By BILL SNIER
AKRON — Zack McSwain hoisted his first Professional Bowlers Association regional trophy just a week ago in Asheville, N.C.
He’s hoping to hoist another one Sunday.
The 28-year-old Cowpens, S.C., right-hander used a straight and hard approach to lead the field after the first six-game qualifying shift of the Akron Open on Saturday at Station 300.
“I came up last year and bowled with a couple of buddies and did pretty well,” said McSwain, who works at both a custom chassis company and as a landscaper. “I’ve been on a hot streak lately so that made me come back.
“Everything seems to be clicking and I was able to keep that going (Saturday) so we’ll take it.”
McSwain finished with 1,530 total pinfall (a 255 average) to take the top spot on the first shift, with 138 more bowlers preparing for the second shift.
Following that shift, the field will be cut to the top one-fifth of the overall field (projected at 55 players) for Sunday’s Cashers’ Round. That round, with a 9 a.m. start, will bowl five games before the field is cut again to the top 24 for five additional games to determine the five stepladder finalists. All pins carry over for each shift.
“That was the game plan coming in,” McSwain said about his hard, straight-up approach. “I settled with one ball the first two games and stayed with another ball the last four.
“When we flipped ends, it was a little tighter on a couple of pairs early. Each lane was a little different, but I just had to stay on top of my moves and I made good shots when I needed to.”
McSwain said he missed the 1-3 pocket “only two or three times,” and did not have an open frame, using a combination of the Storm Ion Pro and Equinox.
Cleveland 35-year-old right-hander Brandon White, who finished with 1,525 en route to leading overall qualifying a year ago, also is coming off his first regional win at AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn in May. He was sixth after the opening qualifying round with 1,446.
What changed from last season?
“There was a little less (oil) volume out there and a little more hook,” said White, who lost to two-time defending champion Cassidy Schaub 215-212 in the 2024 Akron Open title match. “Also, the approaches were more tacky.
“I threw it decent today, but not nearly as good as I did last year. The lanes got gritty to the right later and I had to make a move I didn’t want to make.”
Jason Bowles sits second after the first shift with 1,466 — 64 pins behind McSwain. The remainder of the top five include Akron Open Doubles Sweeper champion Andre Gonzales (1,454), Josh Curtiss (1,453) and Dell Ray Jr. (1,453). Ten Back Pro Shop owner-operator Frank Testa, who led after Game 3, was the top area performer, sitting seventh (1,441).
STEPPING AWAY
After promoting the 2024 Akron Open, tournament promoter Jody Boyd made the decision to step away from promoting events during the 2024-25 bowling season.
“It was just a lot to take in, running so many events,” said the 49-year-old Lexington resident, who also promoted the MEGA singles event in Columbus — with Akron, two of Ohio’s biggest scratch events.
“I was at a different point of my life. I’ve always said when I started promoting, if it wasn’t fun anymore, it was time to step away. I just didn’t want to get to the point where I ended up hating it.”
But when Station 300 worked to up the top prize for the Akron Open from $4,000 to $5,000 this year, it was tough for Boyd to turn down.
“You just don’t get sponsors like that anymore. It was hard not to come back and do a tournament with that,” said Boyd, whose only other upcoming event is a survivor tourney set for Nov. 1 at Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus.
“I was hoping that running this would bring the goosebumps back, but it hasn’t. It’s great to see all the people and obviously the turnout is phenomenal again. As long as they kick in the sponsorship, I can’t see myself not doing this.
“It’s at the right time of the season, and you can’t beat a $5,000 sponsor.”
Boyd admitted that when he began promoting events, bowling was “dead” in Ohio.
“Now, everyone runs or tries to run tournaments. But if you run tournaments and get 40 bowlers, I’m not going to run an event like that,” Boyd said.
“You have a lot of people thinking its easier than it is, but they are there to make money for themselves and there for the bowlers. That’s how I feel about it. It’s hard for promoters and then you get to the burnout stage. It’s not easy for people to find money anymore; bowlers are going broke.”
But Boyd also realizes this seventh reincarnation of the Akron Open is not the original held for so many years at the former Colonial Village Lanes.
“Fred Borden and Ron Bell approached me about bringing it back and then Station 300 under the new ownership kept it going. But this is the farthest thing from that original tournament there is,” Boyd said. “Every year, we get 250 per more bowlers and that’s just insane.
“It’s a lot to take in. I hope one day I wake up and want to more events again.”
NOTEBOOK: Other area players within the top 10 were Twinsburg right-hander Al Petrosino, who is ninth (1,425) and Canton lefty Michael Thewes and recent Lake High School graduate Zac Abbott, who are tied for 10th (1,417). … Ray shot 300 in Game 6, the lone 300 of the tournament, with Charles Brown II shooting 298 in Game 2. … The 20th spot after the opening shift was North Star Pro Shop owner-operator Don Hogue with 1,384. … Two-time defending champion Schaub was 16th after the round with 1,397. He came from the third spot to win last year’s event. … Darrrel Ratliff, the 2021 Akron Open champion, was 36th after the first round while 2015 winner Jason Johnson sat 31st.
