Bowling column: Fradkin posts 1st 300 at revamped Circle Bowl
Mike Fradkin, 34, posted the first sanctioned 300 game at the “new” Circle Bowl & Entertainment in Ledgewood. More recently he rolled his fourth sanctioned 800, the first at the revamped center.
He rolled games of 245, 278 and 280 for an 803 with his Roto-Grip Sinister ball fitted by Robbie Varano. This was in the Hensle Trio League.
Mike is a 29-year bowling veteran, having started at age 5. “I pretty much grew up in a bowling alley,” he said. “Both of my parents (David and Carol Fradkin) bowled. They were friends with the son of the owners of the Hub bowling center in Spring Valley, New York. My mother taught me most of the basics.” Since then others helped his skills along the way. (Joe Strittmatter, forgiving any spelling errors, Shawn Aiello, the manager at Circle and Holiday Bowl, and Mike’s parents).
He averaged 228 in the Circle league. Knowing the numbers might add up to 800 toward the third game, he admitted to some nerves calculating that he needed a 270 plus game. His friends heckled him, and while he isn’t eligible for an honor award for multiple 800 series’, he said his friends are going “to put a plaque over the restroom for me.” He dedicated his 803 to his mother.
He has enjoyed posting eight perfect games over the years, but says that his finest was at Holiday Bowl in a sport shot league. Mike resides in Hackensack and is a mechanical designer at Communication Components Inc. in the same town. His bowling goal is to bowl well in nationals, posting some 700 series’ in the different events.
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Rich Cron, 51, posted his seventh sanctioned 300 game in February, this while substituting and posting only his 10th game of the year at Sparta Lanes. He used a Storm Crux Pearl fitted by Tommy Semiz. Rich has been bowling for about 27 years and got to a 214 average with help from Tommy Semiz and Brent Tishuk (“who shot his 98th 300 game last week”).
And now for the rest of the story. Rich had gastric bypass surgery at St. Luke’s Hospital, Allentown, Pennsylvania, in December 2013, dropping 125 pounds. While it sounds great, he admitted to throwing seven consecutive gutter balls at a fundraising tournament for Wayne Carney at Pin Street at Warwick, New York. It was Carney, a former proprietor and coach, who said, “You’re not throwing around a big body anymore. Tuck your elbow in.” It took Rich a year to get his game back.
By the same token, Rich has avoided knee surgery by having the weight-loss surgery. He runs now and does “all kinds of things.” Cron resides in Montague with his wife, Debra. The couple has a daughter, Lynn. He is an electrician with CW Electric, New Providence. He also is sergeant at arms with the Morris County Youth Bowling Association and vice president of the Northwest New Jersey Bowling Council.
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Calendar
Thursday: Deadline for applicants for the Emma P. Hendrickson Scholarship Award. This is a $1,000 scholarship awarded annual to high school female juniors or seniors who are certified members of the Morris County USBC Youth Association for the past 3 years. The application is available on the association website. http://www.morriscountywba.com/id38.html and click on the link to view and print. For any questions or additional information, call 201-650-3708 or email lcapgar@optonline.net.
April 2, 3, 9, and 10: The 80th Annual Morris County BA Championship Tournament at Rockaway Lanes. For more information contact Evonte Dickerson, Tournament Director, 570-730-1553 or e-mail elderdickerson@yahoo.com.
April 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, and 30, May 1: The 88th Annual NJ State BA Tournament at Lodi Lanes in Lodi, N.J. For more information, contact Albert Gonsiska co- tournament director, 973-584-4101 or e-mail agmcba@optonline.net.
April 17: The Morris County USBC WBA is hosting a bus trip to the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to help defray the costs of the association’s special achievement awards. The bus will leave the Lakeland Bus Terminal in Dover at 8:30 a.m. and pick up additional passengers at Circle Lanes in Ledgewood at 9 a.m. Cost per person is $30. Each participant will receive a $20 voucher for gambling, a $5 voucher for food and a discount coupon book for the on-premises outlet stores. Reservations are required and payment is due by April 9. To reserve a seat, contact Marilyn Kalnas at 973-617-0062.
April 17: Rockaway Lanes is hosting the second win-a-spot for the 2016 PBA Al Jones Memorial Eastern Regional Tournament (May 14-15). Check-in is 5:30 for the 6 p.m. squad. Cost is $80 per entry for this scratch tournament. For an application, go to the lanes’ website at www.rockawaylanes.com or email mgrrockawaylanes@aol.com.
May 14: The MC USBC WBA Spring meeting, fun “no tap” tournament and lunch at Bel-Pike Lanes, County Road 519, Belvidere. The meeting will start promptly at 10 a.m. Come out, meet your local officers and board of directors, elect delegates, voice your opinion, and find out what’s going on in the area. You must attend the meeting in order to bowl. Fee for bowling and lunch is $20 or you can attend the meeting and bowling or the meeting and lunch for $10. Reservation forms are in area centers and online at www.morriscountywba.com. Important: the deadline to get your reservation in is May 7. For additional information, contact Carol Chadwick at 973-398-2198 or 973-479-7508.
June 11: Annual Morris County USBC BA Hall of Fame and Scholarship Dinner at Hanover Manor. Details to follow.
June 24-26: Marianne DiRupo’s bowling camp at Holiday Bowl, 29 Spruce Street, Oakland (201-337-6516) Contact Marianne DiRupo, Camp Director at dirupo300@optonline.net or call 973-945-8222.
July 15-17: The Borden Yokobosky Bowling Camp at Rockaway Lanes.
Send in your news, tournament announcements and results, and anything about bowling to joaness2@yahoo.com or call the bowling hotline at 570-242-4709.
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