USBC Open Championships

In February, Sean Rash made PBA history when he became the first non-exempt PBA player to win a Denny's PBA Tour event, capturing the 2006 West Virginia Championship (pictured). As an exempt player, Rash will not be allowed to participate in the USBC Open Championships. This year's trip to the event where's he's had so much success was his last visit, indefinitely.

While so much attention is given to high scores and lead changes at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, it is the history, tradition and personal milestones that keep bowlers coming back. This weekend, USBC Hall of Famers Glenn Allison (left) of Anaheim, Calif., and Bob Hart (right) of Suwanee, Ga., each reached tournament milestones at the American Bank Center Exhibit Hall.

In the 1980s Ted Skrzynecki Jr. of Ida, Mich., was toppling pins with world's best bowlers in the Professional Bowlers Association. In the time since, life's responsibilities and a series of health problems have forced his game to suffer. On Saturday, Skrzynecki proved he's one step closer to regaining his old form as he moved into a tie for the lead in Classified Singles at the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.

Most bowlers travel far from home to bowl in the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships each year. This time, Brian Adelgren of Wichita, Kan., definitely logged some miles before making his seventh appearance at the 2006 Open Championships this week. The 36-year-old recently returned from a 15-month stint in the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar, where he was the head coach of the national men's bowling team.

If there were ever a time to check out the action at the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, this would be the week to take advantage of the free admission at the American Bank Center Exhibit Hall. The roster of this week's participants reads more like a who's who of the bowling world and includes former PBA star Mike Aulby (pictured), past and present Team USA members and two USBC Hall of Famers who will be reaching Open Championships milestones.

Tyson Branagan of Phoenix had a performance that most bowlers only dream about as he rolled the first 800-series of the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships and helped Brunswick Shox of Wichita, Kan., into the Regular Team lead with 3,436 at the American Bank Center Exhibit Hall on Tuesday night. Branagan shot 268, 278 and 277 for an 823 series, while his team posted games of 1,055, 1,120 and 1,261.

Last year, Leanne Barrette of Elk Grove, Calif., rewrote the record books on the way to two titles at the Women's International Bowling Congress Championship Tournament. This weekend, the 26-time Professional Women's Bowling Association titlist shot 718 in singles, 688 in doubles and 563 in team for a 1,969 all-events total at the USBC Open Championships and although she didn't break any records, she was just glad to be competing again.

Even though Roger Tessman of Homosassa, Fla., is legally blind and walks with a cane after two hip replacements, walking down the center aisle at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships still provides the same thrill as it did more than 50 years ago. Tessman, 78, marched for the first time just minutes from his home in St. Paul, Minn., in 1951, and has been to every Open Championships (formerly the American Bowling Congress Championships Tournament) since 1959.

After a 224 and then three spares to start the second game of Singles, Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, switched balls and rattled off 21 consecutive strikes to shoot 268 and 300 for 792, to take the lead in Regular Singles at the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.

The United States Bowling Congress Open Championships (formerly the American Bowling Congress Championships Tournament) is a tradition that is often shared across the generations. Currently there are more than 3,500 active bowlers who have competed in 25 or more Open Championships. With 58 tournament appearances, Earl Ebers Sr. was the most experienced one on the Lee Miller's Highlifes on Thursday, but not by much. All together, the team boasts 195 years of Open Championships experience.

Nearly 10 years after becoming the first woman to receive a full college scholarship for bowling, Jennifer Murphy (formerly Daugherty) of Helotes, Texas, was knocking down pins at the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships. The former University of Nebraska star won two Intercollegiate Bowling Championships titles with the Huskers before graduating with a degree in communications studies, and she has recently returned to the lanes after a two and a half year hiatus.

Brothers Billy and Chad Murphy, who teamed up to claim World Team Challenge Grand Championships titles in 1994 and 1996, joined forces again Tuesday to help Wichita Bowling Supply 1 of Wichita, Kan., into the top spot in Regular Team with 3,355 at the American Bank Center Exhibit Hall.

Before coming to the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, Troy Schultz of Clarion, Iowa, told his teammates that making spares would be the key to their success on the tournament's challenging lane condition. Schultz, 35, took his own advice and was clean through 29 frames as he helped Torkelson Construction of Clarion, Iowa, into the Classified Team lead with 2,878 Monday at the American Bank Center Exhibit Hall.

Most people don't get the opportunity to relive their college days, but for Derek Eoff of Greenfield, Wis., and some of his fellow University of Nebraska alumni, that rare opportunity became a reality at the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships on Sunday. With a few e-mails and some paperwork, Eoff, a USBC Sport Bowling Coordinator, was able to put together two teams of former Huskers who now hail from nine different states.

When Michael Licko of Carol Stream, Ill., picked up his score sheet after bowling doubles and singles at the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships on Friday, he was excited and disappointed at the same time. The upside was that his 1,787 all-events total was a sign of progress following a recent rotator cuff surgery. The downside was that his efforts left him one pin shy of Billy Haferkamp of Clifton, Texas, who leads Classified All-Events with 1,788.

Despite a recent back surgery that will keep him out of doubles and singles at the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, Terry Adkins of Dyersburg, Tenn., made sure he was on the lanes to help Grogan's Dairy Queen improve on it's 2005 effort in Classified Team. With last year's 50th-place finish as motivation, the group posted games of 896, 926 and 967 Thursday to move into second place in Classified Team with 2,789.

With his wife and son cheering him on, Rick Barlett of Davenport, Iowa, shot the seventh perfect game of the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships on Wednesday at the American Bank Center Exhibit Hall. Barlett's 300 game was the fourth in as many days at the Open Championships, which opened it's 143-day run on Feb. 11, and concludes July 3.

Since competitors only bowl nine games at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships and have limited practice time, the key to success is often how quickly they can read their ball reactions and make the necessary adjustments on ever-changing lane conditions. In today's bowling environment, oil moves around with every shot that is thrown

Three cities have been selected to host flagship events conducted by the United States Bowling Congress. The USBC Women's Championships will be held in 2010 in El Paso and in Syracuse, N.Y., in 2011. The USBC Open Championships will be held in Baton Rouge, La., in 2012. El Paso and Syracuse can expect to realize between $45-50 million in local economic impact, while the USBC Open has a local economic impact between $75-100 million.

Although Team 8 Ball of Klamath Falls, Ore., didn't take the lead Monday, they did shoot the highest team game in this year's tournament (1,145) and finished with 3,126. Greg Newtson (pictured) of Medford, Ore., led the way games of 217, 300 and 249 for a 766 series, putting his name in the record books as the fifth bowler to record a perfect game in this year's Open Championships. Also on Monday, Regular Team-leading Champions Bowling moved into the top spot in Team All-Events with 9,784.