Robert Teeters of Lapel, Indiana, found himself in the spotlight two different times this week at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships. The 73-year-old started his trip to the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada, with a memorable march down Center Aisle on May 7 as he became the 21st bowler in 113 years of USBC Open Championships history to reach 60 years of tournament participation.

He returned to the lanes May 8 to add his name to another elite list as the 19th member of the event’s 100,000-Pin Club. Teeters entered the 2016 tournament needing 1,216 pins to reach the 100,000-pin plateau and he got there with a seven-count on the fill ball of his first game of singles.

He finished his 60th campaign with sets of 549 in doubles, 484 in singles and 478 in team for a 1,511 all-events total and career pinfall total of 100,295, a 185.7 average.

Frank Clay of Crystal Lake, Illinois, joined the 100,000-Pin Club earlier this month, while USBC Hall of Famer Bill Lillard Sr. of Houston tops the all-time pinfall list with 124,087.

“I was pretty lucky to get started as young as I did, and it’s really special to still be going strong and be able to reach these milestones,” said Teeters, who was 12 years old when he made his Open Championships debut at the 1955 event in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

“I’ve bowled just about every tournament there is at some point, but this is the one I look forward to the most, even though it’s the toughest.”

For his accomplishments in this year’s tournament, he was presented with a chevron, plaque and engraved money clip for his 60th tournament as well as a crystal bowling pin for reaching 100,000 pins.

Bowling on the same team squad, the captain of Teeters’ group, Mike Schmid of Arden Hills, Minnesota, also was recognized for his dedication as he celebrated his 55th appearance on the championship lanes.

A look ahead

The coming week again will be a celebration of longevity at the USBC Open Championships as six bowlers are scheduled to reach participation milestones at the National Bowling Stadium.

Robert Walker of Bergholz, Ohio, will start the parade as he makes his 50th Open Championships appearance May 14 at 8 p.m. Eastern. William Pavlik of Palos Heights, Illinois, and Ed Gronski of Mulkeytown, Illinois, will follow suit during the early team squad May 16.

A duo of USBC Hall of Famers will make the trip down Center Aisle on May 17 at 8 p.m. EDT, with Glenn Allison of Anaheim, California, becoming the 10th bowler in history to compete 65 times. His teammate, Jimmy Schroeder of Tonawanda, New York, will make his 68th consecutive appearance. Both are members of the 100,000-Pin Club.

Jim Rollins of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, will share the spotlight with Allison and Schroeder as he reaches 50 years of Open Championships participation.

For more information on the Open Championships, click here.

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2016 USBC Open Championships – Regular Division

Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfall

Team
1, Who’s Eddie Byrd? (Stefanie Johnson, Eddie Byrd, James Stephens, Lynda Barnes, Brett Sterley), Fort Worth, Texas, 3,241. 2, S&B Pro Shop 1, Clinton Township, Mich., 3,216. 3, Wickliffe Lanes, Mentor, Ohio, 3,202. 4, Logo Infusion Original, Las Vegas, 3,200. 5, Linds Lakers 1, Brooklyn Park, Minn., 3,187. 6, The Warner Brothas, Louisville, Ky., 3,184. 7, Bowlerama Lanes, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,181. 8, Visionary 1, Arden Hills, Minn., 3,168. 9, Junior Team USA Support 1, Eagan, Minn., 3,167. 10, Eagle Taxidermy, Vancouver, Wash., 3,155.

Doubles
1(tie), Matthew Zitnik, Mayfield Heights, Ohio/Jason Bowles, Euclid, Ohio, and Nick Heilman/Andy Mills, La Crosse, Wis., 1,341. 3, David Ewald, Macomb, Mich./Nicholas Wissinger, Clinton Township, Mich., 1,337. 4, Kevin Tatrow, Bel Aire, Kan./Will Barnes, Austin, Texas, 1,335. 5, Scott Honeysett/Michael Bradfield, Lansing, Mich., 1,334. 6, Michael Lisch, Zionsville, Ind./John Bauerle Jr., Indianapolis, 1,331. 7, Samuel Lantto, Eden Prairie, Minn./Todd Savoy, Superior, Wis., 1,330, 8(tie), Jay Nephew, Houston/Robert Raymond, Pflugerville, Texas, and Jonathan Wilbur, North Clarendon, Vt./Todd Lathrop, Colchester, Conn., 1,328. 10(tie), Scott Pohl, Burnsville, Minn./Mike Rose Jr., West Henrietta, N.Y., and Ricky Boyters/Michael Smith, Newport News, Va., 1,326.

Singles
1, Robert J. Bures, Painesville, Ohio, 815. 2, Matt Smallin, Glenburn, N.D., 785. 3, Camden Rokita, Springfield, Ill., 779. 4, Tim Janz, Beaver Dam, Wis., 770. 5, Will Barnes, Austin, Texas, 764. 6(tie), Tyler Wilds, Three Rivers, Mich., and Thomas Jones, Blaine, Minn., 759. 8(tie), Joe Massey, Flora, Ind., and David Bordson, St. Paul, Minn., 757. 10, Brian Hayes, Lakewood, Colo., 756.

