Bowling: Mazuryk overcomes slow start, wins NBA opener

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bob Weiner

Joe Mazuryk picked up where he left off last season Sunday at Town ‘n Country Lanes, and that’s not good news for his competition.

The Duanesburg resident started slowly but quickly made the right adjustments to capture the Northern Bowlers Association’s season-opening Proforma Lee’s Trophies Open. Mazuryk shot a five-game total of 1,201, 27 pins ahead of Catskill’s Gene Speenburgh. Mazuryk earned $500, while Speenburgh took home $300.

Other cashers included Kingston’s John Ferraro (1,153, $200), son of former PBA Tour standout Dave Ferraro, Ballston Spa’s R.J. Martinez (1,141, $150), Niskayuna’s Craig Taylor (1,132, $100), Amsterdam’s Nick Miseno (1,128, $80) and Ravena’s Matt Sherman (1,102, $60).

Mazuryk dominated the local bowling scene a year ago, especially the scratch bowlers competing on the NBA tour. He won a pair of tournaments, finished second three times and earned the Cuby Cup as the association’s point leader.

Although Mazuryk started slowly with a 206, he bounced back in the second game with a 289 and also fired games of 223, 269 and 214.

“The first pair was tighter, and I like lanes that hook a little more,” said Mazuryk. “I was able to use the same ball all day, the Brunswick Alpha Max, but I just changed my hand position to get a different look.”

Despite all of his success on the lanes, Mazuryk said he didn’t practice much during the summer, and doesn’t plan on bowling in a full-time league this season.

“I’ve subbed four times [in the City League] at Towne Bowling Academy, but I won’t bowl regularly in a league,” he said. “I get more out of practicing on my own, and I’ll do that when I need to.

“I love the five-game blocks that the NBA offers because you can shoot your games and get out of there without taking all day to bowl.”

Besides his NBA success, Mazuryk also won several times on the Northeast Bowling Proprietors of New York/Huck Finn tour and also won the New York State USBC Masters at Boulevard Bowl.

RESULTS

Cashers — Joe Mazuryk 1,201, $500; Gene Speenburgh 1,14, $300; John Ferraro 1,153, $200; R.J. Martinez 1,141, $150; Craig Taylor 1,152, $100; Nick Miseno 1,128, $80; Matt Sheman 1,102, $60.

Other scores — Ed Czyzewski 1,097, Brian LeClair 1,082, Bob Faragon 1,082, Ryan Sickler 1,079, Matt Barkman 1,071, Steve Wagoner 1,065, Mark Rathbun 1,052, Al Anderson 1,052, Tom Earl 1,051, Mike Miseno 1,026, Mike Drexel 1,18, Nunzi Manuli 1,004, Dan Furman 964, Travis Heaphy 962, Connor LeClair 955, Dan DeRizzo 947, Matt Fazzone 945, Chris Charron 937, Gary Bingham 936, Jim Parker 933, Dan Ahl 907 Luke Ciccarelli 879, Rick Boholtz 873, Bill Pulver 784 (four games).