USBC Open Championships

As a USBC Gold level coach and a past winner at the USBC Open Championships, Bill Zuben of Largo, Fla., has a unique combination of proven success both on and off the lanes. The 60-year-old pro shop owner has logged more than four decades in the bowling industry and always enjoys an opportunity to share some insight about what it takes to prepare for an event like the Open Championships.

In 104 years of competition, no Regular or Classified team has ever defended a team title at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, but that fact didn't diminish the excitement for Torkelson Construction of Clarion, Iowa, as it marched to the lanes Monday hoping to become the first.

Team USA member Derek Eoff of Greenfield, Wis., teamed up with Richard Volhard of Rothschild, Wis., to take the lead in Regular Doubles at the USBC Open Championships in Reno, Nev. with 1,467. Eoff led the way with 754, which included the third perfect game of this year's event, while Volhard finished with eight consecutive strikes and a 713 series.

Nearly eight years after he rolled one of the Professional Bowlers Association's 17 televised perfect games at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., Mike Miller, the 46-year-old right-hander with an unorthodox thumbless release shot 739 in singles, 727 in team and 648 in doubles for a 2,114 total and the top spot in Regular All-Events at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.

Michael Tieden of Blaine, Minn., almost didn't make it to the USBC Open Championships in Reno this year as the Minneapolis area was hit with 18 inches of snow the day Tieden and his two-team group were scheduled to leave. Luckily, they made it out on the last flight before the airport was closed Thursday, and now Tieden will return home as the Classified All-Events leader after shooting 1,809 on Saturday.

Greg Brooks of Sturtevant, Wis., was inexperienced and fresh out of the youth ranks when he made his first appearance at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships in 2005. After a one-year hiatus from the USBC Open Championships, the 21-year-old right-hander returned for his sophomore campaign and put together games of 217, 272 and 269 to move into the top spot in Regular Singles with 758.

Shortly after making his first appearance at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships in 2002, Tate Ziglar of Lexington, N.C., joined the U.S. Marines and put his bowling career on hold. Now, the 22-year-old right-hander is back on the lanes and a regular at the USBC Open Championships. He also is becoming a regular at the top of the tournament leaderboard.

After barely arriving in time for its team event, Galaxy-Dew's Crew of Kinston, N.C., exceeded its own expectations and moved into the Classified Team lead at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships on Sunday.

After finishing one spot behind his companion team at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships on Friday, Ken Duffield of Madison, Wis., refused to be outdone by his friends two days in a row. The 37-year-old right-hander, who uses an unorthodox thumbless release, returned to the National Bowling Stadium on Saturday and put on a clinic for his teammates, shooting 217, 297 and 287 for an 801 series in doubles.

If the leaderboard at the USBC Open Championships is any indication of bowling success, then the city of Madison, Wis., can claim that it is home to some of the best bowlers in the country. Companion teams Ten Pin Alley 2 (pictured left) and Team Dirty shot 3,108 and 3,084, respectively, to grab the top two spots in Regular Team.

Mike Godfrey of Meade, Kan., won a United States Bowling Congress Open Championships title on his first trip to the event in 1992, and now he is back atop the leaderboard in 2007. The 36-year-old right-hander shot 652 in team, 564 in singles and 546 in doubles at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., on Friday to move into the Classified All-Events lead with 1,762.

Every year, thousands of bowlers compete in the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships for the first time. On Wednesday, Donald Hughes of West Newton, Pa., led a whole team of newcomers into the top spot in Classified Team.

One of the most popular features on USBCopen.com in recent years has been the unique interactive webcams. After working out some early technical glitches, the webcams are up and running for USBCopen.com visitors to view the 2007 Open Championships at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.

The United States Bowling Congress Open Championships is based on 104 years of history and tradition. Bowlers of all skill levels travel from across the globe to compete in the annual tournament, labeled the world's largest participatory sporting event, and many would argue that there is no title more prestigious than a win at the USBC Open Championships.

Early Sunday afternoon, John Kreyer Jr. of Fridley, Minn. was surrounded by a teary-eyed mob of family members after he started singles with the first perfect game of this year's USBC Open Championships on just the second day of the 135-day event. "Words really can't describe it," Kreyer said. "It's always a good feeling to put a string together, especially here, but this is unbelievable."

The 2007 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships kicked off Saturday at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. USBC Hall of Famer Jim Schroeder, dignitaries, The Twelve Irish Tenors, Olympic medal-winning rhythmic gymnast Maia Tabakova and 760 bowlers turned out for the opening day events, which included the traditional Mass Ball Shot Ceremony, a marriage proposal and the crowning of "Joe Bowler."

In what has become a United States Bowling Congress Open Championships tradition, the Special Olympics National Unified Bowling Tournament was conducted on the tournament lanes for the 17th time as a prelude to the opening of the 2007 USBC Open Championships.

In less than a week, the 2007 USBC Open Championships will begin in Reno, Nev., and it will be business as usual for the tournament as more than 80,000 bowlers make their way to the National Bowling Stadium. But on Sunday, it was all fun and games as the USBC hosted Bowlfest, a celebration of bowling and the USBC Open Championships.

With the start of the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships less than two weeks away, it's time for Reno and the National Bowling Stadium to get back into tournament mode. To help announce the return of the USBC Open Championships, which was last held in Reno in 2004, and kick off this year's event in style, the USBC is hosting Bowlfest on Feb. 11 from noon until 2 p.m. at the Stadium.

Although there are more than 15,000 teams already signed up for the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships in Reno, Nev., the deadline for entries now has been extended until March 30, 2007.  The 134-day event begins Feb. 17 at Reno's National Bowling Stadium and is scheduled to conclude on June 30.