Last week I caught up with Jeremy Wray and Chris Mullany, the latest keglers to roll 300 games this year.

For Wray, 30, a former resident of Beavertown and graduate of West Snyder who now lives in Allenwood, it was the seventh perfect game of his career.

The 300, and the 825 series that followed it after he added games of 246 and 279, surprised Wray when they came in the Tuesday Night Men's Early League at Best Bowl on Nov. 12.

Wray, who now has three 800 series to his credit and is the first person to roll an 800 at the Selinsgrove lanes this year, is only two weeks removed from a year-long hiatus.

The reason for his time away from the game: he got married.

"I don't want to say that I wasn't surprised (to get the 300), but it takes a little bit of luck. I had a couple of generous breaks," Wray said. "Rolling 12 strikes in a row after being out of it for a year was extremely difficult.

"The 800 series was even more surprising. I wasn't expecting to do that," Wray added.

Coincidentally, all three of Wray's perfect games have resulted in an 800 series.

Wray's first 300-800 came in 2004 at John Wilcox's Mifflinburg Lanes. It was an out-of-this-world experience he said.

Last week, he felt much the same way.

"When I'm having those nights it doesn't feel like I'm bowling until I get up to throw my ball," Wray said. "It just kind of clicks at that point. I go from hanging out and talking to my friends to where I'm focusing on my breathing and tuning everything else out.

"It's pretty much just me, the lane and the pins at that point," he added.

That doesn't mean Wray wasn't taking a lot of extra breaths or that his legs weren't shaking throughout the night.

"There's always a feeling of anxiety, but my team has the habit of being one of the last teams done. I didn't have the pressure of having everybody around to watch," Wray said.

YOUNG PRODIGY: At just 15 years of age, Mullany, of Mifflinburg and the son of Jodi Delp, was blown away after he got his first 300 in a YABA match on Nov. 14.

"It felt awesome. I don't know how to explain it," said Mullany, who is a junior at Mifflinburg High and a member of the Wildcats' varsity bowling team.

Mullany's night took a turn for the better after he changed bowling balls following his first game -- a 175 -- which came from using his mother's ball.

He finished his 677 series with a 202.

"The new ball was driving through the pocket real nice," Mullany said. "I was nervous, scared and anxious. When I got up for my approach my knees were shaking and the ball felt like it weighed 30 pounds."

Friend and teammate Wes Doebler had the job of keeping Mullany under control as he was rolling his 300.

"Wes kept me calm and he kept talking to me about other stuff to help me keep my mind off it," Mullany said.

Mullany, whose first goal was to roll a 600 series, accomplished that long ago and now he has his sights set on a 750 series. His highest series to date is a 705.

PICKING UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF: Lewisburg native Heather Shoemaker is proof that once your high school bowling career is over, it's not completely over.

Shoemaker, a four-year member of the Green Dragons' bowling team, is now a freshman on the Kutztown University bowling squad.

On Nov. 15 the Golden Bears finished in a four-way tie for first place in the Northeast Conference championship meet by winning their final three matches.

Shoemaker bowled three games for Kutztown during the two-day tournament. Her best game was an 184 against St. Peter's, a 1263-1174 victory for the Golden Bears in the fourth match on day 1.

Shoemaker also rolled a 164 in a 1308-1299 loss to Sacred Heart in the third match, and a 167 in a 1345-849 win over Long Island in the seventh and final match.

The other two wins for Kutztown on the second day were over Fairleigh Dickinson, 1188-1186, and New Jersey City, 1350-1314.

Kutztown finished 5-2, and the Golden Bears were joined atop the NEC tournament standings with St. Francis, Adelphi and New Jersey.

WEEKLY BESTS

Men: Skip Bryner and Ron Swartz Jr. share this week's honors. Both bowlers had 792 series last week at Best Bowl.

Bryner had a 792 on games of 235, 279 and 278 in the Snyder County Classic League, while Swartz had his series on games of 214, 299 and 279 in the Thursday Night Men's Early League.

I also have to give notice to Justin Martin, who had a 799 series in Strike Zone's Thursday Men's League.

Women: Ashley Osborne, who herself is a recent product of Mifflinburg High School, had a 279 game in Best Bowl's Sunday Mixed League.

Sandy Herrold is still going strong. She had a 288 game in the same Sunday Mixed League, and she also had a 770 series (279-233-258) in the Monday Ladies League and a 761 series (247-256-258) in the Thursday Ladies League. It was her 92nd 700 series.

Until next week, stay out of the gutters.

-- Brian Holtzapple is a correspondent who covers bowling for The Daily Item. Email comments, news or questions to keglerskorner@dailyitem.com.