Micah Grilley: Bowler of the Week

Bowler: Micah Grilley, 11, of York.

Latest bowling accomplishment: Rolled his first 200 game at East Lincoln Lanes.

I started bowling: At East Lincoln Lanes when I was three years old.

Bowler I have learned the most from: Tracy Bair.

Best bowling advice I ever received: Hit your mark and follow through.

Parts of my game I’m working on improving: Focusing on the 10^th frame and hitting my mark consistently.

Bowling appeals to me because: My entire family bowls and I know a lot of other people who bowl.

Advice I would give to someone just starting to bowl: Keep the ball on the lane and follow through.

Non-bowlers don’t realize: How exciting bowling can be. Most of them think it’s boring.

The toughest part about bowling is: Being consistent from week to week.

Future goal: Roll a 300 game.

Note: Hanover Bowling Centre hosts a six-game singles 700 Club Tournament at noon on Sunday, March 13. Cost is $25 per person. For more information, call 632-2695.

Bowler of the Week is submitted by the York County Bowling Proprietors Association. To nominate a bowler, send email to bowleroftheweek@gmail.com.

Bob Myers: Bowler of the Week

Bowler: Bob Myers, 61, of East Berlin.

Latest bowling accomplishment: Rolled his first career 300 game at Lincolnway Bowling.

I started bowling: At Weiglestown Lanes more than 20 years ago.

Best bowling advice I ever received: Don’t over think the game.

Bowlers I have learned the most from: John Fuhrman and Ralph Dasher.

PBA bowler I enjoyed watching: Earl Anthony.

Most memorable bowling moment: When my VFW team won the VFW tournament at Nellie Fox Lanes.

Part of my game I’m working on improving: Making the 10-pin.

Bowling appeals to me because: It keeps me active in the winter.

Advice I would give someone just starting to bowl: Don’t give up.

Future goal: A perfect game had been my goal for a long time. Now that I have one, I can’t think of another goal. It’s a great feeling to finally get a 300. I had been close several times.

Note: The Calvin Campbell Memorial Youth Singles Tournament will be held March 26-27 and April 2-3 at Lincolnway Bowling. More than $5,700 in scholarships will be awarded. There are four age divisions. Entry fee is $13 per bowler. Entries must be turned in to the youth program coordinator/coach no later than Saturday, Feb. 26.

Bowler of the Week is submitted by the York County Bowling Proprietors Association. To nominate a bowler, send email to bowleroftheweek@gmail.com.

Hanover bowling team sets county record

Pella Corporation team members recently had their sights set on a big prize at Hanover Bowling Centre, but they unknowingly ended up with an even bigger prize.

The team of Barry Gulden, Neil Smith, Don Smith, Brent Hunter and Adam Baer knew they had a chance at the Hanover Bowling Centre team record of 3,656.

The Thursday night squad tallied 3,757 pins, shattering the house record by more than 100 pins and the county record by two pins.

Neil Smith led the way with an 814 series, while Hunter added a 782. Don Smith, Neil’s father, contributed a 724 series and Baer was close behind with a 722. Gulden chipped in with a 715.

The previous county team record was 3,755, set by Dan Ledwith, Ben Marvel, Rick Bretz, Bob Workman and Jake Hawkins at Suburban Bowlerama in 2009.

“We knew what the house record was, but we had no idea what the county record was,” said Hunter. “I don’t know if it would have helped us or not. I think we’re glad that we didn’t know. That took some of the pressure off of us.”

Don Smith added, “No one knew that we had set the county record until the next day. I’ve been bowling a long time, but I’ve never been on a team where all five guys rolled a 700 series.

“There are a lot of good bowlers in York County, and I’m just flattered to be part of team that set the county record.”

Gulden said, “I’m amazed what we accomplished. We’ve had some good matches this year, but the difference this night was that our light hits were carrying. We have five guys who are capable of rolling big games, and everyone had a good night.”

