Perfect returns for area competitors

Perfectiondidn’t take long for local bowlers.

Matt Tanksley hadn’t bowled since March, when centers across the state shut down, but thatwasn’t a problem as he rolled a 300 game on the fifirst night of league competition in the H.E.R. Realty League at Poelking Woodman Lanes on Aug. 17.

“Summer is for golf and softball so I didn’t bowl at all,” Tanksley said. “Now, I focus on bowling.”

It marked Tanksley’s 12th career perfect gameandwas less nerve-wracking than some of his previous honor scores.

“Everything I threw was a strike but I didn’t really think about it much until about the 10th frame,” he said. “I wasn’t even really nervous. I had some lucky ones early but the last four were nice.”

Tanksley wasn’t the only one who started the season on the right foot as Doug Rosenkranz posted a 300 in the same league on the same night. Their perfect games were the fifirst two recorded 300s by the Greater Dayton United States Bowling Congress for the 2020-21 season.

“I beat him by about two minutes,” Tanksley saidwith a smile.

It was just the beginning for Rosenkranz as the Ketteringbowler, whocompetes in four leagues, has already rolled three perfect games and a pair of 800 series.

An avid youth bowler, Rosenkranz, 34, stepped away from the game for 15 years before returning to the lanes two years ago.

“I’m still working on my game,” he said. “And I just got new equipment.”

Rosenkranz was just a few lanes away from Tanksley but took a bit longer to close out his fifirst game.

“My lane broke down in the 9th frame and I had to wait for them to fifix it,” he said.

The delay wasn’t a problem as he ended the game the way he started it — with a strike.

WhileTanksleyandRosenkranz laid claim to the fifirst 300s, it was Sean Martin II whoposted thefifirstGDUSBC 800series of theseason. Martin rolled 268-278-257–803 in the Inland Owls League at Capri Lanes on Aug. 21 – his 10th career 800 series.

Martin, like many, missed the competitionandcamaraderie when the 2019-20 seasoncame toan abrupt endin March. “It’s very cool to be back bowling,” Martin said.