AKRON — The Tri-County Bowling Hall of Fame has announced its 2026 class of inductees, adding to its total current enrollment of 222 members.
Nominees are selected in the categories of service, outstanding performance and the Josephine Stafinski Outstanding Service award categories. The hall of fame covers bowlers from Summit, Medina and Portage counties.
The new class of inductees includes Dawn Altimore-Eckenrode, outstanding bowling ability; Charles (Ched) Reber, Stafinski service award; and Forrest (Bud) McCaman, bowling service.
In addition, Judy Barnes and John Conover will be presented with the group’s Pioneer Award.
The enshrinement ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. June 5 at Guy’s Party Center in Akron, with cocktails starting the evening followed by dinner at 7 p.m. For ticket information, contact either Julie Molenaur at jmolenaur1956@gmail.com or Jim Mitchell at jimmitchell324@gmail.com
Here is a look at this year’s inductees:
OUTSTANDING BOWLING ABILITY
DAWN ALTIMORE-ECKENRODE
The North Canton resident and Perry High School graduate has averaged over 200 for the past 20 years with three career 300 games and a career-high series of 760, with a lifetime high average of 222. A two-time member of the Akron Women’s Bowling Association All-Star team, she also claimed five AWBA tournament titles along with four Stark County USBC tournament titles along with the 20224 Akron Area Women’s 600 Club doubles (with partner Renae Shafer). She also has served as tournament director for many area and state events, including the Ohio Masters and the Akron Open.
STAFINSKI OUTSTANDING SERVICE
CHARLES (CHED) REBER
He has been involved in Portage County bowling for over 40 years, serving as an officer, founder of various county tournaments for the Portage County Bowling Association. Also a founding member of the Portage County Hall of Fame, where he serves as committee director. He was inducted into the Portage County Bowling Hall of Fame in 2016. He also has served on the PCBA’s lane certification committee and has a league officer for 45 seasons.
BOWLING SERVICE
FOREST (BUD) McCAMAN
McCaman managed and worked at Riviera Lanes for over 40 years and was an outstanding lane person and ball driller. He was the owner of McCaman Bowling Supplies with his son, Ken, with the company resurfacing wood bowling lanes all over the United Stated for decades. He trained the bowling centers lane men how to hand clean and oiled bowling lanes by hand long before the use of lane machines.
McCaman oiled the lanes by hand for the first PBA Firestone Tournament of Champions tournament held at Bowlerama Lanes in 1965 and then several years after the tournament moved to Riviera Lanes. He also owns several 300 game son the lanes and held a 200 average for decades.
PIONEER AWARDS
JUDY BARNES, JOHN CONOVER
Barnes was an Akron Women’s Bowling Association director and a WIBC delegate for several years. In 1978, she won the Akron Women’s Bowling Association Doubles Tournament with Shirley Swinehart and the 1981 AWBA Team Tournament. She also is a past AWBA All Star honorable-mention selection.
Conover has served as Wadsworth Bowling Association president and ice president of the Medina Bowling Association (winning two service award). He started the Wadsworth Junior Bowling Senior Citizens bowling programs. He was the manager of several local bowling centers, including Kolony Lanes, Medina Lanes and Great Oaks Lanes. He was a top Medina County bowler with two 300 games a 794 high series and lifetime high average of 215. He was a past Medina Association doubles winner and Medina County Masters champion.
(Our thanks to the Tri-County Bowling Hall of Fame’s Jim Mitchell for providing the information for this story.)