There might be one aspect of Mike Shenesky's bowling career that outweighs his accomplishments on the lanes: his contributions to the sport behind the scenes.

Shenesky, a native of Beaver Falls who has lived in Zelienople since 1971, has given back to the sport by serving with committees on the local, state and national levels for the past 38 years.

The Pennsylvania State Bowling Association inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 1998.

"I got involved in that side of the sport back in 1967 as a member of the Beaver Valley Bowling Association," said Shenesky. "Then, through a series of events, I made my way through the ranks."

In 1980, he was elected American Bowling Congress director. Four years later, he became the youngest President of the PSBA at age 37.

"I do look at that as a personal accomplishment," said Shenesky. "It was a product of the work and time I put in."

During his term as president (1984-85), the PSBA restructured its board of directors.

"Some of the members on the board had been there a long time and we wanted to see what some new faces could accomplish," said Shenesky. "We didn't alienate the older members; we simply made them life members; moving them along to a different position."

Shenesky, 57, hasn't missed a PSBA convention since 1967 and has served on every committee the association has to offer, including the State Tournament Committee, Legislative Committee, Junior Bowling Committee and the Hall of Fame Committee, among others.

His duties included overseeing rules interpretation and promoting the sport at all three levels.

He is currently a retired life member at the state level and remains active in the Beaver Valley Bowling Association, currently serving as its treasurer.

The sport has been such a big part of Shenesky's life - and it all started at a bowling center in his hometown.

"My uncle owned Sim's Lanes in Beaver Falls," said Shenesky. "I started playing when I was in ninth grade.

"I actually got to be pretty good rather fast, but at that time, it was just something I did because it was the thing to do on Friday nights; you know, go to the bowling alley and hang out with friends," he added.

After graduating from Beaver Falls High School in 1964, Shenesky enrolled at Geneva College. He won an NAIA doubles national championship in 1967 with partner Roger Cook. That same year, he joined the PSBA and has been involved ever since.

After college, he took a job at Butler High School

as a Spanish teacher

before moving to Butler High Vo-Tech as a guidance counselor in 1972. Seven years later, he took the same position with the Butler County Vo-Tech, a position from which he retired in 2001.

Shenesky turned pro in 1978.

"I bowled on the PBA tour for four years," he said. "I cashed in one tournament, The Pizza Boy Open in Marion, Ohio in

the early 1980s. The competition at that level is just awesome."

Along with bowling in 39 state tournaments, he's taken part in competitions all over the country, including the Peterson Classic 40 times.

Held in Chicago, the tournament attracts as many as 16,000 bowlers from all over the country. Shenesky has finished in the top six percent on seven occasions, finishing as high as sixth in 1991.

This year, he is currently 18th in the competition, which concludes Sept. 5."That's the one tournament I look forward to every year," he said. "It's so brutal out there, a tough field to compete against."His sanctioned average climbed to as high as 229 in 1998. He now sports a 206.Shenesky has also bowled more than 200 career 700 series.He began bowling in senior tournaments in 2002 and has excelled at that level as well."In 2002, I won a doubles championship out in Lewistown with Rich Bower, a retired business teacher at Butler," he said. "And just last year, the senior tournament came to Beaver Falls, to Sim's Lanes, and I took five of eight possible titles."One of his first-place finishes included the all-events title, for which he earned a spot in the national event in Reno, Nev.While there, he bowled a high game of 248 and a series of 659 for an overall finish of second place.Shenesky and his wife, Arby, have been married for 33 years."Bowling has been very good to me and my wife," he said. "It's taken us all over the country. You name it, we've been there."Shenesky still bowls at Sim's Lanes, where he has run a pro shop since 1979."It's not in the family any more," he said. "The ownership changed hands."My goal now is to enter some national senior tournaments," he said. "It be nice to see where I stack up against competition from other parts of the country."Shenesky is the only bowler from Beaver County in the PSBA Hall of Fame, but he's working to change that."The sport is very popular here and we've got some very good bowlers in Beaver County," he said. "We're trying to get more local bowlers to send their applications to the Hall of Fame."

THE SHENESKY FILE

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Name: Michael Shenesky

Age: 57

Hometown: Beaver Falls

Family: Wife, Arby

Sports Connection: Has been a fixture in the Beaver Valley bowling scene across five decades and has helped to promote the sport at the state and national levels. He has bowled more than 200 career series of 700 or better.

Inducted into:

Pennsylvania State Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 1998.