New York bowler rolls 900 series
April 26, 2019
ARLINGTON, Texas – Jeremy Milito said he had bowled on Lanes 1 and 2 of the Farmingdale Bowling Center about five times this season and not had much success.
But, bowling on the pair again Thursday night, the 26-year-old left-hander from Patchogue, New York, told himself he would try a different game plan, and it literally worked to perfection, as he became the 35th bowler to roll a 900 series, connecting for 36 consecutive strikes during the Epic Edge Trios league.
“It was absolutely surreal,” Milito said. “Our league is a full half-side, and there is another full league on the other side of the house. By the end, people were watching, and there was a huge crowd. It was dead quiet, they unplugged the games, no announcements – it was really quiet. It was a really awesome environment.”
Milito’s achievement is pending approval from the United States Bowling Congress and would be the second perfect series of the 2018-2019 season and 36th USBC-approved 900 overall. Jonathan Wilbur of North Clarendon, Vermont, rolled a 900 series on Jan. 14, 2019.
Milito’s 900 came on the first pair of the center, and he had recently shot 640 on that pair. He explained that Lane 1 was a lot tighter, and Lane 2 hooks early, so he used a stronger ball on Lane 1 and a weaker ball on Lane 2. He stuck with the same two balls the entire series.
Milito, who is a financial analyst, also had to clear a mental hurdle he had not encountered during an 878 series, his previous best series, shot two years ago.
“My longest run from the start had been the front 18, so after the first game and a half, it was unchartered territory,” Milito said. “Even with the 878, I shot 278 the first game, then went 300-300. So, I was little nervous in the 10th frame of Game 2, because I felt if I got the first two (300 games), then I have a chance at something really big.”
He said in Game 3, it was just all about taking it slow.
“Everyone was kind of staying away from me, like a pitcher with a perfect game, and the pace was really good, everyone going when it was their turn,” Milito said.
The first USBC-approved 900 occurred Feb. 2, 1997 when Jeremy Sonnenfeld rolled three consecutive perfect games in Lincoln, Nebraska.
For more information on USBC records, visit BOWL.com/Records.
USBC-Approved 900 Series (36)
Jeremy Sonnenfeld (R), Lincoln, Neb., Feb. 2, 1997
Tony Roventini (L), Greenfield, Wis., Nov. 9, 1998
Vince Wood (R), Moreno Valley, Calif., Sept, 29, 1999
Robby Portalatin (L), Jackson, Mich., Dec. 28, 2000
James Hylton (R), Salem, Ore., May 2, 2001
Jeff Campbell II (R), New Castle, Pa., June 12, 2004
Darin Pomije (R), New Prague, Minn., Dec. 9, 2004
Robert Mushtare (R), Fort Drum, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2005 and Feb. 19, 2006
Lonnie Billiter Jr. (R), Fairfield, Ohio, Feb. 13, 2006
Mark Wukoman (R), Greenfield, Wis., April 22, 2006
P.J. Giesfeldt (R), Milwaukee, Dec. 23, 2006
Rich Jerome Jr. (R), Baltimore, Dec. 22, 2008
Chris Aker (L), Winnemucca, Nev., Oct. 30, 2009
Andrew Teall (R), Medford, N.J., Nov. 2, 2009
Andrew Mank (R), Belleville, Ill., March 18, 2010
William Howell III (L), Middletown, N.Y., Oct. 21, 2010
Matt Latarski (R), Medina, Ohio, Nov. 28, 2010
Bob Kammer Jr. (R), Crown Point, Ind., Jan. 8, 2011
John Martorella Sr. (R), Greece, N.Y., April 12, 2012
Jimmy Schmitzer (R), Riverside, Calif., April 20, 2012
James Williams (R), Pawcatuck, Conn., (bowled in Wakefield, R.I.), April 16, 2013
Joe Scarborough (R), Charlotte, N.C., (bowled in The Villages, Fla.), April 21, 2013
Todd James (R), East New Market, Md., (bowled in Laurel, Del.), March 18, 2014
Amos Gordon (R), Colorado Springs, Colo., April 11, 2014
Earon Vollmar (R), Toledo, Ohio, Jan. 19, 2015
Hakim Emmanuel (R), Stoughton, Mass., Feb. 19, 2015
David Sewesky (L), Dearborn, Mich., Jan. 10, 2016
Dale Gerhard (R), Mill Hall, Pa., Jan. 12, 2016
Sean Osbourn (R), Houston, Nov. 21, 2016
John Buchanan III (R), Evansville, Ind., Jan. 11, 2017
Sam Esposito (R), Homer Glen, Ill., Feb. 3, 2017
Brady Stearns (R), St. Cloud, Minn., March 28, 2017
Joe Novara (R), East Patchogue, N.Y., Oct. 16, 2017
Jonathan Wilbur (R), North Clarendon, Vt., Jan. 14, 2019
Jeremy Milito (L), Holbrook, N.Y., April 25, 2019**
** Pending formal approval by the United States Bowling Congress.
But, bowling on the pair again Thursday night, the 26-year-old left-hander from Patchogue, New York, told himself he would try a different game plan, and it literally worked to perfection, as he became the 35th bowler to roll a 900 series, connecting for 36 consecutive strikes during the Epic Edge Trios league.
