CANTON — Despite being 70 years old, Jeremiah Cheatham still bowls every day.
“I’m bowling five leagues a week right now,” the Canton right-hander said. “There are days when I bowl two leagues in the day and night.”
Despite retiring from his former job as a welder, Cheatham also remains active as owner-operator of Fantastic Floors.
“I’ll bowl, then go to work, then go back and bowl,” Cheatham said.
Although he has 27 300 games in his bowling career, Cheatham had never eclipsed the 800 series mark, his high being 776.
“There were a few times when I thought I had it. But I would shoot 257 or 250, missing a spare or something, and miss it,” he added.
But that all changed recently in the Las Vegas Mixed league at Eastbury Bowling Center, where Cheatham bowls all his league play.
He put together games of 279, 289 and 257 for an 825 series, his first USBC-sanctioned 800.
“I’ve had some health problems, when my legs would suddenly cramp up,” Cheatham said. “But that night, my legs were feeling good and my arm swing was good.
“I told the guys I was going to take all four jackpots in the league that night. They told me I hadn’t had a 700 in the league yet. I told them I probably wouldn’t shoot 700, but I think I can get an 800 before that. Sure enough, I did.”
In his opener, Cheatham left a solid 8-pin in the eighth frame. In Game 2, it was a 10-pin in the 10th frame that denied him a shot at 300.
He then started with the first five strikes in Game 3 and knew he was on his way.
“The guys kept telling me, just keep getting spares,” said Cheatham, who averages between 195 and 207 in his league play. “And that’s what was on my mind after I had the first five.”
He then added a double late to secure his first 800.
“That night, I didn’t go to work before I bowled. It was a position round night and I wanted to make sure my legs were OK,” said Cheatham, who used an Ebonite Gamebreaker 3 for his milestone series. “The Gamebreaker 2 and 3 have been reliable for me and I trust those balls.”
Cheatham will walk back one thing he told his friends.
“I told them that if I ever shot 800, I was going to retire,” Cheatham said. “I’m still going to cut back with work and everything. When I finally stop working, maybe I’ll go back to bowling some more. I work when I want to.”
But after his first 800, how can he cut back?
“It just really felt good to finally get that one,” Cheatham said.