Tim Janz of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and his teammates didn’t quite get out to the start they were hoping for at the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, but things got progressively better and ended on a high note as Janz rolled the first perfect game of this year’s event.

The 36-year-old right-hander (pictured above) also made a run at the top spot in Regular Singles on April 15, before settling into fourth place with a 770 series on games of 253, 300 and 217.

Robert J. Bures (right) of Painesville, Ohio, leads with 815, the only other honor score of the 2016 tournament at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada.

Janz’s perfect performance came on the 42nd day of the tournament and marked the latest date for the first 300 since the 1985 tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when none of more than 40,000 bowlers were able to achieve the feat.

“I knew a few people had been close to 300, but I had no idea I was the first,” said Janz, who made his 18th USBC Open Championships appearance.

“Everybody was trying to keep me calm and not get too fast or too slow with my shots, even though a couple did. I was disappointed in the 10th frame with a couple of the shots, but I was happy with the final results. I’ve never felt that kind of relief in my life like after the last ball. It is still unbelievable.”

Janz finished the 2016 event with a 1,962 all-events total, which included 633 in doubles and 559 in team. Bures leads Regular All-Events with 2,122.

Defending Team champions crack top 10 at National Bowling Stadium

The members of defending Regular Team champion Team NABR (pictured above) of West Henrietta, New York, were recognized in an award ceremony April 18 at the National Bowling Stadium, before taking the lanes to put their title on the line at the 2016 USBC Open Championships.

Though the number they needed to shoot to regain the top spot in the standings was more than 120 less than their winning score last year in El Paso, Texas, there was a new kind of pressure in trying to become the first team in 113 years of Open Championships history to successfully defend a Regular Team title.

The team was able to grind its way to games of 1,003 and 1,020 before finishing strong with a 1,109 effort for a 3,132 total and a tie for ninth place overall. Who’s Eddie Byrd? (right) of Fort Worth, Texas, leads this year at the NBS with 3,241.

Brian Waliczek set the pace this year for Team NABR with a 697 series and was followed by 2007 Regular All-Events champion Mike Rose Jr. (665), Adam Barta (616) and Scott Pohl and Rob Gotchall with 577 apiece.

Team NABR returned to the lanes April 19 and made moves in the Regular Doubles and Team All-Events standings, too.

Pohl (692) and Rose (634) landed in a tie for sixth place in doubles with a 1,326, while the team finished the day in third place in Team All-Events with 9,525.

Pohl also led the all-events effort with 1,975 and was followed by Rose (1,961), Gotchall (1,930), Waliczek (1,889) and Barta (1,770). Junior Team USA Support 1 of Eagan, Minnesota, leads with 9,672.

USBC Open Championships participation milestones

Wilfred Toby (pictured above) of Tioga, Pennsylvania, who competed in his first USBC Open Championships in 1956, reached 50 years of participation April 13. Toby, 92, rolled sets of 421 in singles, 395 in doubles and 384 in team for a 1,200 all-events total. In 50 tournament appearances, he has knocked down 75,676 pins for a career average of 177.6.

Jules Falcone of Media, Pennsylvania, made his own -ceremonial 50th march down Center Aisle at the NBS on April 19, and there will be a recap of his performance next week. Don Larson of Fort Dodge, Iowa, competed for the 55th consecutive time, also on April 19.

A look ahead

A few more milestones will be reached at the USBC Open Championships this week as Richard Ried of Mason, Michigan, and CD “Bud” Howell of Idaho Falls, Idaho, celebrate 50 years of participation on April 24 and April 25, respectively.

On April 26, Gene Kirkham of Arcola, Illinois, is scheduled to compete for the 55th time.

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, Wickliffe Lanes, Mentor, Ohio, 3,202. 3, Logo Infusion Original, Las Vegas, 3,200. 4, The Warner Brothas, Louisville, Ky., 3,184. 5, Junior Team USA Support 1, Mansfield, Texas, 3,167. 6, Eagle Taxidermy, Vancouver, Wash., 3,155. 7, Huskers 1, Madison, Wis., 3,136. 8, Towne & Country Lanes 1, Hartland, Wis., 3,135. 9(tie), Team NABR, West Henrietta, N.Y., and Over the Hill, Fort Worth, Texas, 3,132.

