By BILL SNIER
NORTH CANTON — The Federal League player of the year topped the field in scratch all-events, but it was the doubles champions from Saturday along with a couple of Lake twins and their partner who stole the show Sunday.
After 66 players participated in singles and doubles, 22 teams showed up Sunday at Park Centre Lanes for the trio portion of the Stark County USBC’s Mini-City Youth Tournament, which also determined all-events winners.
North Canton Hoover High School senior Chase Wensel, who led the Stark County High School Bowling Conference in average this season at 228.6, shot 653 during the trio portion of the event to finish with 2,003 total pinfall to top the scratch all-events division by just four pins over Coventry freshman Wade Allen (1,998), with Green sophomore Brooklyn Krager finishing third with 1,903.
Navarre’s Alexander Whipkey topped the 12U scratch all-events with with 1,388, while Rootstown’s Aubrey Masuda was first in the 15U division with 1,703.
Krager, the top female finisher, also led the all-events 18U handicap division with 2,383, with Canton’s Mikayla Tucker taking second (2,191) overall and first in the 12U handicap division, and Masuda topping the 15U handicap division with 2,162. Perry’s Eli Nave took second (2,074) in 18U handicap.
Wensel got his run started by shooting 723 in doubles on Saturday. But it didn’t come without pain.
“My finger was hurting a lot early. I really didn’t feel much pain during the doubles, but it began hurting more and more,” said the two-handed righty.
So he had to make a change in his release, instead inserting his pointing and ring fingers into the ball instead of his middle finger.
“I had a little less control and a little less motion on the ball,” Wensel said. “So I moved right and went straighter. I bowled better than when I tried to use the middle finger.
“I was surprised how I scored because I didn’t know how controllable it would be. It was the first time I’ve tried it in competition. I might have goofed around with it in practice before.”
Wensel, who plans to bowl in college, has his choices down to either Trine or Mount Vernon Nazarene. He plans to major in mechanical engineering.
“I’m going to do some JTBAs and other tournaments this summer,” Wensel said. “Overall, I was happy with my season. A lot of hard work and practice paid off.”
TRIOS BATTLE
The “V” team, consisting of Hartville twins Benjamin and Andrew Venus and Akron’s Steven Villagomez turned in the top trio overall score with 2,236 in the 15U division, finishing just two pins ahead of doubles winners Aiden Chetto and Hendrick Livengood along with North Canton’s Cole Hapstak.
The Venuses are relatively new to the game, taking up bowling in 2021. Watching the movie “The Big Lebowski” peaked their interest.”
“We needed a sport,” Andrew said of the twins, who were born two minutes apart. “The thrill of the movie got us interested. Also, it’s a lot less physical.”
“We were a little too short to play football,” Benjamin added. “We just thought this was the best sport for us.”
Villagomez, a seventh-grader at Litchfield Middle School in Akron who will attend Akron Firestone High School, was the lone two-hander on the team. He recorded the high scratch series with 655, while Benjamin Venus had 642.
“I really wanted to do this tournament with them,” said Villagomez, who bowls junior league at Station 300 Akron. “I’ve been bowling since I was six years old. I just went to two hands in 2022 because it was better for me.”
The Venus twins, both freshmen at Lake who bowl at Spins Bowl Akron, saw some time with the Blue Streaks varsity this season while bowling mostly on the junior varsity.
Benjamin had a high game of 237 Sunday, while Villagomez added 232 in Game 3. Benjamin also added a 226.
DOUBLES CHAMPS, HAPSTAK TOP DIVISION
On Saturday, Hoover freshman Hendrick Livengood led the charge with teammate Aiden Chetto to roll the top doubles score with 1,505.
On Sunday, Hoover junior Cole Hapstak joined the two freshman to win the 15U trio with 2,234, just two pins behind the “V” team.
Chetto, a two-handed righty, led the charge with 660, followed by Hapstak with 615 and Livengood with 607.
“I met them last this year and they were both freshmen on the team,” said Hapstak, who was unable to bowl Saturday. “I’m just starting to connect with the people who are going to be on the team for next year. We lose a lot of seniors.”
Chetto, who shot 546 in doubles Saturday, threw the same line Sunday.
“But I made sure to follow through on all my shots,” Chetto said.
Hapstak had to make some big moves since the surface of his bowling balls had not been changed since sectional tournament play.
“I was standing the most left I’ve been in a long time,” Hapstak said. “The surfaces on all my equipment was really strong, so I had to move way left to play the lanes.”
Livengood said having only three games during the trio competition after having six on Saturday also helped.
“After the first three Saturday, I just sort of fell off at the end (in singles),” Livengood said. “It was a lot easier today.”
But Livengood also pointed out another fact that helped his team’s cause when asked if he was surprised by the trios outcome.
“Not really,” Livengood said, “we knew our scratch scores were good, but handicap is an amazing thing.”
The team of Connor Bloomquist, Paisley Highway and Even Murphy topped the 12U trio division with 1,983, 85 pins ahead of Custom Electric (Brady Leisure, Nick Sanko and Alexander Whipkey, 1,898).
Other runner-up finishes went to X Mark the Spot in 15U trios (Palmer Boyd, Tucker, Lucas Good) and Gum Dwop in 18U (Jack Fair, Nick Tedesko, Alex Knisley) with 2,214, 20 pins behind Livingood, Chetto and Hapstak.
NOTEBOOK: Fair, a New Philadelphia sophomore, led Sunday’s trios with a 730 series, while fellow Quakers sophomore Landon LaBiche added 697 and Dover sophomore Kris Miller had 685. … High game Sunday went to LaBiche with 277. Perry’s Nick Harmon had 267 and Fair 260. … Krager had both the high series (670) and high game (254) for girls during the trios. … All scores are unofficial pending checking of handicaps. … Scholarships will be presented to the top finishers in each division once results become official. … Handicaps again were based on 2022-23 averages. … Sunday’s 66 players produced 21 games over 240, with 25 players shooting 600 or higher.
