Hall Of Fame Inductee
Geoff Stevens
Inducted into: Player Division in 2015
Location: Newmarket
- Player
At the first Hall of Fame induction ceremony of the York Simcoe 5 Pin Bowlers' Association in 2001, Geoff Stevens was recognized as one of 10 bowlers so honoured. As the youngest of the group, it was said on that night that his list of tournament wins will surely grow and be assured, it continues to this day.
Geoff was born in Newmarket in 1959. His father, Rod was the first manager of the Odeon Bowl on Davis Drive in his hometown. Geoff enjoyed some success in the Youth Bowling Council and, by his senior year, his average had reached a very respectable 220. Also, during his work as a pin-chaser, he received the nickname "STYX" and that moniker has stuck with Geoff to this day. In the adult ranks, Geoff was convinced by Hall of Famer and second cousin, Al Snow, to throw a backup ball instead of a hook ball and his averaged soared. In the Crosstown Major League, Geoff won high average honours with a 271 mark in 1991 and, in the Toronto City Major League, he led the average race on two occasions with a 265 mark and continued at Stellar Lanes in Newmarket with a high average of 275.
In the Open, Geoff has now qualified thirty times, with eighteen as a singles bowler, twenty-eight times on the men's team and twice on the mixed team. In 2003, the York Simcoe men won the provincial title at the Open and representing Ontario in Surrey, British Columbia, finished second nationally.
In the Master Bowlers' Association, Geoff now has ten tournament wins, as his latest was just last May in the annual year-end tournament. Geoff won the aggregate title and, in the national finals in Hamilton, he was the dominant bowler. Geoff led the qualifying round and, in the best-of-three final, he won the Canadian title with two straight victories over Kevin Clark of Saskatchewan. Overall, in the Master Bowlers' Association of Canada, the win was Geoff's eighth gold medal along with three silvers and a bronze medal. With his singles win in 2015, Geoff becomes the first male bowler from Ontario to win two gold medals in the national singles competition, having won earlier in Sudbury in 1993. In addition, in Calgary in 2013, Geoff bowled back-to-back singles of 408 and 405 in the team event as Ontario, lead by Geoff, won another gold medal. Also, in his career he has been on television twice, once on the CBC television series and on CHCH television with the annual Rose Festival. He has won open tournaments in Oshawa and also won the Canadian Legion singles title in 1988. In recognition of these accomplishments, Geoff was ranked number twenty-seven on the Top Ninety list as published by the Ontario 5 Pin Bowlers' Association in 2000. This placing earned Geoff a spot on the list of the top one hundred 5 pin bowlers ever to play in Canada. Lastly, the Newmarket Sports Hall of Fame honoured Geoff with induction to that group in 2013.
While working for Sysco Food Services for twenty-one years, Geoff married Deb Wishart in 1999 and, to this day, they continue to live in Newmarket. Together they enjoy the bowling tournament trail and have travelled extensively in their nineteen years together, along with enjoying both the Toronto Maple Leaf and Toronto Blue Jay games.
What was said in 2001 that Geoff's tournament wins will surely grow, can again be repeated tonight at this 2015 provincial induction. Yes, Geoff's tournament wins will continue to grow in all areas of 5 pin bowling.
