There aren't too many adult bowlers around who can beat Chris Creeks.

And the Zelienople resident continues to compete solely in youth leagues and tournaments on weekends.

Sanctioned bowlers can stay with youth leagues until they're 21. Creeks is 19 — and in no hurry to move up.

"I can earn scholarship money if I stay with the youth circuit," he said. "I have to think about school first. Any kind of help I can get paying those bills, I'm gonna take it."

Creeks is averaging 224 this year and has rolled a pair of 300-games in his young career. He averaged 219 last season.

He began competitive youth bowling at age 6 — first going bowling at age 4 — and once lived in a house right behind Mars Lanes.

Besides attending Pittsburgh Technical Institute, he works for an industrial brake company.

Even if he wanted to join an adult league, he would struggle to find the time.

"I don't have as much free time now as I had when I was in high school," Creeks said. "I used to practice three times a week. Now I'm lucky if I practice once or twice."

Creeks' league bowling consists of the 8 a.m. youth league each Saturday at Nesbit Lanes in Plum. After his three games there, he drives to Mars Lanes and bowls three games in the 1 p.m. youth league there.

He also substitutes in a traveling youth league at Nesbit Lanes.

"Guys ask me all the time to come join their adult league or team," Creeks said. "They tease me, say it's time for me to move up to the big time, stuff like that. But it's all in fun.

"Once I get through school, I'm hoping to get some money together and try to bowl in a few regional tournaments, just see what it's like out there.

"I'd like to build some sponsorship interest and maybe turn pro down the road."

When Creeks was 14, he averaged 170. He was averaging 190 by the time he was 16. This is the third consecutive year he's averaged over 200.

"A friend of mine, Jim Ollio, has bowled in a few regionals and he's given me an idea of what it's like," he said. "Jim's bowled with Pete Weber and a lot of other big names out there."

Creeks has won the Butler County Tournament of Stars a couple of times, but he says the highlight of his bowling career to date is the pair of 300-games.

"A lot of excellent bowlers have bowled for 20 years or more and have never gotten one," he said. "I don't take them for granted."

Despite his early success as a bowler, Creeks said there is plenty of room to improve his game.

"Like any game, any sport, you have to practice to get better," he said. "If I had the time and money to practice more, I'd work on my spare-shooting.

"Spares are such a huge part of the game. You can't rely on strikes all the time."