Neil Smith confessed that he was too nervous focusing on a possible 800 series to think much about the county record.

“Once I rolled the first strike in the 10^th, I knew I had my 800 series,” he said. “I was able to relax a little after that.”

He added, “Being part of a record-setting team with my dad is very special to me. It was an unforgettable night.”

Baer said the team missed a chance to substantially pad their county-record total. After getting off to a quick start, Baer said neither team member rolled a strike in the 10^th frame of the first game.

“After I rolled my first practice ball, I felt we were going to score big,” offered Hunter.

“There was a lot of area to play.”

Pella Corp.

Barry Gulden 252 216 245 715

Neil Smith 279 235 300 814

Don Smith 258 239 227 724

Brent Hunter 256 237 289 785

Adam Baer 218 269 235 722

Total 3,757

Andrew Miller: Bowler of the Week

Bowler: Andrew Miller, 19, of Loganville.

Latest bowling accomplishment: Rolled a 300 game and a 760 series at Lion Bowl.

Bowlers I have learned the most from: Cory Moore and Jeff Parker.

Best bowling advice I ever received: Keep your emotions under control.

I started bowling: At Springfield Lanes when I was six years old.

My most memorable bowling moment: Rolling my first 300 game in March of 2010.

PBA bowler I enjoy watching: Bill O’Neill.

Part of my game I’m working on improving: Adjusting to the changing lane conditions and making the appropriate moves.

The toughest part about bowling is: Throwing strikes.

Advice I would give someone just starting to bowl: Learn from any one who’s willing to help you. A lot of bowlers are willing to help, if you ask them.

Future goal: Roll an 800 series.

Note: The 72^nd Annual Pennsylvania State Bowling Association Championships will be held March 26 through June 19 in Altoona. Entry fees are $125 for team, $50 for doubles, $25 for singles and $7 for all-events. Final entry deadline is midnight June 1.

Bowler of the Week is submitted by the York County Bowling Proprietors Association. To nominate a bowler, send email to bowleroftheweek@gmail.com.

Green rolls back-to-back perfect games

Chad Green admitted he was somewhat embarrassed by all of the attention.

But when you roll back-to-back perfect games like he did recently at Colony Park North, you are guaranteed to draw a crowd and have news of the feat spread faster than Hollywood gossip.

Green became only the eighth York County bowler to put together back-to-back perfect games en route to an 823 series. His strike streak reached 27 before he was stopped by a 9-pin in the fourth frame of the third game.

After chalking up his ninth career 300 game in the opener, Green continued striking.

“Around the sixth or seventh frame of the second game, I thought, ‘I need to pay a lot of attention.’ I didn’t want to get distracted and lose my focus,” said Green, a 38-year-old right-hander.

By the 10^th frame, a crowd, hoping to witness a piece of local bowling history, had started to gather around Green’s lanes, and Green heard bowlers in the background discussing his chances of back-to-back perfect games.

“My adrenaline was pumping, but I was actually very calm,” he said. “I reminded myself not to rush and do everything the same way I had all night.”

After burying two more strikes, he was on the verge of an once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“I was still calm, my legs weren’t shaking and I was feeling confidence,” he said. “I was trying to block everything out of my mind. When the ball came off my hand, I was confident it was going to be a strike.”

There was no doubt about the final strike, which unleashed a barrage of high fives and congratulations.

Although he was ecstatic, Green wasn’t ready to take the rest of the night off. He knew he still had a shot at Adam Mobley’s house record of 866.

A disastrous 4-7-10 split in the sixth frame, however, ended his quest. Green described it as an “errant shot,” one that he bumped out too far on the lanes.

“I really wanted the house record,” said Green. “But you can’t be too disappointed after rolling back-to-back perfect games.”

Hanover team rolls rare triplicate

Call it a fluke, a rarity, a once-in-a-blue-moon event.

