By Mark Gregory
Sports Editor
@Hear_The_Beard
mark@buglenewspapers.com
There was a little history being made in Lockport over the weekend.
Former Lockport High School bowler Sam Esposito bowled a perfect 900 series during his regular league play at Strike N Spare II Lanes in Lockport on Friday, Feb. 3.
“I never thought I would come close to this,” He said. “I was shocked and I couldn’t believe it. That 36th strike I got out four to five boards right of where I wanted to throw it and luckily it came back.”
The feat is awaiting approval from the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) and once approved, will be only the 32nd 900 series ever recorded and the second ever in Illinois.
“It is crazy,” he said. “I never thought I would even be close to doing something like this.
Andrew Mank of Bellevue bowled the first Illinois 900 on March 18, 2010.
Esposito, who bowled for the Porters from 2005-09, said the day started out like any other.
“I started to work at 4:30 that morning, I was actually late to bowling and three and a half hours later it happened,” he said. “I still can’t believe it.”
Esposito’s 900 series came almost 20 years to the day of the first USBC approved 900 on record, when Jeremy Sonnenfeld of Lincoln, Nebraska set the standard Feb. 2, 1997.
Esposito, 26, said he only had two or three sanctioned 300 games in his career, although he had bowled several in practice. His previous high series was 822.