Things were looking up, however, as the 27-year-old bowler had posted his first career 800 series – an 805 – in late January. But nothing prepared him for the following Wednesday night in the Sam Adams Sportsman League at Beaver-Vu Bowl.
Carter-Tolbert rattled off 12 strikes to start off the night with his second career 300 game. The first was several years earlier and he had topped out with 288s and 289s in recent years.
“I was getting to the 10th frame, but not the last shot,” he said.
He sent a quick photo of the score to his family and was ready for Game 2. And Carter-Tolbert picked up right where he left off with his second perfect game of the night – 24 consecutive strikes.
“When I got to the seventh frame and hadn’t missed, I realized I had a chance for another one,” Carter-Tolbert said. “I sent another picture.”
He left a 10-pin in the first frame of Game 3, finishing with night with an 856 series – which, to-date, is the highest men’s series recorded by the Greater Dayton United States Bowling Congress this season. Shannon Pluhowsky leads all bowlers with an 858 series. James Gant Jr. (857) and Michelle Hensley (822) posted the men’s and women’s high series during the 2024-25 season.
“Everything just lined up for me,” Carter-Tolbert said. “I used the same ball all three games and maybe moved two boards the entire night.”
Carter-Tolbert bowled for La Salle High School in Cincinnati before being recruited to bowl at Wright State University. He competed for a year with the Raiders before leaving the team to focus on academics. He graduated with a degree in communications in 2020.
But leaving the collegiate ranks didn’t mean leaving the sport behind as he joined adult leagues at Beaver-Vu and even picked up a part-time job at the Beavercreek bowling center. While he works for Tesla, he still clocks in at Beaver-Vu once a week, working at the desk.
His teammates and co-workers were happy to celebrate his success.
“I definitely felt a little like a celebrity,” he said with a smile.
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