Andre Trahan from nearby Houma, La., rolled the 18th perfect game of the 2012 USBC Open Championships on June 19. The 25-year-old right-hander started doubles with a 162 game, but he then connected on 12 consecutive shots to record the first 300 at the Baton Rouge River Center since May 8. He finished with a 199 game for a 661 series and added 631 in singles and 604 in team for a career-best all-events total of 1,896, more than 350 pins better than his previous high.
Betty Brooks of Lakewood, Calif., etched her name in the record books at the USBC Women's Championships when she claimed the Ruby All-Events crown at the 2010 event in El Paso, Texas, and this week, she claimed another spot in tournament history with the first 300 game of the 2012 tournament. Brooks tossed 12 consecutive strikes during singles to become one of just 16 competitors in the 93-year history of the event to accomplish the feat.
The deadline to submit applications for positions on the 2013-14 USBC Board of Directors and on the USBC Youth Committee is September 1, 2012. "USBC is looking for dedicated leaders to represent our membership at the national level," USBC President Andrew Cain (pictured right) said. "This is an exciting time for our organization and we hope to see a diverse group of applicants for these positions."
Agreement continues rotation of USBC Championships to Reno through 2030
The National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., will undergo a multi-million dollar renovation and upgrade as part of new agreement between the United States Bowling Congress, Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority and the city of Reno. Funding for the project comes from a publicly-approved, dedicated surcharge on hotel rooms in Reno. RSCVA projects up to $15 million in upgrades to the National Bowling Stadium will take place as a result of the agreement.
Will Smith of Albany, Ore., made a run at the Regular Singles lead at the 2012 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships this week before settling into fourth place with a 782 total. Smith struck 30 times on the way to games of 268, 267 and 247 at the Baton Rouge River Center in Baton Rouge, La., on June 8, but two open frames left him short of Henry Teetz III (pictured) of West Allis, Wis., who has held the Regular Singles lead with 800 since April 1.
Sharon Aronson of Turlock, Calif., Tammy Lewis of San Jose, Calif., and Dianne Kost of Aurora, Colo., each made their way to the top of the leaderboard at the USBC Women's Championships on June 2. Aronson (pictured), a 52-year-old right-hander and California USBC Association Hall of Famer, blistered the lanes at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., with 761 in singles, 721 in doubles and 685 in team for a 2,167 total to take the lead in Scratch All-Events.
Tournament will conclude its 151-day run on July 10
This week, the 2012 USBC Open Championships will enter the final month of its near-record 151-day run at the Baton Rouge River Center in Baton Rouge, La. Nearly 12,000 five-player teams will make their way to Baton Rouge until July 10. Through 116 days of competition this year, more than 8,600 teams have made the traditional march down Center Aisle. Competitors have bowled 382,384 games and knocked down a total of 62,986,690 pins (score).
Using experience gained from winning the 2010 NCAA National Championship at Fairleigh Dickinson University, the members of Time of Our Life II of Saddle Brook, N.J., found similar success at the USBC Women's Championships on May 26. They had games of 1,097, 1,101 and 1,084 for a 3,282 total, which landed the team in the top spot in Scratch Team. They received an additional 30 pins of handicap per game to also reach the Diamond Team lead with 3,372.
Four members of K&K Bowling Services 5, the defending Team All-Events champion at the USBC Open Championships, were in Baton Rouge, La., this week to put their title on the line at the Baton Rouge River Center. Although they got off to a strong start, they came up short in their bid for another title, finishing with a 9,115 total May 29. S&B Pro Shop 1 of Clinton Township, Mich., leads Team All-Events this year with 9,954.
Mini Tvaska (second from left) of St. Petersburg, Fla., was the talk of the town as she extended her United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships participation record with her 66th consecutive appearance May 18-19. The 94-year-old was honored with a plaque, fruit bouquet and other gifts and graciously greeted the local media to talk about her career on the lanes at the USBC Women's Championships and at home.
Team includes Junior Team USA members, national team members from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Ukraine, Sweden and Canada
The Wichita State Shocker Bowling coaching staff has selected six men and seven women to be placed directly on the 2012-2013 selected team for the upcoming intercollegiate season. The Shocker women's team will enjoy the skills of a core group of five returning selected team members from this past season's team. The 2012-2013 Shocker men's team will have four returning selected team members. Head Coach for the Shocker Bowling program is Gordon Vadakin.
