300 Club

from Winter 2021 Grosse Pointer

Looking Aft

The 300 Club

By: Katie Susko

There are many “clubs within the Club” at the GPYC. But not many know about our most exclusive Club – one that can’t easily be joined, it must be earned. It currently includes only three members at the time of this printing.

The 300 Club is comprised of members who have bowled a 300 – or a perfect game – in our Bowling Recreation Center. That means getting a strike on every single frame, something that is not easy to achieve physically or mentally.

The first to make it into the 300 Club was Howard Smith on November 27, 2006. Howard has been bowling since the 1990s at the GPYC, and still bowls today (when he’s not prepping for knee surgery). On the day he bowled his perfect game, Howard was in the middle of a poker game. “I was in the Monday Night Men’s League. I was learning how to play poker from some friends in the Bowling Recreation Center, and every time I threw a strike, I was allowed to draw another card,” said Howard. “I was laughing, goofing around, completely relaxed on the day I threw 300. Not tense at all.” Perhaps that was his key to bowling the perfect game.

John Seago came next with 2 perfect games on March 26, 2012, and February 15, 2015. Seago has been a lifelong bowler, starting at the age of 7 with ABC leagues. His parents, also bowlers, signed him up as something to do in the winter. He took a break from the sport once he became an adult, instead filling his time with college, military service, marriage and children. But in 2009, he started bowling at the GPYC’s Bowling Recreation Center with his wife, participating in the Friday “No Tap” league, the Monday Night Men’s, and the Thursday mixed league. After a few years of bowling in three leagues, he bowled his perfect game.

Seago bowled both of his first two 300 games during the Monday Night Men’s league, which is apparently a lucky night for all of the 300 bowlers. “There is always some luck involved to not leave a ringing 10 pin,” said Seago. “A solid pocket hit is still needed to achieve a strike.” And during the writing of this story, Seago bowled his third 300 game in the Bowling Recreation Center. After bowling 300, he bowled an additional eight strikes into his next game, totaling 20 straight strikes in one night.

On January 18, 2021, a Michael Jozefiak IV joined the 300 Club on his first game back from the Bowling Center’s two-month COVID hiatus. “I was wondering how I was going to do [during the Monday Night Men’s League] after not bowling for a while. During practice I was throwing a nice ball, but wasn’t hitting the pocket how I would have liked. But I felt confident that I could make adjustments,” said Jozefiak.

He started off with three strikes but didn’t get his hopes up. He hit the next three strikes and figured he would bowl a decent game. But once he got to the eighth strike, he got nervous. “To me, the eighth strike in a row is the most critical one, not that I get there a lot. Once I hit my ninth strike, I got excited,” said Jozefiak.

On the tenth frame, Jozefiak was starting to garner some attention from the other bowlers. He had to hit three strikes in a row on the last frame. “On my last throw I started to shake a little inside. I took a couple of deep breaths to relax, then threw a perfect ball and nailed it. It was nice that other members seemed just as excited as I was, and they congratulated me. Some members even said they never witnessed anyone throwing a 300 game, so it made me feel special that I could be part of them experiencing that!” he said.

All five 300 games have been witnessed by Bowling Director Gordy Woods, who has been running the bowling program at the GPYC for over 25 years. Woods has been an avid bowler himself for over 45 years, and many members credit him for helping them out when they’re struggling during a game. “I have to give Gordy a lot of credit. He is great at running the Bowling Recreation Center and always throws in a helping hand when he sees that help is needed!” said Jozefiak. “I actually credit him [for my 300 game]. Before bowling was shut down, I was struggling and getting frustrated a little bit. Gordy noticed and told me to slow down my speed and move where I was standing. I credit him for his help, which I am very thankful for. I know in bowling it’s the little things that make a huge difference.”

Way before Gordy Woods came on board, The Club built the Bowling Recreation Center in the 1940s, when the first four alleys were completed. Two more alleys were installed in 1942. In 1946, the GPYC even formed a bowling association with other clubs to provide more competition amongst members. And the Bowling Recreation Center just kept improving from there – automatic pinsetters were installed in 1956; the alleys were rebuilt in 1989; automatic scoring machines were installed in 1998; and the BRC you see today was completed in 2019. It features state-of-the-art bowling equipment, a bowling locker room, flat screen TVs and a full bar, which is all thanks to member donations.

The Club continuously strives to improve the bowling program and recognize the league bowlers. 300 Club member Howard Smith, who is cochair of the Bowling Committee with John Seago, has been working hard on creating a wall in the Bowling Center that memorializes all the great bowlers of the GPYC. The Wall of Fame will feature members of the 300 Club, of course, but it will also include stand outs from the women’s leagues and trophies from wins in private club leagues of the past.

Bowling a perfect game isn’t easy, and it takes many years of practice to build the confidence and skill to hit 12 strikes in a row. Only 3 bowlers in the Bowling Recreation Center’s almost 80-year history can say they’ve mastered the sport. But many of our members participate in bowling leagues today, and there are undoubtedly a few that have their eye on becoming a member of the exclusive 300 Club.