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John Lewis Rolls 870 Series

Mid-Hudson USBC Series Record

On Thursday, June 4, 2009, John Lewis set a new Mid Hudson USBC three game series record. Bowling on lanes 9 and 10 he shot games of 300, 290, and 280 for an 870 series. John edged out the previous record of 868 by two pins that was bowled by William Decker III on November 4, 2008.   

John started the night off with a 300 game but he was kind of nervous because there were already four 300 games bowled before he was to complete his game. John said, “ I was thinking that I could be the only one out of the five people to have a chance at a 300 game that I would be the only one not to get it.” But he said the ball was rolling well and he had all solid shots up to the tenth. He finished the tenth with three strikes to get his 300 game.

He started off the second game with a solid nine pin. “That ball I missed like 3 or 4 boards right and the ball drove really hard.” Then he took it off the sheet to record his 290 game. He went to get a soda after the second game when five or six people came up to him and reminded him of his shot at the series record. They were telling him “Come on, one more big game for the record!” All he could say was he was doing his best.

The third game started off with a strike and then the second frame came the stone ten pin. That’s when he started to feel the pressure of a shot at the record. He knew he had to take it off the sheet for the record but just for the added pressure a few people reminded him he had to strike out to get the record. He was also worried about winning the super bracket that night so he started striking again. He did take it off the sheet for a 280 but lost the super bracket. “I actually came in third behind a 300 and a 290 game. But my trade off was being able to set the record.”

The ball John was using that night was the “Furious” made by Storm. John has been bowling for nine years and has racked up some impressive numbers. He has thirty previous 300 games and fifteen 800 series. He got into bowling when coming to the bowling alley to watch his Uncle Dean Conklin bowl. He started bowling, a lot, pretty much every night. He credits Gene O’Dell with teaching him about the game of bowling. John is part owner of Bowler’s Edge Pro Shop in Chester.

Congratulations and great bowling John!