All-Events
1, Robert J. Bures, Painesville, Ohio, 2,122. 2, Joe Massey, Flora, Ind., 2,086. 3, Justin Crumley, Washington, Mo., 2,075. 4, Matt Smallin, Glenburn, N.D., 2,060. 5, Tim Hill, Lincoln, Calif., 2,058. 6, Jeffrey Grego, Fort Wayne, Ind., 2,056. 7, Camden Rokita, Springfield, Ill., 2,055. 8, Jason Bowles, Euclid, Ohio, 2,042. 9, John Bauerle Jr., Indianapolis, 2,039. 10, Michael Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 2,037.

Team All-Events
1, Junior Team USA Support 1 (Matthew Tuckfield, Anthony LaCaze, Steve Novak, Jeffrey Mersch, Erik Vermilyea), Eagan, Minn., 9,672. 2, Crankers Arn’t Us, Aurora, Colo., 9,599. 3, Wickliffe Lanes, Mentor, Ohio, 9,598. 4, S&B Pro Shop 1, Clinton Township, Mich., 9,587. 5,
Linds Lakers 1, Brooklyn Park, Minn., 9,582. 6, Team NABR, West Henrietta, N.Y., 9,525. 7, 5 ICT Bowlers, Johnston, Iowa, 9,488. 8, Visionary 1, Arden Hills, Minn., 9,464. 9(tie), ND Roto Grip, Mandan, N.D., and Maxxx Revs Pro Shop, Peoria Heights, Ill., 9,461.

2016 USBC Open Championships – Classified Division

Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfall

Team
1, Yeah Spare IV (Tristan Bannister, Kevin Lin, Matthew Lopes, Douglas Robertson, Ben Robertson), Sacramento, Calif., 2,656. 2, T-Rays, Jamestown, N.D., 2,607. 3, Scotty’s 3, Alexandria, Minn., 2,570. 4, Yeah Spare III, Sacramento, Calif., 2,555. 5, Plato Woodwork 1, Gaylord, Minn., 2,531. 6, Malad Gun Club, Malad City, Idaho, 2,529. 7, Nelson Cartage 1, Downers Grove, Ill., 2,523. 8, Ohio Blasting, Akron, OH, 2,515. 9, Beloit Bombers, Beloit, Kan., 2,511. 10, Oakridge Farms, Frazee, Minn., 2,509.

Doubles
1, David Hjelm, Wheaton, Minn./Gary Sundby Jr., Dalton, Minn., 1,155. 2, Eric Douglass, Goldfield, Iowa/Mike Thielen, Eagle Grove, Iowa, 1,147. 3, Cassandra Tatum, Neptune, N.J./David Jenkins III, Tinton Falls, N.J., 1,119. 4, Randy Robinson/Crystal Forkner, Higginsville, Mo., 1,118. 5, Kathy Yourkavitch/Jerome Jackson, Kutztown, Penn., 1,117. 6(tie), Nicholas Razink, Benson, Minn./Tyler Grabow, Twin Brooks, S.D., and Mandy Quaas, Hutchinson, Minn./Jeremy Quaas, New Hope, Minn., 1,111. 8, Deirdre Sumpter, Havre de Grace, Md./Lee Wainwright Jr., Aberdeen, Md., 1,110. 9, Mitchell Martin/Julie Martin, Buchanan, Mich., 1,104. 10, Chris Witthus/Robert Kaytor, Glencoe, Minn., 1,096.

Singles
1, David Kettell, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 644. 2, Allan Johnson, Hawley, Minn., 627. 3, Matt Tschann, Paynesville, Minn., 626. 4, Joseph Rhinehart, Albany, Ore., 613. 5(tie), Trudy Koberlein, Georgetown, Texas, and Audra Banko, Riverside, Calif., 605. 7(tie), Troy Schultz, Clarion, Iowa, and Michael Hanna, Lafayette, Ind., 602. 9(tie), Debra Barmore, Omaha, Neb., and Fred Gordon, Cumberland Foreside, Maine, 599.

All-Events
1, Trudy Koberlein, Georgetown, Texas, 1,754. 2, Joseph Rhinehart, Albany, Ore., 1,735. 3, Bryan Herald, Chapman, Neb., 1,728. 4(tie), David Hjelm, Wheaton, Minn., and Robert Benjamin, Downers Grove, Ill., 1,713. 6, John McReady, Woodridge, Ill., 1,708. 7, George Kolstad, West St. Paul, Minn., 1,700. 8, Kevin Kwan, Long Beach, Calif., 1,695. 9, Jeffrey Hull, Akron, Ohio, 1,682. 10, Michael Meeks, Akron, Ohio, 1,681.