06/04/08
United States
Two bowlers roll perfect games at USBC Open Championships
Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, NM, United States (Feb. 16 - July 7, 2008)
For thousands of bowlers each year, the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships is about friends, family and fun, and success on the tournament lanes often is a team effort.
On Monday, with their friends and families looking on and thoughts of those who couldn't make the trip to Albuquerque fresh in their minds, two competitors added their names to the list of bowlers who have rolled 300 games at the Albuquerque Convention Center this year.
Dan Peters of Henderson, Nev., struck first, tossing 12 consecutive strikes during his third game of team for the 23rd perfect game of the year, while Kevin Wheeler of Lindale, Texas, finished singles with the tournament's 24th 300 game.
Peters (left), a 43-year-old left-hander who works with robotics and mechanical effects as an engineer at the Wynn Las Vegas, put on a show for his 19-year-old nephew, Jake (r.), who finished 19th at the USBC Masters in October and recently helped Wichita State University to its eighth men's national title, but as a USBC Youth member, cannot compete in the USBC Open Championships.
"I was more nervous for Dan when he was up to a string of six, than I have ever been for myself in any competition," said Jake Peters, who won the 2006 Teen Masters. "When he finished his game, I jumped up on the railing and screamed for him. I'm still excited about it because this is something to be proud of. Nationals is the best place to for a 300."
Bowling has been the pastime of choice for the Peters family dating back to Dan's late father, Darrell, who had his family on the lanes whenever there was time. Dan was joined on the lanes Monday by his brother, Dave, while Jake proudly looked on.
"Jake is much more of a coach to me than I am to him now," said Dan, who made his 12th Open Championships appearance and finished team with games of 169, 185 and 300 for a 654 series. "With Jake's experience and skill level, he knows a lot about lane patterns and has an eye for bowling conditions that he is able to communicate to me. He gives great advice and offers helpful suggestions, which makes a difference in my approach and definitely affects how well I bowl."
Dan added 618 in singles and 562 in doubles Tuesday for a 1,834 all-events total, while Dave had 612 in singles, 554 in doubles and 505 in team for 1,671.
When Wheeler (left) put the finishing touches on his perfect game Monday, his thoughts were on his former teammate Martin Latta of Grand Saline, Texas, who died in a car accident two years ago.
"Marty was looking down on us today," said Wheeler, who works in the Texas oil and gas industry. "We sure miss him bowling with us. Every time we bowl well, we always think of him. Often after a strike, we will raise our hands in the air and quietly say, 'this one if for you Marty.' Well today, with this 300 game in the national tournament, we did that again as an undivided team. This one is for you, Marty."
Wheeler's 300 came after games of 176 and 171, and he finished with a 647 singles series. He added 539 in doubles and 501 in team and ended his 14th trip to the Open Championships with a 1,687 all-events total.
"After my first two games of singles, which were disappointing for me, I just wanted to get the third one over with," said Wheeler, a 43-year-old right-hander. "I finally listened to my bowling buddy, Mike Thomas, who owns All Star Lanes in Shreveport, La. He's been telling me for a long time to move five boards to the left. I finally listened, and it worked."
Monday's milestone also meant a lot to Wheeler's family, and while they couldn't be in Albuquerque with him, he's looking forward to sharing the news with his daughter for her birthday this week.
"My daughter, Kennedy, will be 11 years old on Wednesday, and I can hardly wait to tell her and my 7-year-old son, Kameron, about this perfect game," Wheeler said. "I also want to thank my wife for letting me come and bowl with my friends every year, and I look forward to her and the other wives joining us at the Reno tournaments for years to come."
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.
On Monday, with their friends and families looking on and thoughts of those who couldn't make the trip to Albuquerque fresh in their minds, two competitors added their names to the list of bowlers who have rolled 300 games at the Albuquerque Convention Center this year.
Dan Peters of Henderson, Nev., struck first, tossing 12 consecutive strikes during his third game of team for the 23rd perfect game of the year, while Kevin Wheeler of Lindale, Texas, finished singles with the tournament's 24th 300 game.
Peters (left), a 43-year-old left-hander who works with robotics and mechanical effects as an engineer at the Wynn Las Vegas, put on a show for his 19-year-old nephew, Jake (r.), who finished 19th at the USBC Masters in October and recently helped Wichita State University to its eighth men's national title, but as a USBC Youth member, cannot compete in the USBC Open Championships."I was more nervous for Dan when he was up to a string of six, than I have ever been for myself in any competition," said Jake Peters, who won the 2006 Teen Masters. "When he finished his game, I jumped up on the railing and screamed for him. I'm still excited about it because this is something to be proud of. Nationals is the best place to for a 300."
