A former NCAA bowling champion memorialized his late father by using a bowling ball that contained his late father’s ashes.

After rolling the bowling ball down the lane, John Hinkle, Jr. scored a perfect game for his late dad, John Hinkle, Sr., during his regular league night at Landmark Lanes last week in Peoria, Illinois.  

Hinkle told WMBD that his dad, who was an avid bowler and who passed in 2016, what an emotional moment it was. “I had tears in my eyes for the eleventh and twelfth frame. I couldn’t even tell you where that last ball went. I just had so many tears in my eyes when I was throwing it. I was just hoping it would strike and it did.”

The 39-year-old, who helped Western Illinois University win an Intercollegiate Bowling championship in 2002, credited his love for bowling to his father who introduced him and his brother, Joe, to the game when they were very young.

Joe, who was right there rooting for his brother, told the news outlet with a laugh. “This makes up for so many nights growing up when we slept in a bowing alley while our parents were finishing league night.” 

Hinkle, who bowls two-handed (in order to do that legally, a bowler can’t have three fingers in his ball), said that he and John, Sr. bowled on the same league for years. He told the news station that it took a few years to find the right person to fill the thumb hole of his ball with his later father's ashes and showed the WMBD news reporter the covering that was used over the hole. 

"EPIC Night!, Hinkle expressed on his Facebook page. Both brothers said they believe their dad was right there with them.

“It’s special. Dad shot 298, 299, never had a 300," Hinkle said People reported. "I had goosebumps, chills. He was there."

He added: "This is the best 300 game, and definitely the hardest one. I was definitely shaking.”

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