Jim Bowser has worn many hats in his bowling life.

He is a longtime secretary of the Butler County Bowling Association. He has served as an area director and he climbed the various stages of the state vice presidency to serve a year as president of the Pennsylvania State Bowling Association.

But in 25 years of state tournament bowling, the 59-year-old Butler resident had never been a state champion.

That changed in November when Bowser joined forces with Dave Barshinger, Frank DeLarme and Sharon DeLarme to win the team handicap title at the 39th annual PSBA Seniors Tournament in York.

Bowser knows all three of those individuals through serving on the PSBA board. None are from Butler County.

Barshinger is from York, the DeLarmes are from Grampian and Frank DeLarme serves as tournament director for numerous PSBA events.

"Henry Kern, another area director, has been our fourth bowler in the seniors tournament," Bowser said. "He couldn't join us this year because of health issues.

"Frank's wife, Sharon, is a very good bowler and she filled in for him."

The foursome bowled under the team name BBD and had a score of 2,915. That was good for a 1-pin victory over Werkheiser #1 of Monroe County.

"We didn't bowl until the next-to-last week of the tournament," Bowser said. "The runner-up team bowled the final week.

"Their last bowler needed a strike on his final shot for them to win. He rolled a nine-count, so we got it."

Age eligibility for the seniors tournament is 55 and Bowser competed in the event for the third time this year. He and Barshinger placed 25th in handicap doubles with a 1,346.

As for his performance in singles, Bowser said: "I showed up. … We'll leave it at that."

Bowser's previous high finish in the team category of a state tournament was sixth in the 2002 PSBA men's competition at Altoona.

He teamed with Tom Schiebel, Jake Atwell, Mike Coyle and current BCBA president Larry Parenti at that event. Bowser broke his wrist while bowling that same year.

Bowser has been bowling in tournaments with Atwell, Schiebel and Coyle for 25 years now.

Bill Fay and Bowser finished second in doubles at the VFW Tournament in Oil City a year ago.

Bowser took a 185 average into the seniors tournament. His highest single season average was 204 two years ago at Sherwood Lanes.

"I'm not so much into the competitive side of bowling anymore," he admitted. "But it is still enjoyable. It's the camaraderie that makes the sport so good."

Bowser bowls in the Tuesday night Strikes & Spares League and in the Thursday night Magnetics Mixed League, both at Family Bowlaway.

He substitutes on Monday nights in the Imperial League at Sherwood.

"You never know what's gonna happen on a given night," Bowser said. "Jim Gray bowled a 300-game in the Imperial League one night and my team swept his the following night at Family.

"You smile, you have a good time, everybody's still friends after you're done — that's the nature of the game. There's 70 million people bowling in this country now, so somebody likes it."