ARLINGTON, Texas – Andrew Mank of Belleville, Ill. has joined an elite club becoming the 15^th bowler in history to roll a United States Bowling Congress-approved 900 series.

 

“In the ninth frame of the third game I rang a 10 pin,” Mank said. “Then a messenger came and took it out. Thank God.”

 

Mank, 22 rolled 36 consecutive strikes March 18 in the Thursday Men’s Handicap League at Bel-Air Bowl in Belleville. Everyone in the bowling center gathered behind lanes one and two to watch his final frames.

 

“The whole place went wild like a Cardinals baseball game,” Bel-Air Bowl staff member Paulette McCullough said. “We were all so happy for him.”

 

Mank, who started bowling at age 3, had several certified 300 games and 800 series to his credit heading into this season. Mank aspires to bowl professionally some day and said he is thrilled his league voted to be a USBC certified league allowing the accomplishment to go in the record books.

 

“I am glad it was certified,” Mank said. “If it wasn’t, who knows if it could ever happen for me again.”

 

 

 

 

Aker, a 47-year-old left-hander, had 36 consecutive strikes Oct. 30 in the Friday Night Mixers League at Spare Time Bowling Center. Teall, a 24-year-old right-hander, matched that Nov. 2 in the Monday Invitational League at Medford Lanes.

“It was pretty cool, and doing it with my wife bowling on the team was pretty special,” Aker said. “She usually gets nervous and can't watch, so she's only seen one or two of my previous 300 games. This time she watched pretty much every frame, which is nice.”

Aker had seven 300 games and an 825 high series before his 900 series. Teall had five earlier perfect games and beat his previous best series of 813.

“I really wasn’t thinking of a 900; all I was really focused on was getting a 200 to get 800,” Teall said. “I’m still on Cloud 9. I didn’t know what to do. People behind me were going pretty crazy but I didn’t know how to act, whether I should jump up and down or fall to my knees.”

 

Aker and Teall are the 13th and 14th bowlers to roll approved 900s, all on regular league lane conditions. There has never been a 900 on Sport Bowling lane conditions.