ARLINGTON, Texas – Desron Weatherspoon of Buffalo, New York, thought his wave of great bowling was ending prior to Jan. 18, as he had thrown three perfect games during the month of December. That all changed on Saturday as the 42-year-old right-hander achieved what only 39 others have in the history of the sport: a United States Bowling Congress-certified 900 series.

His fortunes turned around just prior, as he shot 300 to close out his Wednesday night league on Jan. 15 before the record day during his Saturday Elite Bowling league at AMF Airport Lanes, ending the week with four straight 300s.

“It still feels like a dream for me,” said Weatherspoon. “I was riding a wave in December, but I hit a little rough patch this month. So, I thought it was over, and it was good while it lasted.”

Weatherspoon’s previous high series was 834 back in 2019, so heading into his final game on Saturday, he had the confidence that he was about to set a new personal high. The Buffalo bowler had 16 300s and six 800s to his name prior to Saturday, but shooting 900 was not what was going through his head.

“This is bowling; a 10 pin can be lurking out of nowhere,” Weatherspoon said with a chuckle. “When I carried the ninth frame (during the third game), it really started setting in for me that I had a chance at history here.

“I threw the first one in the 10th, then the second one and the ball might as well have been 30 pounds when I picked it up for the final one. I was breathing hard and trying to control that while also just wanting to throw a good ball and give it a chance. When I let it go, I was so happy that I got it off my hand.”

It became a moment in bowling history when the 36th shot connected for a strike and it was, as Weatherspoon put it, “pandemonium” in the center.

“Adrenaline just took over,” Weatherspoon said. “It was so crazy and so unbelievable. Here we are just a few days later, and I still don’t believe it.”

Not only was his wife there to watch, but other bowlers he knew caught wind of potential history being made and rushed to the center, with one friend, who was at a nearby store, even leaving his grocery cart in the middle of the store to catch Weatherspoon cap off the series.

“It was crazy even after it happened and I’m looking around wondering why certain people were there because they don’t even bowl on Saturdays, but having them there was a real great thing.

“I’m the president of that league, and we call it our fun league because there’s good bowlers and beginner bowlers and we just really have fun there. With everybody being there, cheering me on…it was crazy.”

With his accomplishment, Weatherspoon will join a small group of bowlers to finish with a 900 series, etching his name in the history books after first picking up a bowling ball at 10 years old.

“It means a lot,” said Weatherspoon. “I genuinely love the game, and to be a part of history in my own city and my own backyard is going to be crazy. I’ll still be there in the history books when I’m long gone and forever associated with the sport I love and given so much to and that I’ll continue to give so much to.”

The series is pending approval from the United States Bowling Congress. If approved, it would be the seventh perfect set in New York and the 41st USBC-certified 900 overall.

Robert Mushtare of Fort Drum was the first to roll a 900 in New York in December of 2005, while Jeremy Milito of Holbrook was the latest to have a perfect set in April of 2019 prior to Weatherspoon.

The first USBC-certified 900 occurred Feb. 2, 1997, when Jeremy Sonnenfeld rolled three consecutive perfect games in Lincoln, Nebraska.

For more information on any USBC records, visit BOWL.com/records.

USBC-Certified 900 Series (41)
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
Wesley Low Jr. (L), Palmdale, Calif. (bowled in Glendale, Ariz.), July 19, 2020
Cody Schmitt (R), Elkhart Lake, Wis., Nov. 16, 2021
Stephen Kosela (R), Ambridge, Pa., March 13, 2022
Bryan Deck (R), New Castle, Ind., June 20, 2022
Desron Weatherspoon (R), Buffalo, N.Y., Jan. 18, 2025**
**Pending formal approval by the United States Bowling Congress