Participating in the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships for just the second time, Melissa Lynn Smith of Wyoming, Mich., added her name to the tournament record books with a 300 game at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Thursday night.

The 23-year-old left-hander tossed 12 consecutive strikes in her final game of team and became the fourth woman in history to achieve perfection on the tournament lanes. Kristine Kropf of Antioch, Calif., was the first in 2001, followed by Janette Piesczynski of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Wendy Macpherson of Henderson, Nev., in 2006.

"I'm glad that I stuck with it," said Smith, who has bowled since she was eight years old and now bowls regularly in three leagues. "I did well in the first game, but in the second game, I really slouched off. I should have moved and could have done better than I did, but I was able to come back. I was telling everyone I had this feeling I was going to do well at nationals. So to have that feeling and then come out and bowl like that is so awesome."

Smith started with games of 233 and 166 and finished the night with a 699 series, while helping Fatmans Drill Center to a 2,526 team total. She celebrated the perfect game by jumping into the arms of her dad, Dennis Smith, who was bowling on the next pair of lanes.

"We just came here to have a good time and hang out," said Smith, whose 300 was the sixth of the 2008 USBC Open Championships and the first in team event. "But after I got the eighth one, I said, wow, I only have two more frames. I was on. I really was on, and I was excited. When I did it, I was really proud, and it made me even more proud because my dad was here."

As the lone woman on three teams that came together to compete at this year's tournament, Smith just considers herself one of the guys. She also appreciates the tradition and history that she now has become a part of at the Open Championships.

Although women have only been allowed to compete in the Open Championships since 1994, they now represent almost 15 percent of the tournament entries and are quickly making their mark in the record books.

Along with the four perfect games by women on the tournament lanes, Rayetta Dominguez (1994 Booster Team), Christina Singh (2001 Classified Doubles) and Karen West (2005 Classified Team) all are tournament champions, along with Macpherson, who became the first women to claim a Regular Division title with an 812 singles series in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 2006. Kristal Scott of Wichita, Kan., owns the only other 800, and the highest series by a woman, with 816, also in 2006.

Presenting sponsors for the 2008 USBC Open Championships are Eldorado Hotel Casino, Silver Legacy Resort Casino and Circus Circus Reno in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Brunswick, capital equipment supplier; Storm Products, Inc.; Roto Grip, official sponsor of the Roto Grip Sport Bowling Challenge; Isleta Casino & Resort; Santa Ana Star Casino, the official brackets sponsor; Rainbow Ryders, the exclusive hot air balloon company of the 2008 Open Championships; and Sandia Resort & Casino.

Albuquerque Convention Center, Albuquerque, N.M.

Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfalls

Team
1, K & K Bowling Service 1 (Ron Mohr, Phillip Platko, Chris Klerk, Adam Ishman, Andrew Cain), Henderson, Nev., 3,208. 2, Cambridge 1, Feeding Hills, Mass., 3,201. 3, Lodge Lanes 1, Saline, Mich., 3,172. 4, Sign Producers 1, Winter Garden, Fla., 3,162. 5, Cambridge 2, Feeding Hills, Mass., 3,149. 6, Central Saw, Racine, Wis., 3,145. 7, Ebonite Kids, Mundelein, Ill., 3,118. 8, Pam's Boys 1, Salem, Ore., 3,099. 9, Eide Painting, Mitchell, S.D., 3,097. 10, Warrior Lanes, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,096.

Doubles
1, Todd Koehler, Appleton, Minn./Doug Blood, Montevideo, Minn., 1,444. 2, Patrick Smart/Ricky Meneley, Santa Maria, Calif., 1,404. 3, George Aboud, San Jose, Calif.,/Jeff Frankos, Daly City, Calif., 1,399. 4, Marc Levy/Cathedral City, Calif./Vincent Wood, Moreno Valley, Calif., 1,398. 5, Les Zikes, Palatine, Ill./Hank Sorensen, Rolling Meadows, Ill., 1,389. 6, Jeff Lunde/Joe Crenshaw, Racine, Wis., 1,384. 7, Jim Capps, Kenosha,Wis./Jason Frank, Racine, Wis., 1,381. 8, Julius Awes, Minneapolis,/Charles Hayslett, Apple Valley, Mich., 1,370. 9 (tie), Tim Penner, Wichita, Kan./Justin Hromek, Towanda, Kan., and Paul Nicholas, Romeoville, Ill./George Kontos, Joliet, Ill., 1,368.

Singles
1, Jason Price, Grand Island, Neb., 817. 2, Wilbert Moorer, Dover, Del., 784. 3, William Uthoff, O'Fallon, Mo., 775. 4, Alan Pecora, Drums, Pa., 773. 5, Mike Preston, High Springs, Fla., 764. 6, Greg Benefield, Lees Summit, Mo., 763. 7, Andrew Udahl, Elk Grove, Calif., 761. 8, Eddie Martin, Hanford, Calif., 758. 9, Tracy Teeters, Salem, Ore., 751. 10, Mike Kristofik, St. Peters, Mo., 749.

