GIRL, 17, BOWLING 'EM OVER; SIMI TEEN EARNS SPOT ON NATIONAL TEAM.

Byline: Angela Randazzo Daily News Staff Writer

Jackie Edwards was just 14 when she bowled her first perfect 300 game - not bad for someone who had taken up the sport just two years earlier.

Now 17, Edwards has added two more perfect games to her impressive record, along with a first-place finish at the Junior Olympic Gold Team USA competition held recently in Reno, Nev.

``When I shot my first one, I never thought I would get it that soon. I was pretty surprised,'' she recalled of the first 300 game. ``I knew, just getting better, I would do it again. It was just a question of time.''

The young bowling star is confident, but not cocky.

Edwards has earned $12,000 in scholarship money from tournaments, including a $5,000 scholarship for winning the Reno tournament last month.

Yet Edwards said bowling still is a lot of fun and she has no immediate desire to turn professional.

``I could probably compete with (professionals) now, but I'm not ready. I'm just not old enough,'' Edwards said. ``Right now it's all fun and exciting because every tournament is new and different.

``I have a goal to strive for and I enjoy meeting competitors from all over.''

Edwards, along with the top five winners in Reno, will represent the United States in national and international bowling competitions. In January, she will travel to Colorado to the Team USA bowling facility for training to improve her game for the Team USA competitions.

Edwards' talent has garnered her more than prestige. She has accumulated the scholarships and is being courted by several colleges with bowling teams, including Arizona State University.

However, the recent Royal High School graduate plans to attend California State University, Northridge, at least for her freshman year.

``I wanted to stay close to home the first year,'' Edwards said. ``I'll consider transferring to join a collegiate team next year.''

Edwards, also a member of the Greater L.A. Junior All-Stars, practices at Harley's Simi Bowl.

Competing in two or three tournaments every month is just fine for Edwards because she doesn't much enjoy practice sessions.

``I practice here at Harley's whenever I get the chance. I can bowl five games in an hour, so that's my practice,'' she said. ``I actually don't like practicing because it's boring.''

Her house average is 218 and she averages 204 on the road. With 21 titles under her belt in the girls league, Edwards recently joined the open league, which includes boys, for tougher competition. ``The boys are normally better bowlers. They don't like it when girls beat them,'' said Edwards, who has won two open titles.

Edwards' parents, Kathy and Doug, are avid bowlers and introduced their daughter to the sport five years ago. Father, mother and daughter each have bowled a 300 game - making them, according to the Bowlers' Almanac, only the second family trio in the country to accomplish this feat.

Doug Edwards, an attorney with CBS, acts as her coach. Kathy Edwards helps run the junior league at Harley Bowl.

Robert Smith, a Simi Valley resident who recently turned pro, also has coached Edwards. Smith, who recently finished fourth in the AC Delco Classic, is impressed with the young bowler.

``She's unbelievable,'' Smith said. ``She is the best girl junior bowler in the nation.''

Whatever lofty highs she might reach, Edwards is a young woman with her feet on the ground.

``Once you learn the basics, the mental game takes over,'' Edwards said. ``I'm determined to do my best.''

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3 Photos

PHOTO (1-2--Color) (Ran in Simi and Conejo Edition only) Jackie Edwards, 17, has earned a total of $12,000 in scholarship money from tournaments, including a $5,000 scholarship for winning a competition in Reno, Nev., last month. Below, Edwards, a member of the Greater L.A. Junior All-Stars, practices at Harley's Simi Bowl.

(3) (Ran in Valley Edition only) Jackie Edwards, 17, of Simi Valley already has bowled 3 perfect 300 games.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News