TEAMMATES REMEMBER BOWLING LEGEND
JOE NORRIS AT USBC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Eight years ago, United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Joe Norris of San Diego marched into the Albuquerque Convention Center for his record-tying 71st USBC Open Championships appearance and returned home with an untouchable career pinfall record.

Although Norris died at age 93, just before he was scheduled to bowl at the 2001 Open Championships in Reno, Nev., his memory and spirit live on inside the tournament venue, especially this year as the event makes its return to Albuquerque.

For those who bowled with Norris in 2000, it's hard to forget the late legend's emotional final effort in which he bowled doubles with fellow hall of famer Dick Weber and then threw two strikes in his final frame of singles to finish his tournament career with a 201 game and a career pinfall of 123,770.

"The standing ovation was long and loud, and one I'll never forget," said Victor "Frenchy" Letourneau, Norris' long-time teammate and doubles partner. "Many people were in awe of this amazing 92-year-old. Joe was a dear friend, and all of us who knew him still feel the void."

Norris' first Open Championships appearance came at the 1926 event in Toledo, Ohio, and the only year he missed, besides 1943-45 when the tournament was not held because of World War II, was in 1942 due to an emergency appendectomy.

During his 71-year Open Championships career, a record he shares with the late Bill Doehrman of Fort Wayne, Ind., Norris posted a 192.78 average for 642 games and collected three titles (Regular Team in 1934 and 1954 and Team All-Events in 1954).

And while his name is synonymous with the Open Championships, Norris also became legend across the bowling world and even had a hand in the sport's ongoing Olympic effort.

"Coming back to Albuquerque is a little sad, and I remember so many things we did together over the years," said Andrew Gagliano, Norris' teammate, who also helped him get around in his later years. "He was a pistol to be with, and I keep thinking that it's not possible that it has been eight years already. There's just so much that can't be erased out of your memory. Joe had an infectious charisma, and I wish he was still here. You just can't ask for a better friend or bowling partner."

After Norris' death, Gagliano inherited all of his bowling equipment and memorabilia, but received specific instructions that Letourneau was to be the benefactor of the Brunswick Zone bowling ball that Norris threw in his final Open Championships appearance.

Each year, Letourneau honors Norris by throwing the very same ball on his first official shot of the year, and following Norris' death, Gagliano and Letourneau changed the name of their team to Team Joe Norris.

"Andy gave me that last ball Joe rolled, and I take it with me it to Nationals every year," said Letourneau, who rolled a seven count on his opening shot this year. "I use it as my first ball in team, so the score does not matter. The span is too wide, and the holes are too loose, but I've been pretty lucky over the years. This is just our way of keeping Joe in the tournament every year."

This year, Team Joe Norris posted a 2,766 team total. Randy Taylor led the way with a 633 series and was followed by Michael Bodien (578), Dan Starkey (561), Gagliano (539) and Letourneau (455).

Presenting sponsors for the 2008 USBC Open Championships are Eldorado Hotel Casino, Silver Legacy Resort Casino and Circus Circus Reno in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Brunswick, capital equipment supplier; Storm Products, Inc.; Roto Grip, official sponsor of the Roto Grip Sport Bowling Challenge; Isleta Casino & Resort; Santa Ana Star Casino, the official brackets sponsor; Rainbow Ryders, the exclusive hot air balloon company of the 2008 Open Championships; and Sandia Resort & Casino.

For more information on the USBC Open Championships, visit USBCopen.com.

2008 USBC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Albuquerque Convention Center, Albuquerque, N.M.

(Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfalls)

REGULAR DIVISION

Team

1, Marcor Technologies (Ward Rauch, Greg Gildner, Ben Goergen, Dan Wood Jr., Mark Corbiser), Gaylord, Mich., 3,235. 2, K & K Bowling Service 1, Henderson, Nev., 3,208. 3, Cambridge 1, Feeding Hills, Mass., 3,201. 4, Buddy Tierno Senior Tour, Mount Laurel, N.J., 3,197. 5, Pollard's Bowl, Versailles, Ind., 3,176. 6, Janz's H.I., Beaver Dam, Wis., 3,174. 7, Lodge Lanes 1, Saline, Mich., 3,172. 8, Sign Producers 1, Winter Garden, Fla., 3,162. 9, Ewash Men, Yakima, Wash., 3,158. 10, MoRich Enterprises, West Bend, Wis., 3,154.

Doubles

1, John Socha, Oak Creek, Wis./Dennis Rakauskas, Apopka, Fla., 1,467. 2, Todd Koehler, Appleton, Minn./Doug Blood, Montevideo, Minn., 1,444. 3, Erik Mattingly, Puyallup, Wash./Robert Hanson, Tacoma, Wash., 1,441. 4, Patrick Smart/Ricky Meneley, Santa Maria, Calif., 1,404. 5, Dan Guerrieri/Joe Nuzzo, Youngstown, Ohio, 1,401. 6, George Aboud, San Jose, Calif.,/Jeff Frankos, Daly City, Calif., 1,399. 7, Marc Levy/Cathedral City, Calif./Vincent Wood, Moreno Valley, Calif., 1,398. 8, Les Zikes, Palatine, Ill./Hank Sorensen, Rolling Meadows, Ill., 1,389. 9, Scot Hardesty, Chicago/Ron Davis, Orland Park, Ill., 1,388. 10, Jeff Lunde/Joe Crenshaw, Racine, Wis., 1,384.

