NORTH CANTON — Paul Sanko III was preparing to participate in the Ohio State USBC Open Championships and wanted to do some comparisons.
He decided to bring out his old bowling equipment to see how it performed versus some of his new balls.
Over a two-week period art Park Centre Lanes, Sanko discovered his old equipment worked just fine.
Using a 15-year-old Raw Hammer Toxic in the Sharpshooters league, Sanko rolled his fourth 800 in the past 12 months and followed it the following week with his 19th 300 game. His 800 was his ninth overall.
“I just wanted to see if the old stuff was different than what I have now,” the 44-year-old Massillon right-hander said. “I just wasn’t getting the carry I expected from my new stuff. Obviously, there was a difference.”
During his 800, Sanko had games of 245, 279 and 276. His last 800 came during the Stark County USBC Open Championships last year at Eastbury Bowling Center, his third of the 2021-22 season.
The night did not start well as Sanko missed a 10-pin spare in the first frame. But then he ran off the next seven strikes before mixing strikes and spares into the 10th frame.
After shooting 279 in Game 2, leaving only a 10-pin in the fourth frame, Sanko had himself set up for another 800 run. But his math was a bit off.
“I started off with two in a row and then left a bucket in the third frame and converted,” Sanko said. “When I got in the 10th, I thought I was on a 279 pace and had some extra pins too play with.
“But I had miscounted. So I added again, and when I got up in the 10th, I realized I needed them all for the 800. It was a little nerve-wracking at that point, but it was a solid shot on the last one and I put 10 in the pit.”
Sanko, who is employed by Troyer’s Dutch Market in Massillon, said his line changed very little through the night.
“It stayed pretty much the same, except I had to throw a little harder to get through where the straight bowlers were playing,” added Sanko, who was playing from 13 to 10 board.