The Kuhn Brothers Oil team in the Thursday night league at Hanover Bowling Centre recently rolled a triplicate of 1,006.

The team of Doug Raber, Steve Raber, Bill Spangler, Ken Appler and Dan Strausbaugh Jr. tallied 1,006 pins for three consecutive games. A team triplicate is rarer than converting the 7-10 split.

“We knew a team triplicate was a possibility after the second game, but no one actually thought we would do it,” said Steve Raber. “No one was keeping track of the score. It’s not the kind of thing you have much control over.”

Spangler noticed that in the last frame of the game anchor bowler Doug Raber needed to convert the 10-pin for another 1,006 game.

“It was neat that Doug converted the 10-pin,” he said. “It’s not often a team gets a chance to record a triplicate.”

While the team doesn’t receive any kind of award from the USBC for the accomplishment, it’s still special.

“I was shocked by the triplicate because it’s not the type of thing you can set out to do,” offered Doug Raber, who owns a pair of individual triplicates. “I’ve never heard of team rolling a triplicate.”

Although Appler didn’t realize the team finished with a triplicate until weeks later, he said, “We just come out to have fun, so it’s cool to be part of something so rare. It’s nothing you could ever predict.”

All the team members agreed the feat is much tougher to accomplish with a five-man team.

“An individual bowler has far more control over his score than a five-man team does,” pointed out Spangler. “It’s a matter of a lot of luck, at least until you reach the 10^th frame with your anchor bowler.”

The Kuhn Brothers Oil teammates averaged 201 per bowler each game. Doug Raber led the way with a 728 series, while Steve Raber followed with a 658 series. Spangler chipped in with a 645 series. Ken Appler and Dan Strausbaugh Jr. rolled series of 551 and 436, respectively.

The teammates, who have bowled together for more than 10 years, said the best part of the night was beating their opponent, Siddonsburg Garage. Kuhn Brothers Oil won 17.5 of the 23 points.

Shoemaker sets his sights on bowling in college

Cody Shoemaker is accustomed to his high school friends not taking bowling seriously. Some of them don’t think bowling is even a sport. It doesn’t bother Shoemaker.

The fact that the 17-year-old right-hander from Hanover averages 220, owns a 769 series, finished seventh in a national high school tournament in Indianapolis last year and has won three Pennsylvania Junior Bowlers Tour (PJBT) events this season doesn’t impress them.

Of course, they have no idea how difficult Shoemaker’s achievements are. After all, he makes it look easy.

They don’t see how many games he practices a week, how he studies other bowlers and how he’s constantly adding to his knowledge about the game.

“Cody is very motivated and focused,” said Joel Logan, who helps coach junior bowlers at Suburban Bowlerama, where Cody bowls on Saturday mornings.

“He’s a student of the game, constantly seeking out others for advice. Cody has worked hard at improving his game.”

When Shoemaker started bowling at South Hanover Lanes three years ago, he averaged 150. His grandfather, Earl Shoemaker, helped spark Cody’s desire to improve his game.

“Bowling appeals to me because everyone in my family bowls and I grew up around the sport,” said Shoemaker, who is turning heads on the PJBT Tour, which attracts the top junior bowlers in the region.

In addition to three titles this season, he is the points leader and has earned more than $1,400 in scholarship money. He sports the best match play record, going 36-15 and winning 70 percent of his matches.

The Hanover high school senior has set his sights on competing for a college bowling team. He hopes to attend Saginaw Valley State in Michigan, where pro bowlers Bill O’Neill and Tom Smallwood attended.

“I met Dan Brown, coach of the Saginaw Valley State team this past summer at a PJBT tournament in Allentown,” said Shoemaker. “He liked my game, encouraged me to apply and try out for the team. I hope to be accepted and try out for the A team.”

Shoemaker plans to major in business management with the hopes of running a bowling center some day.

“Cody has a lot of potential,” stressed Logan. “He has a lot going for him. I expect him to bowl for a college team.”