It was probably inevitable that Matt Kaiser would eventually achieve perfection on the bowling lanes, but he wasn’t thinking about it. Not yet, anyway.

&uot;Not for at least two more years,&uot; said Kaiser.

He was ahead of schedule. Way ahead.

Kaiser, who just turned 14, rolled a perfect 300 game during the Eagles Youth League at Albert Lea’s Holiday Lanes last Saturday.

In research conducted by Kaiser’s father, Loren, the manager at Holiday Lanes, he’s the youngest bowler ever in southern Minnesota to have a 300 game in sanctioned league competition, and is believed to be the youngest ever in the state to do so.

It was the final game of a series for Kaiser, who finished with a three-game total of 727. His career-best series is 734 and his previous high game was 289.

Kaiser is a two-year member of the Albert Lea High School bowling team. He earned all-conference honors this past season as the Tigers placed third in the state tournament.

While Kaiser literally grew around the bowling lanes, starting the sport as a 2-year-old, nothing could have prepared him for last Saturday.

Except for one crossover strike in the third or fourth frame, all 12 balls were in the pocket. The 12th and final one was of course the most difficult.

Action on surrounding lanes ceased as Kaiser picked up his ball. He put it down and checked the tape on his thumb. Not liking the way it felt, he ripped off the tape. Then he stepped up for his approach.

&uot;It’s kind of hard to explain (how it feels),&uot; said Kaiser. &uot;Your knees are shaking. I just tried to throw it as best I could and not think about it, and it came out grand.&uot;

Loren Kaiser, who is often traveling on Saturdays to compete in Senior Pro Tour bowling events, got to watch each and every strike.

&uot;I still don’t believe it,&uot; said Loren Kaiser, who has bowled seven perfect games. &uot;It almost brings tears to my eyes when I watch him bowl.&uot;

The 300 did not, however, come without a price for the elder Kaiser.

&uot;We had a bet on,&uot; said Loren Kaiser. &uot;If he shot 265 or higher, he’d get a new ball. Of course, now he figures he has two of them coming.&uot;