The 65th Pennsylvania State Bowling Association Championships ended in Butler last weekend with some unexpected area names among the leaders.

There were 1,832 five-person teams competing at Family Bowlaway and Sherwood Lanes over the past 13 weekends. There were 1,853 teams when Butler hosted this event in 1994.

David Morando of Butler - a 160-average bowler who hadn't bowled competitively for 15 years until 2002 - finished sixth in singles handicap with a 783.

"I've bowled in tournaments before, but I've always been a donater," Morando said. "I've bowled a number of 600-series, but never in a tournament setting."

Morando rolled a 621 series - 196, 206 and 219 - and picked up a handicap total of 162. He has been bowling with his wife in a couples league at Meridian Lanes for three years.

With four of its five bowlers competing in their first-ever state tournament, Zelie Lanes finished eighth in team handicap with a 3,275. The squad was comprised of team captain Jerry Higley of Prospect, James Banyay of Evans City, Robert Leonberg of Rochester, Bryan Yeck of Freedom and Dave Yeck of Rochester.

Banyay carried the highest average in the group at 193. Leonberg averages 188, the Yecks 172 and Higley 147.

"I'll be honest - I'm not a 147 bowler," Higley said. "I told my team from the start I wanted to finish first because it's a handicap tournament.

"But I'm very pleased with the way things turned out."

Jason Gonzalez, 24, of Butler, carries a 198 average and finished eighth in singles handicap with a 779. He bowled a 704-series with games of 244, 256 and 204.

"I won a bunch of trophies in YABA bowling, but this was my first state tournament," Gonzalez said. "I had no idea how good I was doing and wasn't even thinking about the top 10.

"People I was bowling with had already finished and went to check the leaderboard. I couldn't believe it when they told me where I stood."

The 2005 PSBA Tournament is in Lancaster.

"I plan on doing this again next year," said Gonzalez, who bowls in the Animals League on Saturday nights at Bon-Aire.

Ron Lehman Jr., of Lyndora finished fifth in all-around scratch with a 1,678. He was 10th in all-around handicap with a 2,149.

Lehman, 21, bowled a 279-719 in singles, 247-650 in doubles and 256-684 in team. He carries a 210 average and bowls in the Butler Men's Traveling League.

"My only goal was to do the best I could," Lehman said. "I don't bowl regularly at Family Bowlaway or Sherwood Lanes and I had heard it was a tough shot.

"I was hoping (his scores) would hold up. I heard a lot of people talking about how hard it was to score well, so I felt pretty good about what I did," he added.

Lehman's team placed 13th in handicap at the 2003 PSBA tourney in Harrisburg.

The Troy-Alan Chevrolet team in Butler County placed sixth in team scratch with a 3,096.

Outgoing Butler County Bowling Association president Mike Coyle, who will be replaced by Larry Parenti Aug. 1, said he was pleased with the feedback from out-of-town bowlers.

"These people were very, very happy with the way they were treated in Butler," Coyle said. "You're always going to get complaints about the shot and we had some of those.

"But a lot of the good bowlers who came in said it was fair, that you had to work for what you got and that's the way it should be," he added.

PSBA president Jim Bowser, also of Butler, said the tournament was "a financial success all the way around.

"The shot wasn't what we would have liked," Bowser admitted. "Some bowlers described it as difficult, even nasty. But it was the same for everybody and that made it fair."

