Lane Hawk rolls historic perfect game as Minerva bowling shines

Apologies to Joe Thompson and Alan Foster — more on them in a moment — but there is a new top dog in Minerva bowling.

Lane Hawk already had a name made for bowling, and now he has the score to match.

On Dec. 16, Hawk rolled a perfect 300 game — the first by a Minerva boys bowler in program history — at Eastbury Lanes as the Lions faced Louisville in a nonconference match. Two Minerva bowlers had previously come close, with Thompson posting a 299 game in 2004 and Foster following suit in 2005.

Hawk, a right-hander, appeared unsure of the outcome after releasing his 12th and final ball. The shot seemed to cut early and drift left, and Hawk locked his hands behind his head and turned away, believing a few pins might remain standing. He did not see them wobble and fall.

It did not take long for the moment to sink in as teammates erupted in celebration — the first perfect game in program history was complete.

The moment has since resonated well beyond the lanes. Video of Hawk’s final shot and reaction has gone viral on Facebook, surpassing 80,000 views. The clip captured a truth familiar to bowlers everywhere — even when skill carries you most of the way, sometimes luck has the final say.

Hawk followed his 300 game with a 211 for a 511 series to lead Minerva to a 2,675-2,432 victory over Louisville. Owen Frazier added a 462 series with games of 236 and 226 as the Lions built a 149-pin lead after individual games. Minerva then swept all three Baker games with scores of 205, 247 and 217.

On the girls side, Minerva earned a 1,921-1,827 win in a tighter match. Bailey Wood led the Lions with a high game of 215 and a 372 series, while Alexis Gonzalez added a 174. Minerva entered Baker play with a 24-pin lead and won all three Baker games to secure the victory.

The following day, Minerva hosted Marlington in a match with Eastern Buckeye Conference and Stark County High School Bowling Conference American Division implications.

The Lady Lions earned a 1,808-1,418 win, while the boys defeated Marlington 2,283-2,072.

Wood led the girls with games of 170 and 192 for a 362 series, while Rylan Klitz followed closely with a 360 series. Minerva held a lead of more than 300 pins entering Baker play.

For the boys, Austin Ailing posted a high game of 262 and a 508 series. Frazier added a 438 series with games of 191 and 247 as the Lions carried a 237-pin advantage into the Baker games.

Minerva’s boys improved to 9-1 overall and 3-1 in the American Division, while the Lady Lions moved to 8-2 overall and 3-1 in division play.

Minerva cheerleaders claim Division IV state title

Shifting from pins to pom-poms, Minerva added another championship to its trophy case.

The Minerva cheerleading squad captured the Division IV state championship at the OHSAA state competition held Dec. 13 at Wittenberg University in Springfield.

The Lions swept all three major categories in their division, earning Best of Band Dance, Best of Crowd Leading and Best of Fight Song honors.

The team will be recognized Saturday, Dec. 27, when the Minerva boys basketball team hosts Fairless. An open house will follow the game in the school library, and the community is invited to attend and celebrate Minerva’s newest state champions.