Harvischak rolls third 800 series

Robert Harvischak was charting new territory.

Entering the 10th frame of his last game in the Wednesday Night Bowladrome League on Nov. 25, the 20-year-old Campbell native sensed the importance of the moment.

“It was different knowing that I was on the verge doing something that no one else had done down there,” Harvischak said. “I knew what it meant to me and what it meant to everyone down there.”

Harvischak had two previous 800 sets before, but none at Bowladrome — the 8-lane establishment in a cement-block building at 56 State Street in Struthers.

Nor had anyone else.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous,” Harvischak said of the frame that he filled with three strikes to finish with a third-game 259 that finalized an 828 set, the first at Bowladrome, an alley that opened in 1946.

“It was a very big deal to the whole house,” Harvischak said of the accomplishment.

Entering the 10th frame, Robert was sitting on a 199 game — and 768 set.

“Everyone stopped and looked on,” the young man said. “I took a rest, stepped up and didn’t waste time. I didn’t want to let any doubt creep into my head at all,” he said before striking out.

“I had a good look to start,” Harvischak said of his evening that began with a 300 game. “I noticed after the first game that the ball was hooking, so I made a little move to compensate and I was set for the rest of the night,” he said of finishing with 269 and 259.

“It’s only an 8-lane house, so everybody was aware,” Tom Janosik, Bowladrome’s proprietor of 36 years, said of the significance of the 10th frame facing Harvischak.

“If anybody was going to do it, he could,” Janosik said. “It’s long overdue for him. He executed every shot well. He’s a young talent. We’re very proud of him.”

The previous best set was 788 by Brian Auman about 20 years ago,

While the 800 was ground-breaking, 300s are also rare.

“We have maybe one a year,” Janosik said.

Being situated at the bottom of a hill where cold and dampness may affect pin action, Bowladrome might not enjoy the most propitious conditions.

However, that may change since Janosik replaced the wooden lanes with synthetic in the summer of 2006.

“Because it’s built into a hill, the carry gets funny at times,” Harvischak said. “The colder it gets, the worse the carry.”

Have synthetic surfaces lessened the handicap?

“Yeah, you could say that,” Harvischak said of Bowladrome, one of three area alleys with the new material.

There’s a definite improvement and the scores reflect it.

“For sure,” said Harvischak, whose 800 was his third.

His first was an 838 on July 25, 2007 in a junior/adult league at Boardman Lanes, then his second an 836 on Feb. 2, 2009 at West Side Lanes.

The 300 was his fifth, but third at Bowladrome, where he carries a 227 average on Wednesdays.

Harvischak, who evolved through Bowladrome’s junior leagues, also worked at the alleys from age 15 to 19.

“I was a pin-chaser, worked the desk, cleaned up. I did a little of everything,” he said.

With a league-leading 229 average, Harvischak is the top bowler on the Wasko Funeral Home team along with John Luc, Bob Cochran, Dan Simerlink and Justin Malmfeldt.

Currently in his third year at YSU, the 2007 Campbell Memorial High graduate is majoring in math. His minor is statistics.

Eventually, he wouldn’t mind mixing math and sports statistics for a livelihood.

Susan Mineo’s 287-728 paced the C-G Pro Shop/Wedgewood Ladies Trio on Nov. 24.

Barb Bartoletti, with a 157 average, rolled 159-252-209 — 620 in Camelot Queens on Nov. 24, while Sherry Provitt, with a 108 average, rolled 171.

Mike Taninecz’s four-game set of 785 led the Friday Nite Sweeper at McKinley.

At Wedgewood, Golden Gals’ Shirley Miller — a.k.a. the sticker secretary — submitted her latest scoresheet for Nov. 23 including — what else — a turkey!

XJohn Bassetti writes about bowling for The Vindicator. E-mail him at bassetti@vindy.com