Becomes the first freehand wheelchair bowler to shoot a certified 300 game
Though confined to a wheelchair, Shawn Beam took up the sport of bowling nearly 22 years ago, seeing it as a great opportunity to spend competitive time with his friends. Last week, the Burleson, Texas, resident's hard work and dedication to the sport led to the accomplishment of a lifetime. Beam, 36, put together 12 consecutive strikes for a 300 game in his TGIF league at Cityview Lanes in Fort Worth on May 18 to become the first freehand wheelchair bowler to shoot a certified perfect game.
Defending Regular Doubles champions Brandon Tarabek of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and Chad Reiffer (pictured, r-l) of Grand Rapids, Mich., made a run at a second title May 17, but finished with a 1,371 total, which is tied for 21st place this year in Baton Rouge, La. Tarabek had games of 198, 248 and 247 for a 693 set, while Reiffer added 222, 217 and 239 for 678. Matt McNiel of Prior Lake, Minn., and Charles Vashaw of Deephaven, Minn., lead with 1,489.
Brittany Pratt of Citrus Heights, Calif. (pictured), used the momentum of a 298 game to take the lead in Scratch and Diamond Singles at the 2012 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships on May 13. The 21-year-old right-hander rolled games of 192, 298 and 246 to finish with a 736 series at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. She entered the 2012 event with a 201 average and received an additional 19 pins of handicap per game to finish with a 793 handicap total.
Longevity was the theme at the 2012 USBC Open Championships this week as four bowlers took their places in history as members of the tournament's elite 50-Year Club. Wayne Vanwey of Springfield, Ohio, George Barnes of Buffalo, N.Y., and Bill Hohensee of Lexington, Ky., added their names to the list May 12, while David Stackhouse of Ashland, Ohio, made his milestone march down Center Aisle at the Baton Rouge River Center on May 13.
Judy Dugas (l.) of Lafayette, La., and Mary Lou Baird (r.) of Steger, Ill., both made their USBC Women's Championships debuts at the 1963 event in Memphis, Tenn., and they recently joined elite company by making their 50th-consecutive tournament appearances. Dugas and Baird became the third and fourth bowlers of the 2012 USBC Women's Championships to reach the historic mark.
The Detroit area will play host to bowling's biggest youth tournaments in 2013, the North Pointe Junior Gold Championships and the USBC Youth Open Championships. The North Pointe Junior Gold Championships will take place at Sunnybrook Lanes and Sterling Lanes, both in Sterling Heights, Mich., and AMF Rose Bowl in Roseville, Mich., from July 13-19, 2013. Sterling Lanes will be the site for the USBC Youth Open Championships, scheduled for July 11-28, 2013.
Vern Denault of Bradley, Ill., and Gordy Baer of Tinley Park, Ill. (l-r), have bowled with or against each other since just after high school, and they now share a spot in the USBC Open Championships record books as the 150th and 151st bowlers to reach 50 years of tournament participation. The 74-year-old Denault has only missed two events since his USBC Open Championships debut in Detroit in 1961. Baer, 72, got his start at the Open Championships at the 1959 event in St. Louis.
Team USA's Steve Smith (pictured) of San Diego and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., will represent the United States in the Pan American Bowling Confederation Champion of Champions event starting Wednesday. The four-day tournament takes place May 9-12 at the Kegel Training Center in Babson Park, Fla. and will serve as the qualifying event for the 2013 World Games. BOWL.com's BowlTV will provide free live streaming from start to finish of the event.
In 2012, the USBC introduced a VIP program to help enhance the tournament experience at the USBC Open Championships, while the one-of-a-kind Showcase Lanes were created to add a new dimension to preparing for competition. Both additions to the tournament landscape have proven to be extremely popular as more than 250 bowlers signed up for the VIP program in its inaugural year, making it a sellout for 2012.
The deadline to submit applications for positions on the 2013-14 USBC Board of Directors and on the USBC Youth Committee is September 1, 2012. "USBC is looking for dedicated leaders to represent our membership at the national level," USBC President Andrew Cain (pictured right) said. "This is an exciting time for our organization and we hope to see a diverse group of applicants for these positions."
The National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., will undergo a multi-million dollar renovation and upgrade as part of new agreement between the United States Bowling Congress, Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority and the city of Reno. Funding for the project comes from a publicly-approved, dedicated surcharge on hotel rooms in Reno. RSCVA projects up to $15 million in upgrades to the National Bowling Stadium will take place as a result of the agreement. 
