CANTON — Despite owning 60 career 300 games, Frank Testa admitted nerves got the better of him during the 102nd annual Stark County United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
In Game 1 of the team event at AMF Hall of Fame Lanes on April 23, both Testa and his wife, Mandi Testa,, had the first nine strikes.
“It was the first time in a long time that I was nervous going for a 300,” the 41-year-old Massillon right-hander said. “I was extremely nervous for her and I couldn’t calm myself down off of that.
“It was the first time in a long time that my legs were shaking like that. But it was fun.”
Mandi finished with 287, leaving a 2-4-8 spare on her second ball in the 10th frame. Frank, battling the nerves, had 298 — leaving a 3-6 on the final shot.
“It just went through the face,” Testa added.
But the night was just beginning — for both Frank and his family.
Testa followed Game 1 with games of 269 and 245 for an 812 series, his 57th career 800, but first this season.
But bowling with Mandi and her three children, Kamryn, Andrew and Cooper Smith, the Ten Back Pro Shop team finished with 3,406 actual and 3,562 with handicap to capture the Open team title by 36 pins over Gribble Painting (3,526).
“It was the first time we have been able to bowl all five of us together,” Frank said. “We bowled in a national event five or six years ago, but Kamryn was too young at the time.”
Mandi, who captured the Stark County USBC Women’s Championships actual all-events title the previous week, finished with 697. Other team scores were Cooper Smith with 716, Andrew Smith with 610 and Kamryn Smith with 571. All were over their averages.
But the night belonged to Frank Testa, who “finally got that monkey of my back.”
RUN FOR 800
After his 298 in Game 1, Testa came back with the front eight strikes in Game 2 before leaving a 4-pin. In Game 3, he had a pair of four-strike runs and remained clean for the night.
Testa started with the Ebonite GB4 Hybrid and transitioned to the Hammer Black Widow 2.0 Hybrid in Game 3.
“I was pretty deep to start and I was surprised how much the front part of the lane hooked,” said Testa, who bowled just the Northeast Ohio Travel League this season due to his responsibilities as owner-operator of Ten Back Pro Shop at Park Centre Lanes.
“I had to focus on loft the ball out on the lane a little bit as opposed to laying it down early. The first couple of practice shots, I couldn’t get it to the pocket … just going through the face. But when I lofted it a little and it glided through the front part of the lane.
“I looked down and it looked like there was about a three-inch strip right past the foul line that looked like it had no oil. That told me I couldn’t get the ball down early and that was a big key.”
He admitted that having another team of five left-handers on their pair also was a key.
“We had the advantage there,” Testa admitted. “They didn’t break down near as much as if we would have had eight or nine righties. Cooper was the closest to me, but he still was about an arrow right at all times.”
LIFE CHANGES
It has been a year of change for the Testas, who opened their first pro shop in August. At the time, Frank still was employed by Cleveland Clinic.
“I thought this was going to be a nice little hobby, but this has exceeded our expectations 100 percent,” Testa said. “It’s been truly awesome and I’m just so thankful to everyone.
“I got a lot more joy out of bowling this season. Not me bowling personally, but hearing the stories from people coming and telling me they had their personal highs or shot 300 with something we drilled. That just gives me more motivation to make everyone’s experience as good as possible.”
But the added responsibilities also led to a decision to do the pro shop work full-time.
“I just couldn’t keep up with everything,” said Testa, who finished the NEOTL with a 229 average. “But it also allowed me to get more time out on the lanes myself. At the end of the first half, I was around 206 and miserable. My mind was everywhere but the lanes.
“But once I made the change (leaving Cleveland Clinic) and ironed out some issues physically throwing the ball, everything started to get better.”
League bowling next year is in doubt for Testa.
“I want to make the pro shop available to league bowlers every night,” Testa said. “Bowling in the travel league, I felt I was neglecting the Thursday leagues, and I felt bad about that.”
But for now, it’s on to the USBC Open Championships in Reno, Nev., the remainder of this week and occasional summer tournaments.
“Until this year, I hadn’t won a singles tournament in two years,” Testa said. “Then I get a win in West Virginia and another one in Erie (Pa.). It’s been a really good five-month span. I just trying to keep everyone on an even keel, focus on the same things, and have those good vibes transition into the shop.”
And a big finale for the 2022-23 season helped.
“I’d been close in travel league a couple of times but came up short,” Testa said. “In both situations, I made the shot I needed to make, but the pins just didn’t fall.
“So I made sure to stay aggressive and let the pins fall where they may. This time, they did.”
