sport.
“I want to win the Intercollegiate Team Championship (ITC) with the guys, that’s been the goal with this team since I got here. Once I am out of college I want to continue bowling on the pro tour and see how it goes. I also want to run my own bowling alley one day, so I am hoping for the best.”
I asked C.J. if there were any particular professional bowlers that he followed and admired.
“I admire Kyle Sherman and Josh Blanchard, they were my favorites growing up and I felt like my game was similar to Josh’s then as I progressed I really liked how Kyle threw it after Josh retired.”
C.J. is a competitive athlete by nature and has enjoyed a variety of sports in his youth. I asked him what advice he might give to others looking to improve their own game and it starts with putting the work in and collecting knowledge.
“I played football and basketball growing up and had a lot of fun with those guys. In high school, I transferred from football to Golf and Basketball to Tennis, so I was very active across different sports.”
“On advice, I recommend bowling tournaments and reach out to as many coaches as you can. It will provide you an opportunity to see what your future may look like. Practice, Practice, Practice. It’ll only help you out. Get the work in on whatever you think needs fixing or improving and then shoot spares. Nothing wrong with getting some extra spare practice in.”
With 20+ 300 games and more 800 series than he can remember, C.J. is a gifted athlete and with the confidence and determination to continue to be successful in this sport and in any endeavor he chooses. He’ll undoubtedly impact the sport of bowling for a long time ahead. The bowling community will be hearing and seeing much more of C.J. Petrin as he continues his amazing journey. Best of luck to you and your team the rest of your junior year and beyond, and thank you for sharing your journey.
“Thank you, Tim, I appreciate the opportunity.”
