HONOR ROLL
800: Kevin Thomas (820), Sunday Morning Men's, ABC West; John Knode (805), Coors Light Trios, ABC North; Rick Heist III (804), Sunday Night Mixed, ABC East. 300: Glenn Hopple, Bud Light Classic, ABC North; Brett Hopple, Monday Night Men's, ABC North. 298: Steve Wylam, Hill Merchants, Red Crown; Matt Leicht, Colonial Variety, Red Crown.
Jazmyne Hefflefinger was a decent player before she went to college at Delaware State and turned herself into a very good player by the time she finished school.
Hard to believe she was having a confidence issue. Especially after a respectable college career.
But during her junior year, she had knee surgery. Injuries can play havoc with an athletes psyche, and Hefflefinger really never got over the setback and felt confident enough to post honor scores.
Until now.
Jazmyne Hefflefinger blasts her second 300 in the last game of a 762 series at ABC North.
Hefflefinger is one of the best female players in the Harrisburg area and showed it recently in the Coors Light Trios League at ABC North. In front of some of the best players this area has to offer, the veteran right-hander polished off a 12-bagger to cap a hefty 762 series.
“This summer, I was getting close and knew it was just a matter of time if I was patient and worked hard,” said Hefflefinger, who posted her first perfect game when she was 15.
“Having knee surgery in my junior year, it’s good to say that it is behind me. This is a large accomplishment because it’s all about me. It was mind over matter. I wanted to say I cold do it again.”
It was a long time coming.
Hefflefinger has a smooth delivery, a solid release and good pop on the ball. Those tools were on display throughout her set, as she carved up the synthetic surface at the Colonial Park center.
She started pounding the pocket in Game 2 to break through the 250 barrier. Using a Storm Modern Marvel, she continued her striking pace in the third game.
“The last game, it fell into place,” Hefflefinger said. “I never show up for practice on time, and I had to feel out the lanes the first game. The second game, I started to get in a groove and was hitting my mark and letting the ball do the work.
“I really felt like I was able to zone in, kind of like when players say they are in the zone. It happened a few times in college, when I was really on it, repeating shots and throwing it great. I was able to get in that rhythm.”
Now, all she had to do was overcome some nerves.
It’s been a while since Hefflefinger had been in this position. She had plenty of support behind her, and she didn’t want to disappoint them, and more important, herself.
“My fiance was there, so that was exciting,” Hefflefinger said. “I was focused on throwing one good shot at a time. When I got up there, that is all I thought about.
“It started to get a little fuzzy on the 12th shot, but all I could do was put the ball where I had been. Once I started [my approach], everything was out of my mind and what was going to happen was going to happen.”
There was never a doubt.
Hefflefinger got it in a little but was crisp. The ball ripped through the pins, and the calm and collected 22-year-old had her second career 300 game.
“Surprisingly, it was better than the first,” she said. “It felt nice to say, ‘OK, they are all down.’ It’s fun when you throw the ball great and get rewarded for throwing it great.”
SENIOR UPDATE
Barry Buck crushed a pair of perfect games on his way to an 877 series, good enough to take top honors in the men’s 55-68 division of the Tuesday Senior No-tap tourney at ABC North.
Other winners included Ralph Nye (844) in men’s 69-over play and Marie Crawford in the ladies’ 55-68 division. Nye had a pair of perfect games.
Mel Durden and Russ Shrauder also had 300 games in the 23-player field.
At Trindle Bowl, John O’Keefe paced the field with a winning 877 total. Barb Humphries was tops in the ladies’ division with an 817 triple. Jerry Stare, Dick Snyder and Dave Forney Jr. had perfect games in the 42-player field.
HALL OF FAME
Nominations are being accepted for the 2013 Greater Harrisburg USBC Hall of Fame. Applications are available in local bowling centers and at www.ghusbc.org.
The deadline for submissions is Tuesday. For more information, contact Barb Bair at (717) 691-0843.