Singles

1, Jason Price, Grand Island, Neb., 817. 2, Wilbert Moorer, Dover, Del., 784. 3, Warren Crawford, McKinleyville, Calif., 779. 4, William Uthoff, O'Fallon, Mo., 775. 5, Alan Pecora, Drums, Pa., 773. 6, Mike Preston, High Springs, Fla., 764. 7, Greg Benefield, Lees Summit, Mo., 763. 8, Mike Leonard, Front Royal, Va., 762. 9, Andrew Udahl, Elk Grove, Calif., 761. 10, Eddie Martin, Hanford, Calif., 758.

All-Events

1, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 2,160. 2, Warren Crawford, McKinleyville, Calif., 2,159. 3, Edward Gallagher, Clarksville, Tenn., 2,141. 4, Brian Diede, Huron, S.D., 2,113. 5, Jeff Jensen, Fall River, Kan., 2,111. 6, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 2,094. 7, John Gaines, Orlando, Fla., 2,092. 8, Richard Thomas, Middleton, Wis., 2,086. 9, Alan Pecora, Drums, Pa., 2,082. 10 (tie), William Uthoff, O'Fallon, Mo., and John Janawicz, Winter Haven, Fla., 2,065.

Team All-Events

1, MoRich Enterprises (Ben Hoefs, John Socha, Jace Peterson, Brian Brazeau, Dennis Rakauskas), West Bend, Wis., 9,901. 2 (tie), S & B Pro Shop 2, Sterling Heights, Mich., and Pam's Boys 1, Salem, Ore., 9,736. 4, Pollard's Bowl, Versailles, Ind., 9,708. 5, Lodge Lanes 1, Saline, Mich., 9,664. 6, ABC Souvenirs, Fall River, Kan., 9,637. 7, Red Carpet Lanes, Waukesha, Wis., 9,597. 8, Bogart's 1, Mankato, Minn., 9,543. 9, Linds Limited, Sussex, Wis., 9,527. 10, Ebonite HQ, Hopkinsville, Ky., 9,501.

CLASSIFIED DIVISION

Team

1, Lake Country Rollers (Butch Booker, Dave Lisson, Wayne Booker, Michael Booker, Danny Booker), Clarissa, Minn., 2,799. 2, T-Rays, Jamestown, N.D., 2,795. 3, Garden Center Lanes 2, Alexandria, Minn., 2,789. 4, Plattsburgh Bowl, Plattsburgh, Mo., 2,773. 5, Sego Electric, Clarion, Iowa, 2,759. 6, Lady Pros, Albuquerque, N.M., 2,748. 7, Firenab 2, Lincoln, Neb., 2,745. 8, Red Carpet, Sauk Centre, Minn., 2,744. 9, Suburban Lanes, Meade Kan., 2,687. 10, Jokers, Havelock, N.C., 2,679.

Doubles

1, Jim Kohlman, St. Paul, Minn./Michael Roscoe, White Bear Lake, Minn., 1,196. 2 (tie), Lenny Boogaard, Osakis, Minn./Larry Sorenson, West Union, Minn., and Sue Kendall, Converse, Ind./Jeffrey Kistler, Marion, Ind., 1,184. 4, Butch Booker, Clarissa, Minn./Dave Lisson, Browerville, Minn., 1,181. 5, Myron Asleson/Tony Haugen, Devils Lake, N.D., 1,179. 6 (tie), Jim Selgo, Phoenix/Doug Krauss, Archbold, Ohio, and Mark Powell/Barry Fortner, Hobbs, N.M., 1,173. 8, Rich Ayers Jr., Webster City, Iowa/Darrell Pedersen, Eagle Grove, Iowa, 1,166. 9, Larry Kubasiak/Duane Kubasiak, Bronson, Mich., 1,165. 10, Gary Tomhave/Michael Donley, Fergus Falls, Minn., 1,163.

Singles

1, Tim Wagner, Hardin, Mont., 669. 2, Jeffrey Kistler, Marion, Ind., 668. 3, John Zapalac, Bishop, Texas, 662. 4, Randy Gaines, Austin, Minn., 658. 5, Ed Wethington, Poplar Grove, Ill., 657. 6 (tie), Dale Fuller, Otter Lake, Mich., and Bill Ingram, Aloha, Ore., 648. 8, Stefanie Suntum, Montrose, Colo., 647. 9, (tie), Lynn Parker, Berwick, La., and Mike Leblanc, New Iberia, La., 644.

All-Events

1, Jeffrey Kistler, Marion, Ind., 1,887. 2, Troy Schultz, Clarion, Iowa, 1,820. 3, Dave Lisson, Browerville, Minn., 1,815. 4, Glenn Shields, Bowling Green, Ohio, 1,791. 5, Hartsell Duhart, Compton, Calif., 1,789. 6, John Albaugh, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,773. 7, Bob Godden, Las Vegas, 1,764. 8, Larry Kubasiak, Bronson, Mich., 1,764. 9, Ken Iredale, Oxfordshire, England, 1,754. 10, Bill Garrett, Hampton, Neb., 1,746.

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