Dave Swoboda didn’t even notice the crowd gathering behind him at Echo Lanes last Saturday night.

Friday, November 10, 2000

Dave Swoboda didn’t even notice the crowd gathering behind him at Echo Lanes last Saturday night.

"I was focusing on the lanes," the life-long Austin resident said.

The crowd started gathering about the eighth frame of Swoboda’s first game in the Saturday Night Split mixed couples league. Swoboda’s score card showed nothing but eight X’s at the time – eight consecutive strikes.

Swoboda nailed perfect strikes on his next three balls as well, leaving him one away from the fourth perfect 300 game of his career.

"I was more nervous throwing the last ball of that game then I was the rest of the night," he said. Swoboda threw another perfect ball to cap a perfect game and went on to have a near-perfect night.

Swoboda followed his 300 game with scores of 269 and 259, giving him an 828 series, the highest ever bowled at Echo Lanes.

"The bowling gods were in my favor," Swoboda said. "Everything went exactly perfect. It felt so easy it was scary."

Swoboda rolled 26 strikes in a row at one point, and finished the night with 32 strikes in 36 frames.

He said it was the second time in his life he has bowled an 800 series, but the first time he’s done so in sanctioned league play.

"After the 300 game, my main goal was just to shoot the 800 series," he said. "I could’ve cared less about the (high series) record, I just wanted 800."

Swoboda sharpened his bowling skills by participating in the CBA tour, a league that toured five states. He estimates he participated in the league 20 years ago or so, but the lessons he learned are still with him.

"It smartens you up a lot to go against the best bowlers in a five-state area," he said. "The competition was real stiff."

It would’ve been hard for anyone on the CBA tour to take down Swoboda last Saturday. Echo Lanes manager Mark Pregler said Swoboda’s feat was an amazing one to watch develop throughout the night.

"I can’t imagine how much pressure it must add," Pregler said, "to have everyone for six lanes on either side of you to be stopped and watching."