The 20th Jamestown Area Bowling Council’s Hall of Fame induction was held Saturday at the Falcon’s Nest in Falconer. Above are the 2023 inductees. Seated, from the left, are Jody Bevacqua, Joe Foti and Maryanne Martinelli. Standing, from the left, are Jeremy Crist, Paul Geiger and Jeff Zaffino. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

FALCONER — The 20th Jamestown Area Bowling Council’s Hall of Fame induction was held Saturday at the Falcon’s Nest, East Main Street in the village.

The new inductees were Jody Bevacqua, Jeremy Crist, Joseph Foti, Paul Geiger, Maryanne Martinelli and Jeff Zaffino.

Following are their respective accomplishments:

JODY BEVACQUA

Jody Bevacqua has been an active Jamestown-area bowler for 37 years, retiring in 2012. Her outstanding performances have left her mark on area bowling for almost four decades and have earned her a spot in the Hall of Fame.

She started her bowling career in the 1970s at Flamingo Lanes, which later became Lakewood Bowling Company. Over the years, she successfully participated in many local, state, and national tournaments and qualified in the first round of the prestigious queen’s event.

Bevacqua’s bowling accomplishments really ramped up in the 1990s. In 1993, she became the first woman to record a 300 in the Jamestown association and then also rolled another 300 game in 1998. Her career high series was a 745 in 1999 with many more 700+ series thrown along the way. In 2001, she achieved quite the feat, holding a 195 average in four different leagues, all with 93 games.

The Jamestown resident, who is proud to be a seven-year cancer survivor, is employed by Cummins Engine, is the widow of John Bevacqua and has two four-legged “children,” Cassie and Atticus.

JEREMY CRIST

Between working full time and being a leader for his volunteer fire department, Jeremy Crist finds time to pursue with passion his love for bowling, and this is why he’s being inducted into this Hall of Fame for his superior performance.

Crist attended Erie Community College in the 1990s where he was a member of the NJCAA National Championship team. In 1996 he was second-team All-American.

A fan of local bowling tournaments, Crist has also traveled to compete, highlighted by winning the Plastic Bowl Open in Erie, Pennsylvania in 2008. His many accomplishments include 12 800-plus series and 25 300 games. His 300 games tally would be higher if not for the single pin that stood on the final ball eight different times. Still an active bowler, no doubt the numbers will go up.

In his “spare time,” he has been involved coaching the junior bowlers at Jamestown Bowling Company where his son Logan participated, and he was the assistant coach for one year for the Southwestern Central School bowling team.

Crist resides in Bemus Point with his wife Kerry and son Logan.

JOSEPH FOTI

Joe has been a member of the association for close to four decades and still actively participates in summer and winter leagues as well as tournaments. His performance on the lanes has earned him a spot in this Hall of Fame.

Having too many 200-plus league averages to list, Foti’s one standout summer average was a 230, where he also shot a 300 game. His high series is a 787 in the JBC Classic Doubles League, where he bowled with his son Alex for many years. Together they combined for a 577 game where Joe had a 299. He was also a member of several five-man teams that shot games of more than 1,200.

Foti has compiled several league awards, including champions, high average and high game. He served as secretary-treasurer of the Bud Tavern League and was team captain many times. He currently serves as a director for the Jamestown Area Bowling Association and is a former member of the PBA.

Foti recently retired from Jamestown Bowling Company after 28 years and was the “nuts and bolts” of the bowling operation, but especially enjoyed interacting daily with the customers. Foti resides in Jamestown with his wife Michelle and has two daughters, Kristin and Kate, and a son Alex, who was inducted to this Hall of Fame posthumously.

PAUL GEIGER

Paul Geiger started his bowling career in the 1980s and is active to this day. The southpaw’s superior accomplishments have earned him a spot in this Hall of Fame.

In 1987 he was a member of the ABC national team that took home a championship as well as being the Pennsylvania individual all-events scratch winner. Two years later seemed to be a good year for him as well. He averaged 228 at Ten Pin Lanes and also averaged 245 at Twi-Lite Lanes in Randolph for the 1989-90 season, which turned out to be the highest in the nation for the season.

His highest series thrown was an 836 in 1989 at Twi-Lite Lanes with three other 800s thrown as well, and four 300s thrown that same year. Geiger’s many other achievements include several league and city tournament titles in four different bowling associations.

Geiger is an active bowler and is involved in owning and running two centers, Central Lanes in Salamanca and Byllye Lanes in Bradford, Pennsylvania. He resides in Hinsdale with his wife Jacquie and two children, Mark and Blake.

MARYANNE MARTINELLI

Even though Martinelli has been away from the league aspect of the sport for close to two decades, the southpaw’s name and memories live on, and this is why she’s being inducted into this Hall of Fame for superior performance.

She dominated the women’s area bowling scene for 20-plus years, by averaging 190-plus for several years, acquiring numerous 700 series with a high of 751 and throwing a 300 game in 1995. She received several awards at the local level for her accomplishments and traveled to and excelled at the state and national level. Martinelli was a member of teams in the scratch doubles league that compiled eight championship awards.

Martinelli held the league president role in the 1988-89 All-Star Doubles League and enjoyed coaching the junior bowlers in the Ten Pin Lanes Saturday program.

A resident of Jamestown, Martinelli is employed by the Cassadaga Valley School District where she is fulfilled through her love of teaching children and says someday she “might” retire. She has two sons, Dominic and Michael, and three grandchildren Trenton, Tanner and Ella.

JEFF ZAFFINO

Jeff Zaffino (who is known as Bruno) has been bowling in organized play since 1978, continues to excel 40-plus years later and is being inducted into this Hall of Fame for his on-the-lane’s superior performance.

Currently bowling weekly at Jamestown Bowling Company, Zaffino has also participated in several area scratch tournaments, as well as the TV Challenge. In 1994, he won at the Lilac Tournament in Rochester, capturing the Friday Sweeper, the Saturday Challenge, and the Sunday Sweeper. That same year, he also won the All-Events title. He joined the PBA in 1995 and has won 29 regional titles and appeared on three national tour TV shows, finishing in second place twice. To this day, he’s bowling senior regional and national events.

Zaffino’s highest league average was 230 in the Jackson Valley League in 2013-14 and has four (800) series to his credit. He has thrown 50-plus 300 games with 14 of them coming while on the Pro Bowlers Tour.

Zaffino lives with his wife Diane in Warren, Pennsylvania and has worked at Warren Overhead Door for the last 19 years. Jeff has two children, Kyle and Ashley, and three grandchildren, Sofia, Bristol and Nolan.