Sharon Aronson of Turlock, Calif., Tammy Lewis of San Jose, Calif., and Dianne Kost of Aurora, Colo., each made their way to the top of the leaderboard at the USBC Women's Championships on June 2. Aronson (pictured), a 52-year-old right-hander and California USBC Association Hall of Famer, blistered the lanes at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., with 761 in singles, 721 in doubles and 685 in team for a 2,167 total to take the lead in Scratch All-Events.
This week, the 2012 USBC Open Championships will enter the final month of its near-record 151-day run at the Baton Rouge River Center in Baton Rouge, La. Nearly 12,000 five-player teams will make their way to Baton Rouge until July 10. Through 116 days of competition this year, more than 8,600 teams have made the traditional march down Center Aisle. Competitors have bowled 382,384 games and knocked down a total of 62,986,690 pins (score).
Four members of K&K Bowling Services 5, the defending Team All-Events champion at the USBC Open Championships, were in Baton Rouge, La., this week to put their title on the line at the Baton Rouge River Center. Although they got off to a strong start, they came up short in their bid for another title, finishing with a 9,115 total May 29. S&B Pro Shop 1 of Clinton Township, Mich., leads Team All-Events this year with 9,954.
Mini Tvaska (second from left) of St. Petersburg, Fla., was the talk of the town as she extended her United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships participation record with her 66th consecutive appearance May 18-19. The 94-year-old was honored with a plaque, fruit bouquet and other gifts and graciously greeted the local media to talk about her career on the lanes at the USBC Women's Championships and at home.
The Wichita State Shocker Bowling coaching staff has selected six men and seven women to be placed directly on the 2012-2013 selected team for the upcoming intercollegiate season. The Shocker women's team will enjoy the skills of a core group of five returning selected team members from this past season's team. The 2012-2013 Shocker men's team will have four returning selected team members. Head Coach for the Shocker Bowling program is Gordon Vadakin.
Though confined to a wheelchair, Shawn Beam took up the sport of bowling nearly 22 years ago, seeing it as a great opportunity to spend competitive time with his friends. Last week, the Burleson, Texas, resident's hard work and dedication to the sport led to the accomplishment of a lifetime. Beam, 36, put together 12 consecutive strikes for a 300 game in his TGIF league at Cityview Lanes in Fort Worth on May 18 to become the first freehand wheelchair bowler to shoot a certified perfect game.
Judy Dugas (l.) of Lafayette, La., and Mary Lou Baird (r.) of Steger, Ill., both made their USBC Women's Championships debuts at the 1963 event in Memphis, Tenn., and they recently joined elite company by making their 50th-consecutive tournament appearances. Dugas and Baird became the third and fourth bowlers of the 2012 USBC Women's Championships to reach the historic mark. 
The Detroit area will play host to bowling's biggest youth tournaments in 2013, the North Pointe Junior Gold Championships and the USBC Youth Open Championships. The North Pointe Junior Gold Championships will take place at Sunnybrook Lanes and Sterling Lanes, both in Sterling Heights, Mich., and AMF Rose Bowl in Roseville, Mich., from July 13-19, 2013. Sterling Lanes will be the site for the USBC Youth Open Championships, scheduled for July 11-28, 2013.
Vern Denault of Bradley, Ill., and Gordy Baer of Tinley Park, Ill. (l-r), have bowled with or against each other since just after high school, and they now share a spot in the USBC Open Championships record books as the 150th and 151st bowlers to reach 50 years of tournament participation. The 74-year-old Denault has only missed two events since his USBC Open Championships debut in Detroit in 1961. Baer, 72, got his start at the Open Championships at the 1959 event in St. Louis.
Team USA's Steve Smith (pictured) of San Diego and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., will represent the United States in the Pan American Bowling Confederation Champion of Champions event starting Wednesday. The four-day tournament takes place May 9-12 at the Kegel Training Center in Babson Park, Fla. and will serve as the qualifying event for the 2013 World Games. BOWL.com's BowlTV will provide free live streaming from start to finish of the event.
In 2012, the USBC introduced a VIP program to help enhance the tournament experience at the USBC Open Championships, while the one-of-a-kind Showcase Lanes were created to add a new dimension to preparing for competition. Both additions to the tournament landscape have proven to be extremely popular as more than 250 bowlers signed up for the VIP program in its inaugural year, making it a sellout for 2012.