Here is your Fall 2023 Recap, where you can find out who won all the individual awards plus lots more! Our next season will begin on January 23, 2024!
Before I get into the recaps, I want to first apologize for a couple of things that I also had to apologize for in the corresponding lost from the previous season. First, this post should have been made a month ago -- this winter break unexpectedly busy and time just got away. Second, I realized I still forgot to ever finish updating the Hall of Fame section of the web site. I feel much worse about this, and promise to get this corrected before the ToC begins.
Now, on with the recap. And if you missed the presentation, you can see it here on Google Docs, and if that doesn't work you can also see it as a PowerPoint or (without any animation) as a PDF.
For much of this season it was essentially anybody's to win, and even after the championship was clinched a week early the spread between the remaining teams was only 4 games. This was one of the closest seasons ever. It was Vigs Eras Tour 2023 who took first place this time, with a (39-25) record. However, the team finishes as the 179th strongest team in league history, putting it at only the 47th percentile.
SEASON INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:
Women's High Series Scratch: JoAnne Barber (476)
Women's High Game Scratch: N/A due to insufficient females)
Women's High Series Handicap: N/A due to insufficient females)
Women's High Game Handicap: N/A due to insufficient females
Men's High Series Scratch: Matthew Taylor (685)
Men's High Game Scratch: Nick Kinney (277)
Men's High Series Handicap: AJ Hofmann (711)
Men's High Game Handicap: JC Cox (266)
Nick Kinney is #1 Power ranked bowler, Chris Lenz is runner up.
Vigs Eras Tour 2023 is #1 Power ranked team, Balderdash is runner up.
Head to Head: Nick Kinney would have won 63.672% of all possible one-on-one matchups this season, Chris Lenz comes in second at 58.887%, Ben Spencer comes in third with 57.238%. Since the winner of prize money for Power Rank is ineligible for the prize money for Head to Head, Chris (2nd place) got the cash.
The Tournament of Champions was won by Chris Lenz, with Doug Lenz as runner-up.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS:
Rookie of the Season
(Which first year bowler did the most for his or her team in their initial outing?)
- Nobody - We had no rookies
Seth Gunderson Captain of the Season
(Which team captain provided the most leadership, dedication, and inspiration to their team?)
- Runner Up: Dennis Walling
- Winner: Ryan Sisco
Carl Goetz Defensive Bowler of the Season
Which player with an average of 150 or above proved to be the strongest finisher in crucial tenth frame situations?
- Runner Up: (Nick Kinne
- Winner: Matthew Taylor
Ian Goetz Underdog of the Season
Bowler with an average under 150 who was the biggest spark for their team.
- Runner Up: Doug Lenz & Ryan Sisco (tie)
- Winner: JC Cox
Bob Brunker / Rob Kaszuba Sportsmanship Award
This award should go to the one male bowler who continually shows the best example of good sportsmanship throughout the entire season.
- Runner Up: Brett Affolter
- Winner: Kent Harms
Emily Podhajsky / Alison Radke Sportsmanship Award
This award should go to the one female bowler who continually shows the best example of good sportsmanship throughout the entire season.
- Runner Up: Miranda at Easy Inn
- Winner: JoAnne Barber
Pat Searcy 'Life of the Party' Award
Named for a man whose exuberant personality made bowling nights more fun for all those around him. Given to the person who livens up Tuesday nights and brings a smile to all our faces.
- Runner Up: Dennis Walling
- Winner: Jonathan Vigliaturo
Sub of the Season
The sub who did the most for the team or teams they helped
- Runner Up: Dustin Schemltz
- Winner: Buck Nasty
Most Valuable Bowler – People's Choice
Who did everyone think did the most for their team?
- Runner Up: Matthew Taylor
- Winner: Nick Kinney & JC Cox (tie)
Favorite Team to Roll Against
- Runner Up: Glory Bowl
- Winner: Sun Dolphins
Most Feared Team to Roll Against
- Runner Up: Sun Dolphins
- Winner: Balderdash
TEAM MVBs:
- Balderdash: Michael Gordon
- &sqrt;-1: Scott Murdock
- Glory Bowl: Brett Affolter
- DB Lenz a Hand: Doug Lenz
- Vigs Eras Tour 2023: Nick Kinney
- Sun Dolphins: Scott Thompson
ACTUAL SEASON MVB: Doug Lenz, single-handedly responsible for 8 of his team's wins. — Runners-Up: Chris Lenzs & Scott Thompson
SOME TRIVIA FACTS ABOUT THE SPRING 2022 SEASON:
- Week 16's match between Sun Dolphins and v-1 saw more true splits than any other match since we started tracking splits, with 28 total. Pitifully, only 2 of them were picked up.