All-Events
1, Edward Gallagher, Clarksville, Tenn., 2,141. 2, Brian Diede, Huron, S.D., 2,113. 3, John Gaines, Orlando, Fla., 2,092. 4, Richard Thomas, Middleton, Wis., 2,086. 5, Alan Pecora, Drums, Pa., 2,082. 6, William Uthoff, O'Fallon, Mo., 2,065. 76, Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich., 2,064. 8 (tie), Bryan O'Keefe, Rochester, N.Y., and Jason Polreis, Sioux Falls, S.D., 2,052. 10, Carl Marcincavage, Manville, N.J., 2,045.

Team All-Events
1, Pam's Boys 1 (Jeff True, Tracy Teeters, Rick Guined, Mike Shequin, Kevin Croucher), Salem, Ore., 9,736. 2, Lodge Lanes 1, Saline, Mich., 9,664. 3, Ebonite HQ, Hopkinsville, Ky., 9,501. 4, Gran Prix Pro Shop, St. Charles, Mo., 9,494. 5, Gene's Pro Shop, Livermore, Calif., 9,430. 6, Cambridge 1, Feeding Hills, Mass., 9,392. 7, TPA 2-Rip Holzie, Madison, Wis., 9,385. 8, Cambridge 2, Feeding Hills, Mass., 9,345. 9, St. Charles Lanes, St. Charles, Mo., 9,341. 10, Ebonite Kids, Chicago, 9,313.

Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfalls

Team
1, Lake Country Rollers (Butch Booker, Dave Lisson, Wayne Booker, Michael Booker, Danny Booker), Clarissa, Minn., 2,799. 2, T-Rays, Jamestown, N.D., 2,795. 3, Garden Center Lanes 2, Alexandria, Minn., 2,789. 4, Plattsburgh Bowl, Plattsburgh, Mo., 2,773. 5, Sego Electric, Clarion, Iowa, 2,759. 6, Lady Pros, Albuquerque, N.M., 2,748. 7, Firenab 2, Lincoln, Neb., 2,745. 8, Suburban Lanes, Meade Kan., 2,687. 9, Arrowood Plumbing, Parachute, Colo., 2,644. 10, Nerf Herders, Richmond, Ind., 2,642.

Doubles
1, Sue Kendall, Converse, Ind./Jeffrey Kistler, Marion, Ind., 1,184. 2, Butch Booker, Clarissa, Minn./Dave Lisson, Browerville, Minn., 1,181. 3, Myron Asleson/Tony Haugen, Devils Lake, N.D., 1,179. 4, Larry Kubasiak/Duane Kubasiak, Bronson, Mich., 1,165. 5, Gary Tomhave/Michael Donley, Fergus Falls, Minn., 1,163. 6, Ken Iredale/Kevin Furness, Oxfordshire, England, 1,158. 7, Eric Ohlrogge/William Meyer, Alexandria, Minn., 1,154. 8, Dave Stefl/Charles LaTendresse, Grundy Center, Iowa, 1,150. 9, Kevin Mitchell, Millbrae, Calif./Robert Stephens, San Francisco, 1,149. 10, Trevis Vanderpool, Plains, Kan./Rod Blehm, Meade, Kan., 1,147.

Singles
1, Jeffrey Kistler, Marion, Ind., 668. 2, John Zapalac, Bishop, Texas, 662. 3, Randy Gaines, Austin, Minn., 658. 4, Bill Ingram, Aloha, Ore., 648. 5 (tie), Lynn Parker, Berwick, La., and Mike Leblanc, New Iberia, La., 644. 7, Alan Miller, Lexington, N.C., 641. 8, Daniel Riley, North Fork, Ark., 631. 9, Jerry Flanagan, South Bend, Ind., 622. 10, Sonya Webb, Rosenberg, Texas, and Gregory Krumm, Invergrove Heights, Minn., 619.

All-Events
1, Jeffrey Kistler, Marion, Ind., 1,887. 2, Troy Schultz, Clarion, Iowa, 1,820. 3, Dave Lisson, Browerville, Minn., 1,815. 4, Glenn Shields, Bowling Green, Ohio, 1,791. 5, Larry Kubasiak, Bronson, Mich., 1,764. 6, Ken Iredale, Oxfordshire, England, 1,754. 7, Bill Garrett, Hampton, Neb., 1,746. 8, Alan Miller, Lexington, N.C. 1,742. 9, William Meyer, Alexandria, Minn., 1,738. 10, Matt Landis, Walden, Colo., 1,725.