Four bowlers rolled perfect games at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships this week, bringing this year's total to 47, which ranks fourth in 108 years of competition.

D.J. Daniels (pictured left) of Mason, Ohio, was the first to get the job done, and the experience of getting close to perfection before helped him finish things off this time. In 2005, Daniels started a game with nine strikes before a 10 pin ended his run.

On June 17, he kept his cool and calmly delivered three strikes in the 10th frame for the 44th perfect game of the 2011 USBC Open Championships.

William Graham of Surprise, Ariz., followed with a 300 game during doubles that night. Former Junior Team USA member Jason Wunderlich of Homestead, Pa., joined the club on June 18, while Darin Wagner of Puyallup, Wash., added his name to the mix June 19.

Daniels' 300 came in his final game of team after games of 221 and 178 for a 699 series. He helped Barker 5 of Louisville, Ky., to a 3,109 total. Turbo 2-N-1 Grips 1 of Madison, Wis., leads Regular Team with 3,473.

"It was a hopeful expectation," said Daniels, who made his 10th Open Championships appearance and added 601 in doubles and 572 in singles for a 1,872 all-events total. "I've been fortunate enough to have 300s in league. I also had 300s in state and local tournaments, but to get one here completes a triple crown in a way. It's one of those outside dreams and hopes, but to actually do it, is a pure sense of accomplishment. You don't come here thinking you're going to shoot 300."

Graham (right) struggled in his doubles opener, shooting 181, but he bounced back with 12 consecutive strikes for the 45th perfect game of the year. He started his third game with six more strikes for a total of 18 in a row and finished with 244 for a 725 total. He teamed with Jason Peters for a 1,241 doubles effort.

"It was a lifetime achievement," said Graham, a 40-year-old right-hander, who bowls league at Brunswick Zone Glendale (Ariz.). "It's a lifetime achievement to bowl a 300 on the biggest stage in the world. I practiced for months on this pattern. I owe it all to my teammates. They kept me calm and focused."

Graham finished his sixth Open Championships appearance with 687 in singles and 638 in team for a 2,050 all-events total.

Wunderlich (left), a 27-year-old right-hander, attributed his success to years of competing on USBC Sport Bowling lane conditions as well as the top-notch coaching he received as a member of Junior Team USA and during his collegiate bowling days at Robert Morris University (Pa.). He highlighted his second Open Championships appearance with the 46th perfect game of the year.

After starting his sophomore campaign with a 188 game, he put his experience to the test by making the necessary moves, which resulted in 12 consecutive strikes and a 300 game. He added 256 for a 744 total and helped Mushroom Stamp of Monongahela, Pa., to a 3,274 total. Entering this year's Open Championships, Wunderlich had two major goals. The first was to eclipse the 1,900 mark in all-events again, and the second was not to let his more experienced teammates down.

"It was pretty fun because I shot 180 the game before," said Wunderlich, who bowls league at Nesbits Lanes in Pittsburgh and added 669 in singles and 623 in doubles for a 2,036 all-events total. "This is only my second year on the team with a lot of other experienced guys. I just tried not to screw up, and this helped me feel like I contributed a little bit. I would rank this right up there with making Junior Team USA and making the TV show with Robert Morris at the (USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships) in 2007."

Wagner's (right) 300 was an emotional one, and an accomplishment he was excited to dedicate to his mother, whom he lost to cancer two years ago.

The 43-year-old right-hander opened his singles event with 12 consecutive strikes for the 47th 300 game of the 2011 tournament and continued on his torrid pace as he started the next game with seven more strikes before a 10 pin cost him a chance to become just the second bowler in tournament history to record back-to-back 300s (Ron Bahr, 2003). He finished with 247 and added a 231 game for a 778 total. Matt Weggen of Muscatine, Iowa, leads Regular Singles with 826.

"It's amazing," said Wagner, who made his fifth Open Championships appearance and added 671 in doubles and 605 in team for a career-best 2,054 all-events total. "It's kind of like a dream come true. My dad, Gene, is 81, and he drove down with us. Ironically, he said it would be kind of cool if I shot 300. It was an emotional roller coaster, though, because I always wanted to do it for my mom, who passed away two years ago from cancer. I felt like she was with me. That kept me calm, especially on the last shots."

This year's event kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 3 after a 122-day run. By tournament end, 12,837 five-player teams, more than 64,000 bowlers, will have made their way to the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. The record for 300s in a single tournament is 64, set in Billings, Mont., in 2002.

Also this week, 26-year-old Chad Svendsen (left) of Monroe, Wis., made his own run at perfection, but left a 4 pin and settled for the 21st 299 of the year.

