GATES, N.Y. — Fall bowling leagues are getting rolling at a bowling center near you. A husband and wife kicked off league night by throwing perfect games at ABC Gates Bowl. No, it wasn't caught on camera, but we got them knocking down even more.

What You Need To Know

  • When you roll a 300 in bowling, it's called a perfect game

  • A perfect game is 12 strikes in a row

  • Bowling leagues are available to join at most bowling centers

League nights are pretty much date nights for Caycee and Chris Bardol. 

"Complete opposite schedules, so we just kind of just 'see you at league' I guess," laughed bowler Caycee Bardol.

They're at home at the bowling center. They grew up on the lanes. Caycee threw her first ball at age two, Chris was three. They both earned bowling scholarships for college and still compete in weekend tournaments for prize money. They love this game and they love to compete. 

"A lot of it is our friends and family. I mean, it is just all we have ever known," said Caycee Bardol. "I cannot imagine not doing this."

"We are both super competitive where we have that unique relationship that allows us to be competitive," said Chris Bardol. "My dad was a manager at a couple of different bowling centers in Rochester my entire life, so that is where I started and I haven't left."

League play just started and wow, did they really knock them down. One after another landed right in the pocket, that sweet spot, 12 times in a row. Both of them did it during Tuesday Triples on the same team, the same night and even did it throwing the same make of ball. They both throw a 15-pounder.

"He actually was the one who goes, it actually was like no, it was pretty crazy the way it all happened. I know we had never done it before so, "said Caycee Bardol.

"I had my first (300) when I was 13. It happened on my 13th birthday. Ah, yeah, this one I'll remember. This was a cool one," said Chris Bardol. 

They're modest about it all, but so far can't find any other couple on record that's bowled a 300 on the same night and on the same team in the region.

Bardol's father Ray passed away in 2020. He was a Rochester bowling legend. He's in the Rochester Bowling Hall of Fame. Chris knows his dad would be proud of how well he's still bowling.

"There's plenty of times when we are driving home from tournaments, like Tuesday night, where I said oh man I wish I could call him and tell him about this cool game," said Chris Bardol.

Chris and Caycee said they've both lost count of how many 300s they've shot. It's a lot, but what's even better is that bowling is how they met, at a Junior Team USA tournament in Las Vegas in 2008. Now that's winning!