Top 10, Unofficial Final StandingsTeam Handicapped1. Mifflinburg Moose #2 (Central Pa.) 3,5702. Roman's (Pottsville) 3,4693. Betsy's Boys (Allentown) 3,4454. Metlife Financial Services (Allegheny Mountain) 3,4145. Grave Yard #999 (Greater Pittsburgh) 3,3746. Susie's Slammers #1 (Greater Pittsburgh) 3,3727. FHA #2 (Allentown) 3,3058. Zeili Lanes (Butler County) 3,2759. Cappy's Team (Indiana) 3,27410. Charlie's Crew (St. Marys) 3,270(lowest score to cash: 2,969)Team Scratch1. Buddy Tierno's Senior Tour #2 (Bucks County) 3,2302. Howard Farms #1 (Reading) 3,2243. Plecker's Property Mgmt. (Harrisburg) 3,1804. West Reading Chiropractic #4 (Reading) 3,1125. Brookfield Pro Shop #1 (Bucks County) 3,1066. Troy Alan Chevrolet #1 (Butler County) 3,0967. LB Supply #3 (Wyoming Valley) 3,0848T. Holiday Bowl #2 (Altoona) 3,0738T. Buddy Tierno's Senior Tour #1 *(Bucks County) 3,0738T. T&J Catering (Wyoming Valley) 3,073(lowest score to cash: 2,962)Doubles Handicapped1. Jeffrey Sharp-Curtis Ober (York County) 1,6162. Greg Walter-Doug Walter (Central Pa.) 1,5963. Tony Delgros-John Carpec (Mercer County) 1,5454. Jeremy Staub-Scott Sanders (York County) 1,5125. Matthew Geesey-Dana Davis (Indiana) 1,5076. Kenneth Ritchey-James Patrick (Johnstown) 1,4987. Charles Albaugh-Dominec Yanniello (Greater Pittsburgh) 1,4828. Brian McHale-Anthony Blackwell (Pottsville) 1,4809. Eugene Jaskiewicz-Stanley Odyniec (Greater Philadelphia) 1,47710. Charles Kaczurak-Jeremy Conrad (Greater Pittsburgh) 1,473(lowest score to cash: 1,278)Doubles Scratch1. Jeffrey Sharp-Curtis Ober (York County) 1,5382. William Bauer-Timothy Foy (Pottstown) 1,4713. James Rutherford-Troy Lint (Lancaster) 1,4294. Jeremy Staub-Scott Sanders (York County) 1,4265. Tom Bilski-Jeffrey Price (Northeastern Pa.) 1,4126. James Furlong-Richard Bower (Greater Pittsburgh) 1,3987. Henry Austin-Scott Schrecengost (Greater Pittsburgh) 1,3918. Edgar Meyers-Michael Dixon (Franklin County) 1,3909. Leroy Hetrick-Jason Cicali (Pottstown) 1,38610. Scott Quinn-Kevin Quinn (Bradford) 1,375(lowest score to cash: 1,295)Singles Handicapped1. Matthew Hubley (York County) 8302. Duane Lang (Greater Pittsburgh) 7923. Denise Regits (Allentown) 7894. Chad Firestone (Reading) 7865. William Casterline (Wyoming Valley) 7866. David Morando (Butler County) 7837. Daniel Fricker (Reading) 7828. Jason Gonzalez (Butler County) 7799. Troy Toland (Carlisle) 77610. Artie Fink, Jr. (Altoona) 770(lowest score to cash: 645)Singles Scratch1. Artie Fink, Jr. (Altoona) 7702. Michael Lease (York County) 7633. Jeremy Wray (Central Pa.) 7594. William Buck III (Pottstown) 7555. Lee Robison, Sr. (Reading) 7486. Paul Alig, Jr. (Bucks County) 7467. Denny Rittenhouse (Lancaster) 7418. Duane Billotte (Altoona) 7409. Robert Hippo (Altoona) 73810. Jeffrey Campbell (Erie) 735(lowest score to cash: 672)All Events Handicapped1. Doug Walter (Central Pa.) 2,3082. Jason Kizis (Central Pa.) 2,2263. Joe Galsick (Seneca Highlands) 2,2094. Michael Laverty (Central Pa.) 2,2065. Paul Blum (Bucks County) 2,1656. Joelyn Dalesandro (Indiana) 2,1627. William Casterline (Wyoming Valley) 2,1578T. Sam Orr (Washington) 2,1518T. Eric Cathcart (York County) 2,15110. Ron Lehman, Jr. (Butler County) 2,149(lowest score to cash: 1,926)All Events Scratch1. Artie Fink, Jr. (Altoona) 2,0862. Bob Dail, Jr. (Bucks County) 2,0843. Donald Pyle (Bucks County) 2,0774. Troy Lint (Lancaster) 2,0625. Ron Lehman, Jr. (Butler County) 1,6786. Jacques Jacobson (Reading) 2,0497. Brian Chec (Mercer County) 2,0458. James Smith (Greater Philadelphia) 2,0399. Richard Graham (Lancaster) 2,02410. Ed Zeltzer (Reading) 2,013(lowest score to cash: 1,940)