 

 

New Classified Doubles leaders emerge at USBC Open Championships

A few years ago, Gary Weldon (pictured right) of Temple City, Calif., decided he was going to bowl in three leagues in three different bowling centers in order to challenge himself with a variety of lane conditions.

The 62-year-old right-hander has become a student of the game and enjoys learning about the latest bowling technology. His diligence paid off this season with his first 300 game and a 200 league average for the first time, and his success continued at the USBC Open Championships on June 17.

Weldon made a run at a perfect game in his final game of doubles, and although he fell short and finished with 289, the effort was enough to lift him and Velvet Sanderson (left) of Norco, Calif., into the Classified Doubles lead with a 1,223 total. Susan and Dennis Combs of Howard, Ohio, previously held the top spot with 1,213.

"I was just trying to hold my concentration, but I let the 11th shot go about a board too far right," said Weldon, who made his third Open Championships appearance. "I had some lucky hits earlier in the series, and I'm grateful for those. All I really wanted was to bowl well for doubles."

As he stepped up for his shot at perfection, Weldon had no idea he also needed the first strike for the doubles lead. He finished with games of 233, 178 and 289 for a 700 series, his best on the tournament lanes by 70 pins. Sanderson, whose husband, Dean, has helped coach Weldon, added games of 188, 156 and 179 for a 523 set, her best in five tournament appearances.

"This just blows my mind," said Sanderson, a 48-year-old right-hander who bowls league at AMF Bowling Square Lanes in Arcadia, Calif. "I'm glad we had no idea what the leading score was or that we were close. We just wanted to bowl well for each other, and it feels incredible that we were able to take the lead. I'm certainly not a big bowler, and that's the best I've ever done here. You need a good energy for doubles, and we like that we were able to be there to lift each other up."

 

A look ahead
Michael Nape (right), the lifetime average leader at the USBC Open Championships, will hit the tournament lanes in Reno on June 23-24 looking to add to his success on the championship lanes.

Nape has maintained a 216.86 average in 23 Open Championships appearances and helped his team to the Team All-Events title in 2008. His team event will be broadcast live on BOWL.com on June 23 at 5:30 p.m. EDT.

Presenting sponsors for the 2011 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nev. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, Humana, official registration sponsor, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.

 

 

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108th USBC Open Championships

National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., USA (March 4 - July 3, 2011)

REGULAR DIVISION

Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfall

 

Team
1, Turbo 2 N 1 Grips 1 (Marc McDowell, Steve Richter, Jeff Richgels, Gail Myers Jr., Mike Shady), Madison, Wis., 3,473. 2, Brian Brazeau Pro Shop, Ocala, Fla., 3,439. 3, Pollards Bowl, Versailles, Ind,. 3,420. 4, Pepsi ONE, Rochester, Minn., 3,415. 5, Cambridge 1, Feeding Hills, Mass., 3,410. 6, Janzs H I, Beaver Dam, Wis., 3,407. 7, Huikkos Wizards 2, Buffalo, Minn., 3,382. 8, 900 Global Indy, Indianapolis, 3,381. 9, Pam's Boys 1, Salem, Ore., 3,371. 10, Northern Lanes Pro Shop, Sanford, Mich., 3,368.

Doubles
1, Brandon Tarabek/Chad Reiffer, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1,497. 2, George Rowan/Rod Singer, Columbus, Ohio, 1,494. 3, Ron Dixon, Boynton Beach, Fla./Joe Firpo, Tucker, Ga., 1,477. 4, Marc Scherlis, Littleton, Colo./Marv Sargent, Temecula, Calif., 1,473. 5, Erik Hohlbein, Renton, Wash./Shawn Copeland, Milwaukie, Ore., 1,466. 6, Terry Taylor, Bedford, Texas/Chris Hibbitts II, Fort Worth, Texas, 1,465. 7, Pat McCarthy, West Haven, Conn./Tony DeLucia, East Haven, Conn., 1,463. 8, Justin Medina/Jeremy Medina, Sana Fe, N.M., 1,458. 9 (tie), Dustin Baker/Matt Voeltz, West Jordan, Utah and Aaron Walsh/Don Simmons, Amarillo, Texas, 1,458.

Singles
1, Matt Weggen, Muscatine, Iowa, 826. 2, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 818. 3 (tie), Chris LaSpina, Garnerville, N.Y. and Edward Rede, El Paso, Texas, 814. 5, Adam Cardwell, Woodbury, Minn., 807. 6, John Szczerbinski, Wichita, Kan., 805. 7, Toby Sambueno, Aiea, Hawaii, 797. 8, Jeff Piroozshad, Coral Springs, Fla., 794. 9, Taylor Coggins, Burleson, Tex., 793. 10, William Vincent Jr., Louisville, Ky., 792.

