By BILL SNIER
COLUMBUS — Until Saturday, there had been only one 800 series and four 300 games shot in the history of the OHSAA State Bowling Championships.
Then Parma Padua Franciscan freshman two-handed left-hander Zachary Mayne swept through the record book in one three-game block.
The 14-year-old Parma resident, who calls Yorktown Lanes in Parma Heights his home center, had games of 279, 279 and 300 for a record-breaking 858 series — missing just twice in three games during Saturday’s OHSAA Division I Boys State Championships at HP Lanes.
Keep in mind: HP Lanes’ house record is 879.
“I just went in there today saying one frame at a time and do what I know how to do,” the soft-spoken Mayne said following his first state appearance. “I guess it seemed to work today.”
Mayne, who used a Hammer Purple during the competition, is a self-taught two-hander who went that route in the second grade because “I was too weak to throw the ball one-handed so I started chucking it with two.”
Now the 5-foot-5, 140-pounder can wheel the ball between 16 1/2 and 17 mph.
“I met him as a second grader throwing a plastic ball two-handed and he had all the enthusiasm in the world,” Padua coach Rick Parschen said. “He slowly got better and better and evolved into what he is right now.”
In Game 1, Mayne had the first eight strikes before leaving a 7-pin. In Game 2, he was fortunate to trip out a 4-pin in the eighth frame to leave only a 6-pin spare.
He left nothing in Game 3.
“There were nerves, but I just tried to keep my composure. I was shaking a little bit,” said Mayne, who now has eight 300 games to his credit. “I just kept telling myself just do what you know how to do.”
Although Mayne is self-taught, he does watch Professional Bowlers Association pros for pointers.
“I’ve watched people like (Jason) Belmo (Belmonte) who is more of a finesse player and Jesper (Svensson), who likes playing more straight up,” said Mayne, who plans to participate in PBA regional play in the future. “I see a lot of different varieties watching the PBA.”
But he gives particular credit to his mother, Patty, for building his game.
“She helps me a lot on the mental side,” Mayne said.
Xenia’s Evan Adkins has the only other 800 series thrown in OHSAA tournament history in 2016 with 805 at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl. One of the other 300s was shot just last weekend during the Division II state boys tournament by Claymont’s Riley Milburn.
Although Mayne is a seasoned tournament bowler between Junior Tournament Bowlers Association (JTBA) events and rolling in Junior Gold, there still were nerves at the start.
“I’m like, ‘OK, we’re here to do what we need to do,’ ” Mayne said. “There were some nerves built up in there, but I was going to use them for the good side.”
Mayne was the most valuable player of the Greater Cleveland Interscholastic League, which is contested on sport-shot oil conditions, averaging a league-high 227.
“He was focused last night during practice and then he got off to a good start,” Parschen said. “When you do that, it keeps the energy going.”
Mayne, whose previous high series was 840, has plans for the future that include bowling and his education.
“I want to keep doing what I’m doing. I really want to make it to the PBA and go to a college with a good bowling program and get a good education,” Mayne said.
“Zach is such a fiery competitor and focused on everything he does,” Parschen said. “He is a phenomenal talent and this is just the tip of the iceberg.”