USBC Communications
ARLINGTON, Texas – Steve Meyer of Spencerport, N.Y., is no stranger to stepping up in big moments and delivering strikes.
The talented right-hander has continually proved this on the national stage at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, which includes a win with Mento Produce in Team All-Events during the 2019 event in Las Vegas.
The 46-year-old showcased this ability once again Nov. 7 in Rochester, N.Y., as he stepped into the record book as the 44th bowler to achieve a 900 series in USBC-certified competition. His perfect showing occurred during the 55th Annual Maury Hayes 700 Club Tournament at Domm’s Bowling Center.
The performance netted Meyer the title in the tournament’s scratch portion and allowed him to become the second bowler to roll 900 at Domm’s Bowling Center – John Martorella Sr. had 36 consecutive strikes during the Knox Amusement league at the 16-lane center on April 12, 2012.
In all, a total of eight perfect sets have been rolled in New York.
Martorella’s 900 took place on Lanes 5-6. Meyer’s favorite pair at the center is 3-4. His historic performance took place on 15-16.
“My favorite pair in the house is 3-4 – not 15-16,” Meyer said. “I was running a little late Saturday, so my best friend (Robert Gustke) drew for my lane. He sent me a text saying he picked 15-16. I started busting his chops when I got there – you really had to draw this pair. It had not been nice to me in the past, and I normally bowl like 640 to 650 on it. But we got to bowl together, so he was on the pair, drew the pair and it all happened in front of him.”
Gustke’s ball choice during practice also influenced Meyer to choose the same ball to start the set.
“I was practicing with the 900 Global Portal and liked the way it was reacting, but he had pulled out his (Storm) Ion Pro Pearl and it looked really good,” said Meyer, who rolled an 867 series at Domm’s in 2004. “So, I decided I’m going to throw this and see what it does. I literally threw it in the first shot in the first frame. I had maybe a game and a half on that ball, too.”
Meyer noted that he had to move a couple of boards to the left and soften his speed late in Game 2 after seeing his ball slightly labor to the pocket, but he was able to maintain his streak of strikes as he settled in for the homestretch of Game 3.
After securing the strike in the ninth frame of the final game, he did his best to focus on what he could control leading up to his chance at history.
“When I got the ninth one in the third game, I told my best friend I never thought in a million years that I’d be sitting right here with the front 33,” Meyer said. “When I was going up, I noticed everybody down at the end had stopped bowling and moved toward the pair I was bowling on – I tried not to look at anything. I kept looking at the floor.
“The first shot was probably the best one I threw all day. I got it to where I was looking, and it split the 8 and 9. I chased the second one a little bit because I was amped up and getting a little nervous and thought it might leave a weak 10, but then I got the light mixer.”
He considered his 35th strike as his biggest break of the set but maintained his routine and took care of business on his final delivery.
“I wanted to slow down, take my time, take a couple sips of water and just go and throw it the best I could,” said Meyer, who was inducted to the Rochester (N.Y) USBC Hall of Fame earlier in the year. “I was praying to my mother above. I said, ‘I know you’re with me right now and know you want to see this. If this happens, it’s because of you.’
“I got the final shot a little right and hoped it wouldn’t over hook, but I had enough speed on it and it labeled the pocket.”
After recording the final strike on Lane 16, Meyer began to make his way across the approach to celebrate. The first individual to catch up to him was Martorella, whose family has run Domm’s Bowling Center since 1971.
“John was the first one to chase me down,” Meyer said. “He high-fived me and gave me the biggest hug. He said, ‘I cannot believe you did this,’ and I asked him, ‘Did this just really happen?’
“He told me, ‘You just bowled 900 in my center and made history.’ It still really hasn’t set in to be honest.”
Meyer was thankful to many in helping him along the way but noted the impact he’s seen in his game and confidence he’s had to throw his best shots in the biggest moments since joining the Mento Produce and Lakeview Lanes teams at the Open Championships.
His first appearance with the group was in 2019, and he said winning the Eagle with them that year was “a dream come true.”
Since that trip, Mento Produce has compiled three top 10s in Team All-Events (second in 2025, third in 2022 and eighth in 2021) and broke a record that had stood since 1996 with their performance across the 45-game marathon during the 2022 event.
Meyer also had a front-row seat to Derek Magno’s victory in Regular All-Events during the 2024 Open Championships and the record-setting number posted by Dean Distin and Michael Tryniski at the 2026 event to win Regular Doubles.
Individually, Meyer has averaged more than 214 across his 20 appearances at the Open Championships and sits in the top 25 on the tournament’s all-time average list.
“Over the seven years I’ve bowled with those guys, they have made me a better bowler,” Meyer said. “Listening to those guys, the lessons they gave me, how they treat me and everything like that – they help me. When we need something big, these guys trust me for a reason and I’m on these teams for a reason. I can make these shots when they need me to. I really have to thank the people I put myself around, and I have to thank those guys.”
Meyer became the third competitor to roll a perfect series in 2026, joining Erik Howard of Louisville, Ky. (Feb. 25), and Dylan Macon of Lubbock, Texas (June 18). It marks the most in a calendar year since 2017, when four bowlers achieved the feat.
The first USBC-certified 900 occurred Feb. 2, 1997, when Jeremy Sonnenfeld rolled three consecutive perfect games in Lincoln, Neb.
USBC-CERTIFIED 900 SERIES (45)
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
Andrew Granite (R), Elverta, Calif., Nov. 10, 2025
Erik Howard (L), Louisville, Ky., Feb. 25, 2026
Dylan Macon (R), Lubbock, Texas, June 18, 2026
Steve Meyer (R), Spencerport, N.Y., Nov. 7, 2026