Gateway bowlers advance to regional tournament

By: Michael Love
Sunday, February 23, 2025 | 11:01 AM

With the WPIBL team and singles championship tournaments in the rearview mirror, the Gateway boys bowling team has its sights set on big things at Western Regionals this weekend.

The senior-laden Gators will have five compete Friday in the singles event at Bowlero Pittsburgh, formerly Noble Manor Lanes, in Carnegie, and they will return to Bowlero on Saturday for the team championships.

It was at this point just last season when the Gateway boys celebrated their regional team championship at Bowlero. With all but one bowler back from that triumph, the Gators hope history repeats itself.

They also will be fighting for a trip to states which goes to the top six teams after the qualifying rounds.

Gateway and New Castle are tied for the most competitors in Friday’s singes tournament. Returning to regionals are seniors Allon Wallace Jr., Joey Jurczak, Josh Zlokas and Landon Lohr; and junior Chase Owens.

Jurczak enjoyed a strong run at last year’s regional singles tournament as he finished 10th after the qualifying rounds with a six-game total of 981, clinched a spot in stepladder playoff bracket, and was one of 12 to earn a trip to states.

In the regional playoffs, he finished second (195) in a group-of-four first-round match and was eliminated.

Wallace Jr. and Owens secured berths to this year’s regional singles tournament by virtue of their top-40 finishes at last Wednesday’s WPIBL singles competition at AMF Mt. Lebanon.

Wallace missed a spot in the six-bowler playoff by just five pins. He rolled games of 203, 200 and 213 for a 616 total.

He finished ninth in a competitive East division with a 204.53 average for 30 games bowled over the team’s 10 regular-season matches.

Shaler senior Noah Lang ended the qualifying round in sixth. He trailed Wallace by eight pins after Game 2 but made up for it with a 226 in Game 3.

Owens recorded games of 180, 204 and 180 to finish with a 564 series. He ended the regular-season matches with a 206.70 average over 27 games.

While Jurczak, Zlokas and Lohr didn’t find themselves in the top 40 from the WPIBL singles qualifier, they did wrap up regional singles berths based on their season averages when compared against every other bowler in the league.

Zlokas had the third-best average in the East section at 209.63 for 24 games.

Only Franklin Regional sophomore Brayden Fallon and Plum senior Cade Schimmer were better with averages of 211.40 and 211.23, respectively.

Zlokas fell just two places short of a top-40 finish at WPIBL singles. He bowled a 196 and a 204 in his first two games but then tallied an uncharacteristic 144 in Game 3.

The 40th-place finisher, St. Joseph’s Martin Stickney, recorded a 546 series. Zlokas’ total was 544.

Jurczak (207.53) and Lohr (206.67) also finished among the best in the East section.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Gateway