Bowling has been the pastime of choice for the Peters family dating back to Dan's late father, Darrell, who had his family on the lanes whenever there was time. Dan was joined on the lanes Monday by his brother, Dave, while Jake proudly looked on.
"Jake is much more of a coach to me than I am to him now," said Dan, who made his 12th Open Championships appearance and finished team with games of 169, 185 and 300 for a 654 series. "With Jake's experience and skill level, he knows a lot about lane patterns and has an eye for bowling conditions that he is able to communicate to me. He gives great advice and offers helpful suggestions, which makes a difference in my approach and definitely affects how well I bowl."
Dan added 618 in singles and 562 in doubles Tuesday for a 1,834 all-events total, while Dave had 612 in singles, 554 in doubles and 505 in team for 1,671.
When Wheeler (left) put the finishing touches on his perfect game Monday, his thoughts were on his former teammate Martin Latta of Grand Saline, Texas, who died in a car accident two years ago."Marty was looking down on us today," said Wheeler, who works in the Texas oil and gas industry. "We sure miss him bowling with us. Every time we bowl well, we always think of him. Often after a strike, we will raise our hands in the air and quietly say, 'this one if for you Marty.' Well today, with this 300 game in the national tournament, we did that again as an undivided team. This one is for you, Marty."
Wheeler's 300 came after games of 176 and 171, and he finished with a 647 singles series. He added 539 in doubles and 501 in team and ended his 14th trip to the Open Championships with a 1,687 all-events total.
"After my first two games of singles, which were disappointing for me, I just wanted to get the third one over with," said Wheeler, a 43-year-old right-hander. "I finally listened to my bowling buddy, Mike Thomas, who owns All Star Lanes in Shreveport, La. He's been telling me for a long time to move five boards to the left. I finally listened, and it worked."
Monday's milestone also meant a lot to Wheeler's family, and while they couldn't be in Albuquerque with him, he's looking forward to sharing the news with his daughter for her birthday this week.
"My daughter, Kennedy, will be 11 years old on Wednesday, and I can hardly wait to tell her and my 7-year-old son, Kameron, about this perfect game," Wheeler said. "I also want to thank my wife for letting me come and bowl with my friends every year, and I look forward to her and the other wives joining us at the Reno tournaments for years to come."
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. 2008 USBC Open Championships
Albuquerque Convention Center, Albuquerque, N.M.
REGULAR DIVISION
Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfalls
Team
1, Team Tilt (Thomas Ault Jr., Russ Wilson, Chris Greene, Joe Keltner, Jay Futrell), Lawrence, Kan., 3,374. 2, Rhino for President, Pleasant View, Utah, 3,298. 3, Bowlingfordumdums.com, Pritchett, Colo., 3,284. 4, Bluemound Bowl, Milwaukee, Wis., 3,268. 5, Bowlers Universe 1, Rockford, Ill., 3,249. 6, Bluegrass Bowling & Golf, Lexington, Ky., 3,244. 7, Woody's, Mulvane, Kas., 3,239. 8, Marcor Technologies, Gaylord, Mich., 3,235. 9, Armstrong Printing 1, Naperville, Ill., 3,231. 10, Clone Huskers, Milwaukee, 3,228.
Doubles
1, John Socha, Oak Creek, Wis./Dennis Rakauskas, Apopka, Fla., 1,467. 2, Skip Wolfe, Dixon, Ill./Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 1,462. 3, Robert Slayton, Apple Valley, Minn./Jason Lutgen, Brooklyn Park, Minn., 1,445. 4, Todd Koehler, Appleton, Minn./Doug Blood, Montevideo, Minn., 1,444. 5, Erik Mattingly, Puyallup, Wash./Robert Hanson, Tacoma, Wash., 1,441. 6, Ted Baer/Josh Edenburn, Omaha, Neb., 1,439. 7, Steven Levering, Landisville, Pa./Jim Rutherford, Coatesville, Pa., 1,428. 8, Ron Case, Oakley, Calif./Sam Carter, Ben Lomond, Calif., 1,422. 9, Mike Granberg, Batavia, Ill./Dave Rodak, Naperville, Ill., 1,419. 10, Ward Mocaby/Steve Elson, Wichita, Kan., 1,416.
Singles
1, Bryan Young, Everett, Wash., 832. 2, Jason Price, Grand Island, Neb., 817. 3, Wilbert Moorer, Dover, Del., 784. 4, Warren Crawford, McKinleyville, Calif., 779. 5, William Uthoff, O'Fallon, Mo., 775. 6 (tie), Larry Aldridge, Aurora, Colo., and Alexander Shand, Myrtle Beach, S.C., 774. 8, Alan Pecora, Drums, Pa., 773. 9, Don Pyle, Wilmington, Del., 768. 10, Darren Weiler, Dickinson, N.D., 767.
