Carbaugh wins his first PJBT title

Cameron Carbaugh isn’t your typical 12-year-old bowler.

He takes the game seriously, competing on the Pennsylvania Junior Bowlers Tour (PJBT) and in the Saturday morning league at Hanover Bowling Centre. He carries a 145 average, owns a high game of 227 and a high series of 544.

Carbaugh recently fulfilled one of his goals when he won his first PJBT title at Colony Park Lanes North in York. The Hanover right-hander defeated Brett Shick, 153-128, in the handicap division.

Under the tutelage of his father, Steve, a member of the York-Adams Bowling Hall of Fame, Cameron is learning the finer points of bowling. These include reading lane conditions, understanding ball technology and knowing how to match the two for maximum results.

A lesson in the finer points of bowling helped pave the way for his first PJBT title.

After leading through five games of qualifying and winning his first three matches, Carbaugh was set to face Shick in the championship match. But, a change was in order.

Carbaugh explained, “I had been using my Backlash ball the entire tournament, but the lanes had started to dry up and it wasn’t working for me any more. I knew I had to change balls, but I wasn’t sure which one I should use.”

Although he’s only 12, Carbaugh already has an arsenal of a dozen bowling balls. Prior to the start of the championship match, each bowler gets two balls practice on each of the two lanes. As his father watched, Carbaugh rolled three different balls during practice, trying to determine which one would work best on the lane condition.

“After watching me, my Dad said he thought I should use The Natural ball,” said Carbaugh. “And, it turned out to be the right choice. Although I didn’t throw a lot of strikes with it, I did consistently make my spares.”

Carbaugh admitted he was nervous during the championship match, even though he was in command the entire time. “Switching balls was definitely the key,” he said.

He added, “Winning my first title was a neat feeling. Winning helped my confidence, but it didn’t make me overconfident.”

Carbaugh will continue to compete on the Pennsylvania Junior Bowlers Tour through the end of May.