Doubles
1(tie), Matthew Zitnik, Mayfield Heights, Ohio/Jason Bowles, Euclid, Ohio, and Nick Heilman/Andy Mills, La Crosse, Wis., 1,341. 3, Kevin Tatrow, Bel Aire, Kan./Will Barnes, Austin, Texas, 1,335. 4, Scott Honeysett/Michael Bradfield, Lansing, Mich., 1,334. 5, Jay Nephew, Houston/Robert Raymond, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,328. 6(tie), Scott Pohl, Burnsville, Minn./Mike Rose Jr., West Henrietta, N.Y., and Ricky Boyters/Michael Smith, Newport News, Va., 1,328. 8, Rick Volhard, Wausau, Wis./Derek Eoff, Madison, Wis., 1,325. 9, Donnie Allen III, Vancouver, Wash./Lucas Stone, Beaverton, Ore., 1,320. 10, Steven Taylor, Deer Creek, Ill./Brian Davis Sr., Peoria, Ill., 1,314.

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, Tyler Wilds, Three Rivers, Mich., 759. 7, Jim Russell, Orangevale, Calif., 749. 8, Gerald Kopec, Sterling Heights, Mich., 746. 9, Matthew Tuckfield, Orlando, Fla., 745. 10, Jerry Rapp, Grand Island, Neb., 744.

All-Events
1, Robert J. Bures, Painesville, Ohio, 2,122. 2, Matt Smallin, Glenburn, N.D., 2,060. 3, Tim Hill, Lincoln, Calif., 2,058. 4, Jeffrey Grego, Fort Wayne, Ind., 2,056. 5, Camden Rokita, Springfield, Ill., 2,055. 6, Jason Bowles, Euclid, Ohio, 2,042. 7, Scott Endersbe, Willmar, Minn., 2,031. 8, Mason Brantley, Detroit, 2,028. 9, Will Barnes, Austin, Texas, 2,023. 10, Tyler Wilds, Three Rivers, Mich., 2,021.

Team All-Events
1, Junior Team USA Support 1 (Matthew Tuckfield, Anthony LaCaze, Steve Novak, Jeffrey Mersch, Erik Vermilyea), Eagan, Minn., 9,672. 2, Wickliffe Lanes, Mentor, Ohio, 9,598. 3, Team NABR, West Henrietta, N.Y., 9,525. 4, 5 ICT Bowlers, Johnston, Iowa, 9,488. 5 (tie), ND Roto Grip, Mandan, N.D., and Maxxx Revs Pro Shop, Peoria Heights, Ill., 9,461. 7, The Warner Brothas, Louisville, Ky., 9,348. 8, Over The Hill, Fort Worth, Texas, 9,334. 9, Towne & Country Lanes 1, Hartland, Wis., 9,330. 10, HYBC, Rancho Cordova, Calif., 9,266.

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, Beloit Bombers, Beloit, Kan., 2,511. 8, Oakridge Farms, Frazee, Minn., 2,509. 9, Burnside Lobster Farms, New Effington, S.D., 2,503. 10, Rails Bar and Grill, Eagle Grove, Iowa, 2,499.

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, Mitchell Martin/Julie Martin, Buchanan, Mich., 1,104. 9, Chris Witthus/Robert Kaytor, Glencoe, Minn., 1,096. 10, Dee Maccario, Farmington, Conn./Mark Baranski, Newington, Conn., 1,094.

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, Troy Schultz, Clarion, Iowa, 602. 6, Debra Barmore, Omaha, Neb., 599. 7, Greg Kokanour, Highland, Calif., 595. 8, Brady Erdmann, Benson, Minn., 594. 9, Roger Porto, Kerman, Calif., 590. 10, Maniram Basdeo, Bronx, N.Y., 588.

All-Events
1, Joseph Rhinehart, Albany, Ore., 1,735. 2, David Hjelm, Wheaton, Minn., 1,713. 3, Eric Douglass, Goldfield, Iowa, 1,671. 4, David Kettell, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 1,661. 5(tie), Matt Tschann, Paynesville, Minn., and Kenneth Kettelhodt, Zimmerman, Minn., 1,658. 7, Michael Booker, Eagle Bend, Minn., 1,657. 8, Tim Carey, Santa Fe, N.M., 1,656. 9, Gary Sundby Jr., Dalton, Minn., 1,653. 10, Roger Porto, Kerman, Calif., 1,634.