Bob Hart reaches 60 years at Open Championships

01 June, 2016

Championships Open Championships

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United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Bob Hart of Suwanee, Georgia, stole the show at the USBC Open Championships on May 24 as he added another milestone to his impressive tournament resume.

The three-time Open Championships titlist, who made his debut at the 1954 event in Seattle, the same year as the famed Center Aisle, became the 22nd bowler in 113 years of tournament history to reach 60 years of participation.

The milestone march this year marked the second celebration for Hart at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada, where he joined the elite 100,000-Pin Club during the 2014 event.

This year at the NBS, Hart rolled sets of 580 in singles, 504 in doubles and 503 in team for a 1,587 all-events total.

In 60 Open Championships appearances he has knocked down 104,225 pins for a career average of 193. The career pinfall list is topped by USBC Hall of Famer Bill Lillard Sr. of Houston with 124,087.

“This is humbling, it really is,” said Hart, a 1994 inductee into the USBC Hall of Fame. “I’ve made a lot of friendships that continue to sparkle, and even though my best years are behind me, I am still enjoying the bowling family.”

USBC Open Championships active participation leader Sylvester Thiel dies

USBC Open Championships participation icon Sylvester Thiel of Lake City, Minnesota, died at his home early May 31. He was 93.

Thiel is one of three bowlers in tournament history to reach 71 years of Open Championships participation, a mark he tied March 16 at the National Bowling Stadium (pictured above). He shares the record with USBC Hall of Famers Bill Doehrman and Joe Norris.

Thiel also is one of 19 bowlers to eclipse the event’s 100,000 pinfall mark and is sixth on the career pinfall list with 114,297.

Iowa bowler rolls perfect game at National Bowling Stadium

Andy Shutt of Waukee, Iowa, became the fifth bowler to roll a perfect game at the 2016 USBC Open Championships.

The 34-year-old right-hander’s flawless effort came in his first game of singles May 28 at the NBS and was followed by games of 225 and 198 for a 723 series. Robert J. Bures of Painesville, Ohio, leads Regular Singles with 815, the only 800 of the 2016 event.

Shutt’s 15th consecutive Open Championships campaign included 609 in doubles and 587 in team for a 1,919 all-events total.

Doubles champions won’t repeat at USBC Open Championships

Defending Regular Doubles champions Mark Sleeper Jr. of Kaufman, Texas, and Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas (pictured r-l), were at the National Bowling Stadium on May 29 to put their title on the line.

Simonsen led the effort this year with a 657 series, while Sleeper added 576, and although they didn’t bowl as well as they would’ve liked, combining for a 1,233 total, they both enjoyed the experience. Greg Thomas of Irmo, South Carolina, and Christopher Hill of Franklin, Wisconsin, lead Regular Doubles with 1,401.

On the way to the title last year at the El Paso Convention Center in El Paso, Texas, the two posted a 1,409 total. Sleeper led the way in 2015 with a 744 series, and Simonsen contributed a 665 set.

A look ahead

John Sroka of Lancaster, Ohio, will become the latest member of the 50-Year Club at the USBC Open Championships when he marches down Center Aisle at the National Bowling Stadium on June 6.

The 79-year-old will be the 17th of 19 bowlers scheduled to reach the milestone in 2016.

For more information on the Open Championships, click here.

2016 USBC Open Championships – Regular Division

Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfall

Team
1, Bowling Dynamics.com (Robert Lewis, Steven Roberts, Kelly Urrea, Warren Eales, David Cirigliano), Phoenix, 3,300. 2, Vandaniker 1, Chatsworth, Calif., 3,266. 3, Who’s Eddie Byrd? Fort Worth, Texas, 3,241. 4, HornswogglerS, Staten Island, N.Y., 3,237. 5, S&B Pro Shop 1, Clinton Township, Mich., 3,216. 6, Wickliffe Lanes, Mentor, Ohio, 3,202. 7, Logo Infusion Original, Las Vegas, 3,200. 8, Linds Lakers 1, Brooklyn Park, Minn., 3,187. 9 (tie), The Warner Brothas, Louisville, Ky. and West Texas A&M 1, Canyon, Texas 3,184.

Doubles
1, Greg Thomas, Irmo, S.C./Christopher Hill, Franklin, Wis., 1,401. 2, Ted Rosenquist Jr., Valparaiso, Ind./James Capps, Kenosha, Wis., 1,365. 3 (tie), Matthew Zitnik, Mayfield Heights, Ohio/Jason Bowles, Euclid, Ohio, and Nick Heilman/Andy Mills, La Crosse, Wis., 1,341. 5, David Ewald, Macomb, Mich./Nicholas Wissinger, Clinton Township, Mich., 1,337. 6, Kevin Tatrow, Bel Aire, Kan./Will Barnes, Austin, Texas, 1,335. 7, Scott Honeysett/Michael Bradfield, Lansing, Mich., 1,334. 8, Michael Lisch, Zionsville, Ind./John Bauerle Jr., Indianapolis, 1,331. 9, Samuel Lantto, Eden Prairie, Minn./Todd Savoy, Superior, Wis., 1,330. 10 (tie), Jay Nephew, Houston/Robert Raymond, Pflugerville, Texas, and Jonathan Wilbur, North Clarendon, Vt./Todd Lathrop, Colchester, Conn., 1,328.