All-Events
1, Jay Futrell, Derby, Kan., 2,183. 2, Bryan Young, Everett, Wash., 2,165. 3, Mike Rose Jr., Rochester, N.Y., 2,161. 4, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 2,160. 5, Warren Crawford, McKinleyville, Calif., 2,159. 6, Brian Kjergaard, Fulton, Ill., 2,147. 7, Edward Gallagher, Clarksville, Tenn., 2,141. 8, Todd Fenske, Weston, Wis., 2,132. 9, Chris Gibbons, Madison, Wis., 2,122. 10, Don Pyle, Wilmington, Del., 2,118.
Team All-Events
1, Team Tilt (Thomas Ault Jr., Russ Wilson, Chris Greene, Joe Keltner, Jay Futrell), Lawrence, Kan., 9,986. 2, Team Pabst, Madison, Wis., 9,977. 3, MoRich Enterprises, West Bend, Wis., 9,901. 4, Rhino for President, Pleasant View, Utah, 9,801. 5, Bowlingfordumdums.com, Pritchett, Colo., 9,794. 6 (tie), S & B Pro Shop 2, Sterling Heights, Mich., and Pam's Boys 1, Salem, Ore., 9,736. 8, Pollard's Bowl, Versailles, Ind., 9,708. 9, J & S Auto Supply Inc., Valparaiso, Ind., 9,684. 10, Buddies Pro Shop, Congers, N.Y., 9,667.
CLASSIFIED DIVISION
Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfalls
Team
1, Cardinal Lanes (Edward Hitschmann, Mike Steinert, Reuben Flagor, Tim Higgins, Gary Boxberger), 2,804. 2, Lake Country Rollers 1, Clarissa, Minn., 2,799. 3, T-Rays, Jamestown, N.D., 2,795. 4, Garden Center Lanes 2, Alexandria, Minn., 2,789. 5, Plattsburgh Bowl, Plattsburgh, Mo., 2,773. 6, Sego Electric, Clarion, Iowa, 2,759. 7, Pla-Mor Lanes 5, New Weston, Ohio, 2,750. 8, Lady Pros, Albuquerque, N.M., 2,748. 9, Firenab 2, Lincoln, Neb., 2,745. 10, Red Carpet, Sauk Centre, Minn., 2,744.
Doubles
1, Jacqueline Snyder/Bill Calhoon, Cooksville, Ill., 1,282. 2, Janet Vaccari/Joe Vaccari, Gillette, Wyo., 1,255. 3, William Palmer, Sussex, Wis./Henry Dotson, McCool, Miss., 1,220. 4, Ron Schara, Big Timber, Mont./Tom Schara, Rio Rancho, N.M., 1,205. 5, Arthur King, Grass Valley, Calif./Sandy Wagner, Loomis, Calif., 1,203. 6, Jim Kohlman, St. Paul, Minn./Michael Roscoe, White Bear Lake, Minn., 1,196. 7, Larry Tschoepe, San Antonio/Ted Smith LaVernia, Texas, 1,188. 8, (tie), Lenny Boogaard, Osakis, Minn./Larry Sorenson, West Union, Minn., and Sue Kendall, Converse, Ind./Jeffrey Kistler, Marion, Ind., 1,184. 10, Butch Booker, Clarissa, Minn./Dave Lisson, Browerville, Minn., 1,181.
Singles
1, Daniel Dabkowski, Columbia, S.C., 688. 2 (tie), Brian Washington, Hopewell, Va., and Tim Hoffpauir, New Iberia, La., 676. 4, Tim Wagner, Hardin, Mont., 669. 5, Jeffrey Kistler, Marion, Ind., 668. 6, John Zapalac, Bishop, Texas, 662. 7, Randy Gaines, Austin, Minn., 658. 8, Ed Wethington, Poplar Grove, Ill., 657. 9 (tie), Dale Fuller, Otter Lake, Mich., and Bill Ingram, Aloha, Ore., 648.
All-Events
1, Jeffrey Kistler, Marion, Ind., 1,887. 2, Daniel Dabkowski, Columbia, S.C., 1,857. 3, Bill Calhoon, Cooksville, Ill., 1,852. 4, John Millet Jr., Greenland, N.H., 1,821. 5, Troy Schultz, Clarion, Iowa, 1,820. 6, Dave Lisson, Browerville, Minn., 1,815. 7, Glenn Shields, Bowling Green, Ohio, 1,791. 8, Hartsell Duhart, Compton, Calif., 1,789. 9, Dave Dubois, Santa Monica, Calif., 1,782. 10, John Albaugh, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,773.
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