“It was absolutely surreal,” Milito said. “Our league is a full half-side, and there is another full league on the other side of the house. By the end, people were watching, and there was a huge crowd. It was dead quiet, they unplugged the games, no announcements – it was really quiet. It was a really awesome environment.”
Milito’s achievement is pending approval from the United States Bowling Congress and would be the second perfect series of the 2018-2019 season and 36th USBC-approved 900 overall. Jonathan Wilbur of North Clarendon, Vermont, rolled a 900 series on Jan. 14, 2019.
Milito’s 900 came on the first pair of the center, and he had recently shot 640 on that pair. He explained that Lane 1 was a lot tighter, and Lane 2 hooks early, so he used a stronger ball on Lane 1 and a weaker ball on Lane 2. He stuck with the same two balls the entire series.
Milito, who is a financial analyst, also had to clear a mental hurdle he had not encountered during an 878 series, his previous best series, shot two years ago.
“My longest run from the start had been the front 18, so after the first game and a half, it was unchartered territory,” Milito said. “Even with the 878, I shot 278 the first game, then went 300-300. So, I was little nervous in the 10th frame of Game 2, because I felt if I got the first two (300 games), then I have a chance at something really big.”
He said in Game 3, it was just all about taking it slow.
“Everyone was kind of staying away from me, like a pitcher with a perfect game, and the pace was really good, everyone going when it was their turn,” Milito said.
The first USBC-approved 900 occurred Feb. 2, 1997 when Jeremy Sonnenfeld rolled three consecutive perfect games in Lincoln, Nebraska.
For more information on USBC records, visit BOWL.com/Records.
USBC-Approved 900 Series (36)
Jeremy Sonnenfeld (R), Lincoln, Neb., Feb. 2, 1997
Tony Roventini (L), Greenfield, Wis., Nov. 9, 1998
Vince Wood (R), Moreno Valley, Calif., Sept, 29, 1999
Robby Portalatin (L), Jackson, Mich., Dec. 28, 2000
James Hylton (R), Salem, Ore., May 2, 2001
Jeff Campbell II (R), New Castle, Pa., June 12, 2004
Darin Pomije (R), New Prague, Minn., Dec. 9, 2004
Robert Mushtare (R), Fort Drum, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2005 and Feb. 19, 2006
Lonnie Billiter Jr. (R), Fairfield, Ohio, Feb. 13, 2006
Mark Wukoman (R), Greenfield, Wis., April 22, 2006
P.J. Giesfeldt (R), Milwaukee, Dec. 23, 2006
Rich Jerome Jr. (R), Baltimore, Dec. 22, 2008
Chris Aker (L), Winnemucca, Nev., Oct. 30, 2009
Andrew Teall (R), Medford, N.J., Nov. 2, 2009
Andrew Mank (R), Belleville, Ill., March 18, 2010
William Howell III (L), Middletown, N.Y., Oct. 21, 2010
Matt Latarski (R), Medina, Ohio, Nov. 28, 2010
Bob Kammer Jr. (R), Crown Point, Ind., Jan. 8, 2011
John Martorella Sr. (R), Greece, N.Y., April 12, 2012
Jimmy Schmitzer (R), Riverside, Calif., April 20, 2012
James Williams (R), Pawcatuck, Conn., (bowled in Wakefield, R.I.), April 16, 2013
Joe Scarborough (R), Charlotte, N.C., (bowled in The Villages, Fla.), April 21, 2013
Todd James (R), East New Market, Md., (bowled in Laurel, Del.), March 18, 2014
Amos Gordon (R), Colorado Springs, Colo., April 11, 2014
Earon Vollmar (R), Toledo, Ohio, Jan. 19, 2015
Hakim Emmanuel (R), Stoughton, Mass., Feb. 19, 2015
David Sewesky (L), Dearborn, Mich., Jan. 10, 2016
Dale Gerhard (R), Mill Hall, Pa., Jan. 12, 2016
Sean Osbourn (R), Houston, Nov. 21, 2016
John Buchanan III (R), Evansville, Ind., Jan. 11, 2017
Sam Esposito (R), Homer Glen, Ill., Feb. 3, 2017
Brady Stearns (R), St. Cloud, Minn., March 28, 2017
Joe Novara (R), East Patchogue, N.Y., Oct. 16, 2017
Jonathan Wilbur (R), North Clarendon, Vt., Jan. 14, 2019
Jeremy Milito (L), Holbrook, N.Y., April 25, 2019**
** Pending formal approval by the United States Bowling Congress.