- Among those who bowled this season, Dustin Schmeltz is now the best bowler to never win a championship, with Brett Affolter and Kent Harms nipping at his heels.
- Out of the 46 recorded seasons, this was the 9th lowest-scoring and by far the lowest-scoring season we've had at St. John's. This is primarily due to the bizarre two weeks at the end of October where we all rolled so terribly that for the first time since 19 years ago we had a week with no 200s.
- We only had 56 200+ games this season. The last time we had fewer was Fall 2020 when only 12 people bowled due to covid.
New Personal Best Games
| Bowler | New Best |
Old Best |
Since... |
| Carl Mueller | 172 | 134 | Spring 2023, wk 14 |
| JC Cox | 206 | 144 | Spring 2023, wk 13 |
| Nathan Burrows | 202 | 187 | Spring 2022, wk 12 |
New Personal Best Series
| Bowler | New Best |
Old Best |
Since... |
| Carl Mueller | 417 | 366 | Spring 2023, wk 14 |
| Doug Lenz | 500 | 487 | Spring 2023, wk 12 |
| JC Cox | 465 | 400 | Spring 2023, wk 15 |
| Nathan Burrows | 486 | 466 | Spring 2023, wk 3 |
| Scott Thompson | 549 | 508 | Spring 2023, wk 8 |
New Personal Best Average
| Bowler | New Best |
Old Best |
Since... |
| Dustin Schmeltz | 176 | 174 | Spring 2017 |
| JC Cox | 128 | 107 | Spring 2023 |
| Scott Thompson | 149 | 144 | Spring 2023 |
| Chris Lenz | 138 | 132 | Spring 2023 |
| Carl Mueller | 112 | 110 | Spring 2023 |
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FROM THE GUTTER (QUOTE OF THE SEASON)
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| Pos. | Team name | Record | Percent | Total Pins |
| 1 | Vigs Eras Tour 2023 | 39-25 | .609 | 31,343 |
| 2 | Balderdash | 33-31 | .516 | 32,015 |
| 3 | √-1 | 32.5-31.5 | .508 | 27,552 |
| 4 | DB Lenz a Hand | 30.5-33.5 | .477 | 26,024 |
| 5 | Sun Dolphins | 30-34 | .469 | 25,241 |
| 6 | Glory Bowl | 27-37 | .422 | 25,797 |
| Men's High Series Scratch | Women's High Series Scratch |
|
Matthew Taylor - 685 Nick Kinney - 674 AJ Hofmann - 603 Brett Affolter - 594 Michael Gordon - 579 |
JoAnne Barber - 476 |
| Men's High Series Handicap | Women's High Series Handicap |
|
Nick Kinney - 725 AJ Hofmann - 711 Scott Murdock - 684 JC Cox - 672 Scott Thompson - 663 Chris Lenz - 663 (t) |
JoAnne Barber - 659 |
| Men's High Game Scratch | Women's High Game Scratch |
|
Matthew Taylor - 278 Nick Kinney - 277 Seth Gunderson - 242 Dustin Schmeltz - 233 AJ Hofmann - 226 |
JoAnne Barber - 188 |
| Men's High Game Handicap | Women's High Game Handicap |
|
Nick Kinney - 294 JC Cox - 266 AJ Hofmann - 262 Seth Gunderson - 258 Matthew Taylor - 257 |
JoAnne Barber - 249 |
| Men's High Pins Over Average | Women's High Pins Over Average |
|
Nick Kinney +99 JC Cox +82 AJ Hofmann +71 Jeremy Varnell +66 Nicholas Knight +66 (t) Scott Murdock +65 |
JoAnne Barber +65 |
| Men's Most Improved Bowler | Women's Most Improved Bowler |
|
Chris Lenz +18 Scott Murdock +10 Doug Lenz +6 Nicholas Knight +6 (t) Jim Koger +6 (t) Ray Scott +5 Ben Spencer +3 |
JoAnne Barber +6 |
