Jason Sterner before this season had never placed higher than seventh on the PBA Tour. This weekend he took home the trophy for the Don Carter Classic while bowling an almost perfect game of 299 beating Wes Malott.

Sterner lost his chance at the 23rd nationally-televised 300 game in PBA history by missing the 10 pin on his final roll. Had he been able to bowl a 300 game, he would've been the second man to win his first PBA Tour title, the other being Bob Benoit.

“The biggest thing I learned from my first show was getting rid of the nerves, and to trust your decisions,” Sterner said. “It’s a little added pressure to bowl on TV, but once you get comfortable, and trust your decisions, it’s a lot easier.

“I felt very confident,” he added. “I had the right ball, I knew what moves I needed to make and it was just a matter of going through my routine and believing in it. After the first couple of shots, I could see how the lanes were changing, and it just came easy. It was definitely a great feeling.

“When I realized the match was done, I realized I had a shot at 300, and the pins just kept falling,” Sterner continued. “I don’t think I’ve ever bowled that good of a game under pressure, ever.

“The last shot, I liked. I thought it was a great shot, but at that point I was so ready to celebrate the win, the 300 game wasn’t even important.”

With his first PBA Tour title, Sterner also earned his first opportunity to compete in the Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions, March 26-31 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.