Singles
1, Robert J. Bures, Painesville, Ohio, 815. 2, Matt Smallin, Glenburn, N.D., 785. 3, Michael Klimpel, Rosemount, Minn., 781. 4, Camden Rokita, Springfield, Ill., 779. 5, Jacob Genz, Rock Island, Ill., 772. 6, Tim Janz, Beaver Dam, Wis., 770. 7, Jimmy Clark, Topsham, Maine, 767. 8, Daniel Vick, Pittsford, N.Y., 765. 9, Will Barnes, Austin, Texas, 764. 10, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 763.

All-Events
1, Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Ariz., 2,124. 2, Robert J. Bures, Painesville, Ohio, 2,122. 3, David Cirigliano, Phoenix, 2,097. 4, Joe Massey, Flora, Ind., 2,086. 5, Justin Crumley, Washington, Mo., 2,075. 6, Warren Eales, Chandler, Ariz., 2,064. 7, Matt Smallin, Glenburn, N.D., 2,060. 8, Tim Hill, Lincoln, Calif., 2,058. 9, Jeffrey Grego, Fort Wayne, Ind., 2,056. 10, Camden Rokita, Springfield, Ill., 2,055.

Team All-Events
1, HornswogglerS (Ray Smarsh, Manuel Gonzales, Dan Dunleavy, Rusty Thomsen, Alex Cavagnaro), Staten Island, N.Y., 9,719. 2, Bowling Dynamics.com, Phoenix, 9,710. 3, Junior Team USA Support 1, Eagan, Minn., 9,672. 4, Crankers Arn’t Us, Aurora, Colo., 9,599. 5, Wickliffe Lanes, Mentor, Ohio, 9,598. 6, S&B Pro Shop 1, Clinton Township, Mich., 9,587. 7, Linds Lakers 1, Brooklyn Park, Minn., 9,582. 8, Rose Bowl Lanes, Rochester, N.Y., 9,561. 9, Vick-tamizers, Lititz, Pa., 9,555. 10, Team NABR, West Henrietta, N.Y., 9,525.

2016 USBC Open Championships – Classified Division

Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfall

Team
1, We Are Here Any Way (Kristine Kreuser, Catherine Gober, Belle Garcia, Susan Schlink, Jan Schmidt), Naperville, Ill., 2,702. 2, Yeah Spare IV, Sacramento, Calif., 2,656. 3, Bay Area Express 8, San Mateo, Calif., 2,618. 4, Expo II, Hodges, S.C., 2,610. 5, T-Rays, Jamestown, N.D., 2,607. 6, Team Bazinga, Las Vegas, 2,582. 7, Scotty’s 3, Alexandria, Minn., 2,570. 8, Yeah Spare III, Sacramento, Calif., 2,555. 9, Just Bowling, Fremont, Calif., 2,533. 10, Plato Woodwork 1, Gaylord, Minn., 2,531.

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, Hasnat Ahmad, Fairfax, Va./David Hsu, Great Falls, Va., 1,112. 7 (tie), Nicholas Razink, Benson, Minn./Tyler Grabow, Twin Brooks, S.D., Mandy Quaas, Hutchinson, Minn./Jeremy Quaas, New Hope, Minn., Tom Trecha, Owosso, Mich./Elbert Sidel Jr., Morrice, Mich., and Cleofe Aragon/Wilson Silva, San Mateo, Calif., 1,111.

Singles
1, David Kettell, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 644. 2, Allan Johnson, Hawley, Minn., 627. 3, Matt Tschann, Paynesville, Minn., 626. 4, Andrew Hall, Safety Harbor, Fla., 614. 5 (tie), Joseph Rhinehart, Albany, Ore., and John Keiper, Libertyville, Iowa, 613. 7, Randy Williams, Arlington, Texas, 609. 8 (tie), Trudy Koberlein, Georgetown, Texas, and Audra Banko, Riverside, Calif., 605. 10 (tie), Troy Schultz, Clarion, Iowa, and Michael Hanna, Lafayette, Ind., 602.

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, Jack Hsiao, Las Vegas, 1,685. 10, Frank Marrelli, Helper, Utah, 1,683.

Herbert Bickel