The Cecil-Harford 700 Club opened its ninth season of competitive bowling last weekend at Fair Lanes Edgewood.
On Oct. 11, the 700 Club had four games of qualifying with stepladder finals. Approximately half of the 70-plus membership competed for the $250 top prize.
Mike Schuster of Edgewood threw a 194 game to top Gene Sines' 189 for the title. "Those 194-189 games were the lowest scores of the finals," said Chuck Dippenworth, tournament director. The 194 was the lowest game that Schuster posted in the tournament.
The Cecil-Harford 700 Club is open to local bowlers who have had a three-game 700 series. The club will conduct eight tournaments this year with a point system allocated to each tournament that is used to qualify bowlers for lifetime membership in the organization.
Tim Criss of Bel Air, a PBA member, was the first to acquire the necessary 10 points to become the first lifetime member.
Schuster took the first step toward that lifetime membership with the tournament win.
Bowling since he was 15, Schuster currently bowls in four leagues: Monday at Country Club Lanes in Middle River, Tuesday at Bel Air Bowl, Wednesday and Thursday at Edgewood Lanes. His high game is a 299 and his high series is 745.
Last year he posted a 217 average and picked up his Professional Bowlers Association card.
"I feel pretty good about bowling in the PBA regional tournaments," he said. "In my first year I cashed in two out of three tournaments I entered."
Those finishes were for 47th and 52nd place against the best tenpin bowlers in the area.
In the four-game qualifier, Schuster averaged 220 with games of 226, 213, 200 and 244. That made him third-seed for the stepladder finals. In his first game in the finals, he threw a 247, followed with a 233 in the second game, and against top-seeded Gene Sines had his worst game of the tournament, 194. It was enough for the $250 first-place prize.
Youths overrun Forest Hill
Kathy and Milton Skopinski are starting their first season as youth directors at Forest Hill Lanes and that includes being involved in the All Star Travel League for the youngsters.
"There are approximately 300 members bowling on Saturdays at Forest Hill," Kathy Skopinski said.
"We have to run three shifts to accommodate them. I think that's a tribute to Forest Hill Lanes. I believe they have the best youth program in the county. And our coaches are great."
The league will bowl a 15-week schedule starting today. It ends March 21. It's broken into two divisions, the Unlimited Division for ages 15 and older and the Junior Division for 14 and under. Both divisions are handicapped at 80 percent (80 percent of 220 for the Unlimited and 80 of 150 for the Juniors).
A child needs only to meet one age requirement to be included in either division. Teams have four members, and four-game series are bowled. Young American Bowling Alliance rules apply in all instances not covered in the league rules.
Tournament news
NTC
Forest Hill Lanes is playing host to a 9-No Tap Singles Tournament with teams bowling on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. it's open to all ABC/WIBC sanctioned amateur bowlers and has a guaranteed first prize of $500.
* The Harford County Women's Bowling Association will present the 29th annual Local Championship Tournament at Aberdeen Proving Grounds Bowling Center on Nov. 7, 8, 14 and 15.
Entries close Nov. 1.
Pro shop owner scores big
Pat Dare, owner of the Strikeline Pro Shop inside Forest Hill Lanes, rolled a 734 series in the Classic League on Sept. 22.