All-Events
1, Matt Weggen, Muscatine, Iowa, 2,268. 2, Raymond Edwards, Middle Island, N.Y., 2,258. 3, Matt McNiel, Chanhassen, Minn., 2,241. 4, T.J. Schmidt, Osceola, Ind., 2,232. 5, Marty Jobin, Hermantown, Minn., 2,211. 6, Mike Rose Jr., West Henrietta, N.Y., 2,206. 7, Keith Aderholt, Millstadt, Ill., 2,204. 8, Ryan May, Sinking Spring, Pa., 2,196. 9, Kelly Bonta, Wichita, Kan., 2,177. 10, Bill Sempsrott, Liberty Township, Ohio, 2,175.

Team All-Events
1, K & K Bowling Services 5 (Les Shirwindt, Kyle King, Chris Klerk, Adam Ishman, Andrew Cain), Las Vegas, 10,283. 2, Linds Lakers 1, Minneapolis, 10,076. 3, Turbo 2 N 1 Grips 1, Madison, Wis., 10,031. 4, Classic Lanes Menomonee Falls, Waukesha, Wis., 10,030. 5, Linds Cedarvale 2, Eagan, Minn., 10,027. 6, Cambridge 1, Feeding Hills, Mass., 10,023. 7, Ballards Bwlg Solution 2, Keller, Texas, 9,951. 8, Ebonite HQ 1, Monroe, N.J., 9,933. 9, DAPP Embroidery, Grand Prairie, Texas, 9,911. 10, Trophy King Pro Shop, Bettendorf, Iowa, 9,889.

 

 

CLASSIFIED DIVISION

Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfall

 

Team
1, Paradise Lanes (Nick Cornelison, Glen Hurt, Toby Sanchez, Shane Hartman, Matt Landis), Walden, Colo., 2,910. 2, Shears Sports, Montpelier, Idaho, 2,898. 3, Chasers Pub LV 2, Las Vegas, 2,799. 4, Garden Center Lanes 3, Alexandria, Minn., 2,794. 5, Chasers Pub LV 3, Las Vegas, 2,786. 6, Kenns Pro Shop, Frankfort, Ill., 2,780. 7, Just Bowl, Castro Valley, Calif., 2,760. 8, Out Of Control 1, Stafford, Va., 2,739. 9, Strickly Hookin, Chicago, 2,737. 10, Pistol Pete, Hutchinson, Minn., 2,723.

Doubles
2, Dennis Combs/Susan Combs, Howard, Ohio, 1,213. 3, James D'Arcy, Van Nuys, Calif./David Bore, Canoga Park, Calif., 1,207. 4, Jeff Matesa, Graham, Wash./Tony Renggli, University Place, Wash., 1,202. 5, Paula Elsdon/Bob Elsdon, Tacoma, Wash., 1,188. 6, Tom Matlock/DerekDonathan, Tahlequah, Okla., 1,186. 7 (tie), Richard Anderson, Julesburg, Colo./Dan Ford, Chappell, Neb., and Bill King, Vergas, Minn./Mark Kemper, Frazee, Minn., and Raymond Szutu, Lafayette, Calif.,/Nathan Szutu, Concord, Calif., 1,180. 10 (tie), Toby Maack, Billings, Mont./Archie Caraveau, Forsyth, Mont., and Leon Mirador, San Jose, Calif./Sonny Mirador, Milpitas, Calif., 1,178.

Singles
1, Glen Brown, Renton, Wash., 690. 2, Raymond Wilga, Troy, Mo., 686. 3 (tie), Robert Petersen, Crystal Lake, Ill., and Scott Blaisdell, Malad, Idaho, 680. 5, Miguel Sanchez, Chicago, 677. 6, James Nichols, Waynesboro, Pa., 669. 7 (tie), Dennis Redmond, Hampton, Va., and Bill Allison, Romeoville, Ill., 665. 9, Jennifer Spotanski, Scheller, Ill., 656. 10, Mike Jessen, Gower, Mo., 650.

All-Events
1, Miguel Sanchez, Chicago, 1,853. 2, Mark Bylander, Vergas, Minn., 1,842. 3, Ray Green, Strasburg, Colo., 1,832. 4, Scott Blaisdell, Malad, Idaho, 1,830. 5, Raymond Wilga, Troy, Mo., 1,829. 6, Dennis Gutierrez Sr., San Antonio, 1,825. 7, Mike Jessen, Gower, Mo., 1,815. 8, William Larsen, Montpelier, Idaho, 1,802. 9, Glen Brown, Renton, Wash., 1,790. 10, Michael Barrett, Apache Junction, Ariz., 1,787.