CANTON — When Tiffany Schmitt went in to bowl her doubles and singles shift for the 101st Stark County USBC Open Championships, she was curious about the all-events standings.
“They told me it was only the first night for singles and doubles so they had nothing yet,” the 53-year-old North Canton right-hander said. “So I came out on Wednesday and bowled with a second doubles partner and looked at the standings. It was like, ‘oh my gosh, it’s me at the top.’
“I was very shocked.”
Schmitt didn’t fall from that position for the rest of the tournament, finishing with 2,234 to become the first woman to capture the handicap all-events title in the tournament’s history. She added 129 pins of handicap after starting team event with 669, followed by 722 in doubles and 714 in singles.
“In doubles and singles, I just felt like I normally do,” said Schmitt, a licensed pharmacist for SelectRX, said. “I just used one ball and it just matched up perfectly with that pair. The other people on the lanes were nowhere near my shot.”
Schmitt, who used a Storm Crux Prime for the entire tournament at Eastbury Bowling Center, was playing straight up around the sixth to eighth board.
“The lanes were just really good to me,” said Schmitt, who was participating in the event for only the second time after bowling most of her career in Summit County.
“Last year, I bowled a ladies league at Eastbury, but I hadn’t been there since,” added Schmitt, who averages 207 in that league.
This season, she bowled two leagues at Park Centre and every other week at Spins Bowl Akron, averaging 204 and 214 at the Jackson Township center.
In doubles, she bowled with her husband, Ralph, and they just missed cashing among the top 17. But Schmitt’s total placed her in a tie for ninth overall in singles with 757, including handicap.
“Our team was our Sunday night group, but we didn’t do so well, even though we had fun,” Schmitt said. “I bowled last year with my husband also, but I had a good set there.”
Schmitt also made history in another way. Earlier this season, she captured the women’s all-events title in the Summit County Open Championships, finishing with 2,198 at North Woods Lanes in Macedonia.
During that event, she finished with 715 in team and 753 in doubles to go along with 690 in singles. She is believed to be the first woman to claim titles in both counties in the same season.
“Last year our team placed fourth overall in Stark,” said Schmitt, an Akron Ellet High School and Ohio State University graduate.
But she had a better run during her second appearance.
She also got a little free publicity earlier this season on WONE-FM in Akron, since she bowled in a league sponsored by the station.
“I had the women’s high game and high series,” said Schmitt, whose high game during the Stark tourney was 279, leaving only a 10-pin in the sixth frame.
Schmitt finished 25 pins ahead of Canton’s Travis Secrest in the handicap division. Brady S. Forrester topped the actual all-events with 2,254.
“I’m still shocked by the whole thing,” Schmitt said.
See complete results here:
ANNUAL MEETING SET
The Stark County USBC Bowling Association’s annual meeting is set for 7 p.m. May 25 at Champions Event Center, 340 Mississippi St. SE in North Canton
Election of officers, state and national delegates and directors will be held along with consideration of legislation. Prize money and awards from the Stark County USBC handicap tournaments also will be presented.
Attendees must show their USBC sanction cards to gain entrance.