3 to enter Butler County bowling Hall
Fewer than 40 people can call themselves Butler County Bowling Association Hall of Famers.
Jeff Suchonic, Bill Fay and Joe Caparosa Sr. will join that exclusive list Saturday night at the BCBA's annual Hall of Fame induction dinner at the Tanglewood Center.
Suchonic, 44, has been a BCBA member for 30 years. He served as president of the Meridian Couples League and vice president of the Casino League.
Inducted for his bowling ability, Suchonic posted a career-high average of 228 in the City League last year. He owns eight 300 games, five 299 games and 10 games of 11 strikes in a row.
"It's amazing. I never would have dreamed this would ever happen," Suchonic said of his selection for the Hall.
Suchonic owns five 800 series, including a career-high 856 in 2004. He bowled 33 strikes in 36 frames that night.
"I know I'll never do that again," he said. "That was just one of those nights when everything fell."
His top moment in bowling occurred during the Butler's Best Tournament, an event in which 20 of the BCBA's top bowlers teamed with youths to form doubles teams. They bowled for scholarship money for the youngsters.
"I rolled a perfect game in my third game of the set," Suchonic recalled. "When I had 11 in a row, I turned around and there were 75 kids watching me.
"I just thought to myself: 'You better not screw this up.'"
Suchonic teamed with his wife Lisa, and Bob and Cathy Thompson to win the Butler County mixed team championship seven consecutive years. He also was county singles scratch champion in 2006 and singles handicap champion in 2008.
Fay, 70, also is being inducted for bowling ability. A BCBA member for 46 years, primarily at Sherwood Lanes. He owns eight career 300 games, four 299 games, one 298 and nine games of 11 strikes in a row.Fay posted his career high average of 213 in 2008, his career-best 843 series and most recent perfect game last year."I just bowled a 299 last week," he said. "I served as a league secretary in my leagues for years. Since I stopped doing that, I've been able to concentrate on my bowling."Fay is averaging 221 this season. He won the Ike Pawk Memorial Award in 2004 and was awarded a plaque in 2008 for 25 years of participation in USBC tournaments.Fay also became the first head coach of the Butler High team last winter, leading the girls to a fifth-place finish in the state and the boys to a second-place league finish."I get as much pleasure helping them succeed as I do bowling myself," he said.Currently, Fay is chairman of the Bowl with Butler's Best Tournament and is a certified coach in the USBC youth program.Caparosa, 89, is being inducted for 54 years of meritorious service to bowling in Butler County.He bought Penn Lanes in 1954 and remained an active bowling house owner until selling Bowlaway Lanes to his son, Joe, in 1980."Dad has always stayed involved in the business," Joe Caparosa Jr. said. "He's had a lot of influence on bowling in this area for a lot of years"
Caparosa's biggest contribution may have been his teaming with Ernie Bauer to begin a bowling program for handicapped children at Penn Lanes in 1958. His work continued with Pat Byerly and the Special Olympics Butler County program.To this day, the Special Olympics bowling program at Family Bowlaway is the oldest in the nation."That's the achievement he's most proud of," Caparosa said of his father.Caparosa also helped promote Bowling on the Radio and was part of the initial group of proprietors to organize youth leagues on Saturday mornings.Through the 1960s, Caparosa was a partner in Bowlaway Lanes on Hansen Avenue, Bowlaway Annex (Tanglewood), Paul & Ann's Bowlaway in Valencia and Shenango Bowlaway off Route 422.He was instrumental in advancing the distribution and use of early versions of automatic lane conditioning machines as well.Doors open at 6 p.m. Saturday with dinner at 7. Tickets are $15 for students, $25 for adults and are available by calling the BCBA at 724-285-3323 or Jim Hepler at 724-316-3660.
