Tri-County Hall of Fame to induct five new members

AKRON — The Tri-County Bowling Hall of Fame will be inducting five new members during its annual Induction Dinner on Friday, June 3, at Guy’s Party Center.

Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7 and induction ceremonies to follow around 8. Tickets are sold out.

The three inductees in the Outstanding Bowling Ability category include four-time Hall of Fame Doubles champion Rocky Heater; two-time Summit County USBC Women’s Bowler of the Year Gwin Eckert; and four-time Ohio State USBC champion Mandi Testa, a Massillon resident.

Julie Molenaur is this year’s Josephine Stafinski Outstanding Service inductee. Edd Gibson also is a service honoree.

Here is a closer look at the new hall of famers:

ROCKY HEATER

Heater, who claimed Hall of Fame Doubles titles with Todd Agee, Paul Oravecz and twice with Jim Gran, captured his first adult title during the 1979 Bucyrus Open. He also teamed with Gran to win three Akron Open doubles title at the former Colonial Village Lanes. He also was runner-up in the Akron Open three times after being qualifying leader on two occasions. He also teamed with Tom Lucien to win the Akron City Doubles title.

He owns 30 career 300 games along with 26 800 series, with a high of 868. He also posted a high average of 231.

Heater captured titles all over Ohio, also finishing second in a 1984 Professional Bowlers Association event in Oregon behind Bob Learn Jr.

GWIN ECKERT

Eckert, who was a member of a women’s trio team that held the national high series during the 2009-10 season, claimed numerous titles in Summit County USBC Women’s Tournaments.

She is a four-time Summit USBC first-team member who owns seven career 300 games, with a high series of 811. Her high average is 221.

She also was a member of a five-person mixed team that posted the second high national series of 3,618 during the 2012-13 season.

MANDI TESTA

Testa’s three state doubles titles came with Debbie Rinella, Stacy Hoover and Lisa Miles, while also taking a TNBA national doubles crown with Alliance’s Nancy Scott. She was named TNBA bowler of the year in 2008, and also claimed the Ohio State USBC four-woman state title in 2021.

Testa has three career 300 games, with a high series of 804. She posted a high average of 227.

She was a member of numerous Akron WBA and Summit County USBC team champions, along with being a member of the Stark County USBC Open team champion in 2021.

EDD GIBSON

Gibson served on the Akron Bowling Association’s board of directors from 1989 until the USBC merger, serving as president during the 2004-05 season.

He is a member of the Tri-County Hall’s board of directors, and has served as sergeant-at-arms since 2005. He also was a member of the Greater Akron Bowling Council’s board of directors for seven years, serving as president for one year.

He owns a high game of 289 with a high career series of 798, with a high average of 211.

JULIE MOLENAUR

A Summit County USBC director since 2012, Molenaur also served in various positions as a director with the Akron Women’s Bowling Association beginning in 1987.

She also has held various positions with the Ohio State USBC with both adult and youth events, in addition with assisting with the Senior Olympics and Tri-County Hall of Fame. In the Senior Olympics she owns a silver medal in doubles with Rick Parshen.

She joined with Nikki Stiteler to claim the Summit County USBC women’s doubles titles in 2016 and 2020 and was a Summit USBC team runner-up.

She also has been a board member of the Tri-County Hall of Fame since 2018, and owns a high game of 300, with a high series of 730 and a high average of 201.