Bolanders have banner night

As his fellow bowlers came up to congratulate Andrew Bolander on his record-breaking series, a few managed to take a playful dig at the 29-year-old from Weeki Wachee.

"They told him, 'You couldn't let the old man have his night,'" said his father, Doug Bolander.

The elder Bolander, a 49-year-old electrical contractor from Weeki Wachee who owns Avalon Electric - where his son also works - had shot a 300 earlier on Aug. 26 at Spring Hill Lanes.

He finished with a 771 series (300-203-268), which would leave him with a 257 average following the first week of the Joni Classic 2010-11 winter season.

Yet he walked out of the bowling center nearly 30 pins short of high average for the league, as Andrew Bolander rolled his own 300 in the third game en route to a house record series of 858.

"It was definitely cool," the younger Bolander said. "It was pretty wild to see us both shoot one. I've never seen that happen too much.

"... That's (having the house record) awesome. It's pretty amazing to me still to realize I shot 858."

Record-setting performance

Andrew Bolander broke a Spring Hill Lanes record of 855 previously shared by Jay Olsen (Oct. 3, 2002) and Joe Correa (Aug. 23, 2006).

That stood as the county mark until Jason Mahr's 878 at Mariner Lanes on Aug. 7, 2007. Rich Garner also surpassed it with an 858 at Mariner on Dec. 29, 2008.

Bolander put together back-to-back 279 games, each time leaving a 9-count and converting the spare in the third frame. In the first game the right-hander hit the pocket high and left the 8-pin standing. A light hit in the second game resulted in the 10-pin staying up.

His other 34 balls thrown that night resulted in strikes, including his final 21. He fell just two strikes short of the ultimate perfection - a 900 series.

"It was just one of those nights. I couldn't miss," Bolander said. "I was comfortable. The shot was there. Everything was in the pocket. I didn't throw a bad ball at all. It was pretty amazing."

Bolander estimated that he now has six sanctioned 300s, but up to that point he had never registered an 800, with his high being 798.

"I was definitely focused on an 800 way more than the 300," Bolander said. "I definitely wanted the 800. It was something I haven't done yet and I absolutely wanted to shoot one. It was nice to shoot a big one."

Last season, Bolander's average took a significant jump to 224 in the Mike's Auto Body & Repair League at Spring Hill Lanes.

Since enduring surgery on his left knee a few years ago, he said he has had to cut back on the considerable hook he puts on the ball with a classic cranking style.

"I throw less of a big hook and a straighter shot," Bolander said. "It's definitely made me more consistent."

High standard

Probably not consistent enough to maintain his 286 average that resulted from his landmark season-opening performance, though fortunately for him the league allows three weeks to establish a new average.

Nevertheless, he appears to have reached the same level as his father, a left-hander who has averaged above 220 consistently for several seasons. He finished at 229 in Mike's Auto Body & Repair for 2009-10.

Bowling a 300 is nothing new for him, either. He estimated that he has five in total since he picked up the game in 1990, and he posted his first official 800 with an 803 at Spring Hill Lanes on Feb. 23.

If not for a lack of carry in the second game, when he left six 9-counts, he might have been able to roll an 800 on the same night as his son.

"I had one of those shots that fit me perfect," Doug Bolander said. "I had a little bit of area where I could do nothing wrong."

He almost pulled off a rare feat of his own, and one that would have made this father-son achievement even more impressive. While Andrew was marching toward a 300 in the third game, Bolander had a perfecto going though the first eight frames.

Though he didn't manage to bowl a 300 simultaneously with his son, nor post a pair of 300s in the same series, it still resulted in a memorable night for the family.

"I guess it's nice to know both of us bowled good and it got a little recognition for us," Doug Bolander said. "I started him bowling as a 10-year-old in YABA (Young American Bowling Alliance). He's had some problems with his knee. He's been up and down.

"He's changed his shot a lot. He's learned to straighten his shot out. The last year and a half when he wants to bowl he can bowl great. I guess it makes me proud to know he's as good as he can be."

By the Numbers: Andrew Bolander - 858
Game 1
1 2 3  4 5 6  7 8 9  10
XX9/ XXX XXX XXX - 279
Game 2
1 2 3  4 5 6  7 8 9  10
XX9/ XXX XXX XXX - 279
Game 3
1 2 3  4 5 6  7 8 9  10
XXX XXX XXX XXX - 300