South Koreans make history at World Series of Bowling

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At the PBA World Series of Bowling Scorpion Championship in Las Vegas recently, South Korea’s Jun-Yung Kim, despite finishing second, earned a place in professional bowling history with his Hammer Taboos.

Kim earned top qualifier honors, averaging 223.3 for the historic ESPN TV finals where he and fellow countryman Yung-Jin Gu became the first South Koreans ever to compete in a championship for a Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title outside of the Japan Cup.

Gu (pronounced “coo”) defeated Kim in the hard-fought championship match, 236-224. Both Gu and Kim experienced misfortunes toward the end of the match. Gu missed a 7 pin to allow Kim to take command of the match, but Kim then left a pocket 7-10 split in the 10th frame which ended his hopes of winning the title.

Kim, a Korean Hammer pro staff member, used two Taboos — one for the right lane and one for the left lane. The Taboo he used on the left lane had a weaker pin and mass bias with more surface. With the right lane hooking more, Kim used a polished Taboo with the weight hole down.

“I just threw the ball two boards too far right in the 10th frame and I didn’t get the pin carry,” he said of his disappointing 7-10 shot.

Gu and Kim were part of a telecast that featured four international players, the most ever to appear on a PBA Tour telecast in the United States. Dan MacLelland (Canada) and Jason Belmonte (Australia) were the other finalists.

Hammer pro staffer Bill O’Neill was the only U.S. player to make the telecast, but he was out-gunned by Gu in the second match, 256-208, when the South Korean lefthander put together a string of six strikes late in the game to race away with the victory.

local scene

Steve Harper Jr.’s 290-802 led Monday Classic at West Side on Dec. 20, Teri Haefke had 300-787 to lead C-G Pro Shop/Ladies Trio at Wedgewood on Dec. 14 and Scott Killian had 300-703 in Kelley-Robb Classic at Bell-Wick on Dec. 16.

With 770, Haefke was also tops among Thursday Matchplay Ladies at Amron on Dec. 16, while Julie Tufaro’s 298-722 paced Hively’s Doubles at Amron on Dec. 7.

McKinley Lanes proprietor Marty Letscher had 290-771 to lead Wednesday Night Men’s bowlers on Dec. 22.

At West Side, Morris Construction won DePizzo Sausage/Champion Men’s second quarter with team members Bill Steiner, Jess Tennant, Jake Jackson, Ron Steiner Sr., Joe Steiner and Wayne Morris.

Team No. 12 of Shellaine White, Shelly Taylor, Anthony Jackson and Ron Lewis won first half of the Southern Tavern Mixed League at Mahoning Valley Lanes, where Team No. 4 of Harold and Minnie Queener won the Nanas and Papas Senior Doubles League’s first half.

At Camelot, the Baby Boomers of Cheri Hartzell, MaryAnn DePizzo, Fran Pushay and Kay Mariotti won Comets’ first half.

high school scene

In high school action against Massillon Perry, the Boardman boys lost, 2845-2827.

Boardman trailed by as many as 169 pins during the match, but succumbed by 18 pins. Jimmy Tancabel led the boys with games of 236 and 245, while John Tiberio had a 234.

Boardman’s girls defeated Perry, 2547-2338, led by Tiffany Dugan (207), Tiffany Terlecki (210) and Becca Babnic (203).

Most recently, the boys defeated the Jackson Polar Bears, 2853-2675. Boardman was led by Jonathan Tiberio, who shot 223 and 257. Robby Childs added a 205, while Zach Warchol chipped in with 211. Boardman is 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the Federal League.

Boardman’s girls downed Jackson, 2334-2125. Tiffany Dugan bowled a 215, while Tiffany Heffron added a 191 game. The Boardman girls are 3-0 and 2-0 in the Federal League.