Hanson strikes for record

Mike Hanson is on a roll.

The 36-year-old sixth-grade teacher at Cooper Elementary School strung together 30 consecutive strikes March 30 at Valley Bowl that included back-to-back 300 games.

Bowling in the Kings Distributors league, where he carries a 227 average, Hanson left the four pin with the seventh ball in his third game, converted the spare and went on to run off five more strikes for a 279 game and city-record 879 three-game series.

He added a 224 in his fourth game for a 1,103 four-game score, missing by a pin the city record of 1,104 set earlier this year by Lyle Elo at Lilac Lanes. The old city three-game record was 868 by John Prescott during the 2000-01 season.

The state three-game record is 889.

The big night continued a sizzling stretch for Hanson. He won the Spokane Masters in late January and finished second March 25-26 in what is regarded the best singles scratch event in the Northwest, the Ringing 10 Scratch Classic in Butte, Mont.

Hanson, who started bowling at age 5 to join his father and mother, Jim and Sandy Hanson, and three siblings who were already involved in the sport, is no stranger to 300 games. He bowled his first in 1989 in Portland as a freshman on the Washington State team. These were his 26th and 27th.

“He put 36 balls in the pocket,” said Jim, who was on hand that night watching his wife, who was subbing on Mike’s team, as well as his son. “He should have had three 300s. There was just that one stubborn four pin.”

The only other recorded back-to-back 300s in Spokane league action were by Roger Twiss in 1979 at Sports Page. Twiss also was in the house watching Hanson that night. Dave Matthews rolled two 300 games in the same series in the King Distributors league a little more than a year ago, but they came in the first and third games.