Forty-one year-old Mongaup Valley bowler William (Bill) VanAken scored his first perfect 300 game Feb. 10 in the Kiamesha Lanes Monday Men's league.

He used a Storm Hy-Road Pearl bowling ball to record the 300 on lanes 7-8.

Bill bowls with the T21 Tribe team consisting of George VanAken, Jim VanAken and Dan VanAken.

Bowling for only four years VanAken started this night off in the first game by recording 12 strikes in a row, all of which he said were in the pocket.

He followed the 300 with a 237 and a 209 for a 746 series.

VanAken presently maintains a 200 average and also bowls in the Kiamesha Lanes Friday Mixed league.

Bill is single with a girlfriend, Allison Decker and has two step children, Logan and Jenna.

He is employed by A. Alport & Son in South Fallsburg.

O'Neill wins

PBA Players Finals

A clutch performance in the 10th frame of the championship match gave Bill O'Neill a thrilling 233-232 victory over top seed EJ Tackett to win the PBA Players Championship televised live on FS1 last Saturday afternoon from Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl at Columbus, Ohio.

The 38-year-old O'Neill threw the first two strikes and a nine count in the 10th frame for the win.

The Go Bowling PBA Tour is in Lincoln, Nebraska this week for the U.S Open, the third major in as many weeks.

The stepladder finals will air Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. on FOX.

Ed's Outlook

One of the area's largest amateur bowling tournaments has set it's 2020 dates.

The 68th Annual Fox handicap tournament for men, women and mixed will run from March 28 through April 26 at the Fox Bowling Center, 24723 State Highway 97 in Hancock, NY.

The tournament last year paid out a total of $11,157 and offers prize money for men's team event handicap, scratch division, women's team handicap, singles event (handicap and scratch), doubles event handicap and scratch, the optional event and the women's optional event.

Dates and squad times include March 28 at 12:30, 4, April 4 (same times and add 7 p.m.), April 11 (same times), April 18 (same times), April 25 (same times), no bowling April 12 (Easter), March 29, 1 p.m., April 5, 1 p.m., April 19, 1 p.m., April 26 1 p.m. Limited doubles and singles April 26 at 1 p.m.

Team events are for five bowlers on a team. Handicap now is based 90 percent of 220.

Entry fee is $140 per team. The optional event is $3 additional per bowler. Singles event entry fee is $28 per person and doubles event is $56 per team.

The tournament offers a 50/50 raffle to each squad and pays for the high scratch game for men and women (for the entire tournament) and also pays for the high over average scratch in an individual series every squad, any event. There is also the optional event which includes the best two-of-three games scratch from the team event.

The 10 pin rule is in effect and team event lanes will be reconditioned before each squad.

All entries must be accompanied by total entry fee and make checks or money orders payable to William Gleim, tournament manager.

For additional information call or fax 607-637-4401, email foxbowl@verizon.net or go to Fox Bowling Center on facebook.

Bowling Tip

By Mike Luongo

The nasty old 10 pin and why the 10 pin won't fall.

One of bowling's greatest sources of frustration is the 10 pin. It's typically the hardest single-pin spare to pick up, and it often remains standing after what seemed like a perfect strike ball.

If you're consistently leaving the 10 pin, most likely it's your entry angle.

Take note of what the 3 and 6 pins are doing the next time you're bowling. If you see the 6 missing in front of the 10, you're coming in light, and if you see it hitting behind, you're coming in heavy.

If you're coming in light, move one-half to two boards on the approach but keep the same target and move 4-to-6 inches back on the approach again keeping the same target.

The fixes for coming in heavy are exactly opposite from what you would do if you were coming in light.

The 10 pin will likely forever perplex right-handed bowlers, but if you pay attention to your shots and to what your ball is doing, you can correct things before they get too bad.

Mike Luongo is a Certified IBPSIA Pro Shop Operator, Master Instructor, USBC Silver Level Coach and an Advisor-Special Events Assistant with the Storm and Roto Grip Bowling Ball Company. Have a question, email him at mike.luongo@stormbowling.com.

BOWLING SCORES

BEECHWOOD LANES

Villa Roma Mon. Ladies

Barbara Cady 188, Lindsey Bauer 158, Joyce Brooks 168, Tracy Puerschner 166, Pam Wayne 170, Lillian Zieres 174, Pat Peters 150.

PORT JERVIS BOWL

Thursday Ladies

Carol Flynn 105, 247, 156, 508, Josephine Zych 115, 155, 223, 493, Celeste Fitzpatrick 140, 188, 144, 472, Charlene VanHorn 179, 118, 153, 450, Bobbie Palmer 170, 138, 122, 430.

FOX BOWLING CENTER

Wednesday Men's Independent

Zuke Wormuth 223, 253, 216, 692, Donnie Marino 223, 201, 619, Scott Wahl 253, Rob Johnson 239, 229, 637, Bill Gleim 214, 231, 643, Brian Drumm 236, 620.

Thursday Night 3

Dan Wormuth 232, 618, Rick Mills 216, 585, Dan Keesler 214, 614, Gino Jones 204, 601, Ray Cornwall 210, 244, 258, 712.

Friday Couples

Dan Wormuth 221, 247, 658, Jen Smith 205, 210, 569, Tia Robinson 194, Mike Dufton 265, Shawn Card 255, 617, Andy Bullis 211, 232, 204, 647.

Sat. Youth Mixed

Ethan Dennis 111, 262, Landon Fuller 133, 352, Davis Herzog 135, 329, Olivia Johnston 119, 311, Alex Mosher 168, 315, Carter Wormuth 157, 384.

Sunday Mixed

Reva Jones 190, 514, Dick Layton 558, Don Marino 203. 571, Rick Mills 215, 565, Paul Siegler 513.

KIAMESHA LANES

Monday Men's

Tom Skiff III a 236, 192, 264, 692, Pedro Agapito III a 258, 258, 245, 761, Jaryl Scott 222, 213, 246, 681, John Jashembowski 255, 236, 179, 670, Damien Van Leuven 224, 266, 178, 668, Robert Feeney Sr. 222, 258, 182, 662.

Tues. Mixed Firefighter

Kyle Giordano 256, 279, 233, 768, Jon Wilhelm 205, 255, 278, 738, Nancy Severnak 223, 185, 161, 569, Harry Dennis 206, 222, 248, 676, Mary Lee Williams 191, Jack Rustic 226, 204, 236, 666, John Hoffmann 269.

Friday Mixed

Chrissy Loucks 158, 179, 202, 539, Mikayla DeGraw 158, 233, 156, 547, Esther Barber 192, 170, 170, 532, James VanAken 187, 279, 204, 670, Charlie Tuttle 217, 218, 258, 693, Serafin Rodriguez III a 215, 258, 214, 687, Eddie Lake 222, 249, 192, 663, Pedro Agapito III a 223, 266, 255, 744.

Ed Townsend is a Public Relations Consultant to the Sport of Bowling and brings over 60-years of sports journalism experience in writing and compiling the information for this column. If you have league or tournament information, bowl a 300 game or an 800 series, let Ed know at 845-439-8177, email to edwardctownsend@hotmail.com or fax to 845-205, 4474. View this column and Ed's photos at http://bght.blogspot.com We are also on Facebook and Twitter.