Mercer HOF ceremony Feb. 28

Five area bowlers will be inducted into the Mercer County bowling Hall of Fame on Feb. 28 at the Radisson Hotel in West Middlesex, Pa.

The inductees are: Bill Allen, Thomas Koch, Kenneth Stull, William Waclaski and Debbie Walter.

Cocktails will be served at 5 p.m. with dinner at 6.

Tickets can be purchased through Wednesday by calling Charlie Knott (724-342-9782) or Donna Stewart (724-264-4404).

Allen has been bowling 25 years and for 20 in the Mercer County USBC, formerly the Mercer County Men’s Bowling Association. His high three-game series is 803, high game is 300 and high league season average of 220.

Began as a 16-year-old high school junior in the Nazarene Fellowship league at Greenville Bowling Center. Most memorable achievement happened in 1986 when Bill bowled, at the time, the highest three-game sanctioned series in Greenville. His 773 was also the highest three-game series in the county that year.

His five-game scratch total of 1190 earned him Bowler of the Year at Greenville Bowling Center in May, 1990. In only four appearances in the Pennsylvania State Men’s Tournament, he twice placed in the top 10 in scratch doubles out of nearly 4,500 entries with his doubles partner, Ken Runge.

Koch has been bowling over 51 years, many in the former Mercer County Bowling Association. He holds several high average awards, five 300 games and countless 700s. He started with duck pins at age 7 at the Buhl boys club and finished at age 14 with an average of 121.

He started tenpin bowling in 1965 at the Thornton Hall Bowling Lanes in the Knights of Columbus league with his father.

Koch has bowled in over 12 leagues at Sunset Lanes, Celebrity Bowl and Hickory Bowl. He also bowled across the border at Bell-Wick, Holiday and Lincoln Knolls.

In 1973, he turned pro and joined the PBA until 1976 with greats such as Dick Weber, Earl Anthony and Walter Ray Williams. In 1976, he joined Brunswick as manager at its Express Lanes in Atlanta. He bowled with Atlanta Braves Phil Niekro for Muscular Dystrophy and, together, raised $100,000. To this day, Brunswick continues the MD campaign at its centers.

Stull was a member of the former MCBA for more than 25 years. He started at age 12 at the former Z & Z Lanes and has eight perfect games and a career-best 816. He holds the four-game county record of 1082. Has over fifty 700 series and 500-plus 600s.

He has held season-high averages of 217 three times in the Hempfield Independent League at Celebrity Bowl.

He was a PBA regional member for eight years. He served as Mercer County director for the past five years as well as vice-president for two years.

Waclaski was a MCBA member for over 40 years with high average of 197 and several 300s, with his first rolled at the Hickory Recreation Cener in 1956. In 1955, he bowled his first 298. He carried a 190-plus average for over 10 years.

In 1954, he teamed with Howdy Moore and was the state tournament’s doubles scratch champion with a score of 1267. In 1962, Waclaski and partner Ollie Porreca won the state doubles handicap with 1426.

Walter has been an avid bowler for over 30 years. He had the high series of 722 in 2003 in the Sunday Jolly Four league at Celebrity Bowl. She has three other 700 series and numerous 600s with a high game of 290 in 2004. She has a high sanctioned average of 197.

She has been Bowler of the Year finalist at the former Z & Z Lanes (Celebrity Bowl) several times and a two-time Bowlerof the Year champion at Greenville Bowling Center, including a shared title with her husband in 200.

Debbie is a Shenango Valley team, doubles, singles and all-events champion and a Mercer County Bowling 700 club doubles winner. She has participated in several state and national tournaments.

Jim Wellington and Tom Panagopoulos had 300s in the Boardman Businessmen’s league at Boardman Lanes and they weren’t far off in their sets, either: Wellington’s 747 to Panagopoulos’ 744.

Yolanda Marshall’s 299 game paced the Wedgewood Ladies Trio on Feb. 10. Marshall finished with a 657 three-game set and 825 for four.

My apologies for printing that Tammy and Teri Haefke are mother and daughter when they’re not.

Tammy and Teri are sisters, not mother-daughter. Linda is their mother.

bassetti@vindy.com