NEW YORKER TAKES LEAD, SHARES BIG
NEWS AT USBC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

LAS VEGAS - A week before traveling to Las Vegas for the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, Joseph Burgio of Buffalo, N.Y., found out that he and his wife, Laura, are going to have a baby.

Burgio didn't get to share the news with his mother before the trip, so he told his teammates he would just take the lead at the USBC Open Championships and tell her in an article on bowl.com.

Although he was joking when he said it, the 34-year-old right-hander's plan came to fruition when he put together games of 268, 265 and 255 for a 788 series and took the Regular Singles lead at Cashman Center on Saturday. Keith Jeffery of St. Louis previously held the lead with 777.

"I didn't think it would really come true, especially with the way I bowled in doubles, but the singles pair was like a whole other bowling center," said Burgio, who made his eighth Open Championships appearance. "I honestly had no idea I took the lead. I thought the guy who shot 800 did it in singles, so I was wondering why everyone was giving me high fives. Sometimes, a little information can hurt you, so it's probably better that I didn't know. This is amazing."

Burgio and his team have bowled together at the Open Championships for the last six years, and they always do their homework before taking the lanes.

"I always compare the pattern to other years and come in with a good idea of where to play," said Burgio, who added 693 in team and 612 in doubles for a 2,093 all-events total, which is seventh overall. "There haven't been too many surprises as far as the conditions go, and this played similar to what I was expecting."

And now that the hard work is done, Burgio and his wife, who got married in December, will take a few days to celebrate and enjoy their first trip to Las Vegas.

"This event is about competing in a very respectable tournament and getting the chance to travel around the country and see some places I wouldn't usually go," Burgio said. "This trip has been incredible already. So many life-changing things have happened in the past few months, and this is another one of those things that is tough to put into words."

As he prepares for fatherhood, Burgio also will spend some time watching the tournament's online leaderboards to see how his score is holding up. And in the future, when he shares this story and other Open Championships memories with his first-born child, he'll be able to offer some sage advice.

"You've got to be ready to come out here because it isn't the house shot you're used to," Burgio said. "You also need to practice your spares, but most importantly, you need to make sure you have a good time."

Presenting sponsors for the 2009 USBC Open Championships are the Coast Casinos in Las Vegas and the Eldorado Hotel Casino, Silver Legacy Resort Casino and Circus Circus in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Brunswick, capital equipment supplier; Storm Products, Inc.; Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel and Four Queens Hotel and Casino, the official brackets sponsors; Sapphire Gentleman's Club; Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino; MGM Mirage; Jerry's Nugget Casino and Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel.

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

2009 USBC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Cashman Center, Las Vegas
(Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfalls)

REGULAR DIVISION

Team

1, Junior Team USA Support (Steve Novak, Amanda Vermilyea, Anthony LaCaze, Jeffrey Mersch, Erik Vermilyea), Orlando, Fla., 3,236. 2, Forgey Sports Medicine 1, Milwaukie, Ore., 3,200. 3, Super Bowl-Appleton, Kaukauna, Wis., 3,181. 4, Plamor Lanes, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 3,152. 5, Highland Lanes 2, Ottawa, Ohio, 3,140. 6, AF Strike Eagles, Burke, Va., 3,138. 7, On the Ball Pro Shop, Tulsa, Okla., 3,137. 8, Wichita Bowling Supply 2, Wichita, Kan., 3,134. 9, Handy Andy Rolands 5, Maricopa, Ariz., 3,124. 10, Rob Bailey's Pro Shop 1, Sun Prairie, Wis., 3,117.

Doubles

1, Ron Nelson, Bridgeview, Ill./Bryan O'Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 1,466. 2, Jason Guest, Urbandale, Iowa/Scott Wohlwend, Moline, Ill., 1,453. 3, Richard Renollet, Park City, Kan./James Hall, Wichita, Kan., 1,415. 4, Marty Barington, Mitchell, S.D./Brian Diede, Huron, S.D., 1,406. 5, David Scott, Springfield, Mo./DeWayne Scott, Mountain View, Mo., 1,401. 6, Kevin Kelly/Chad Fowler, Minot, N.D., 1,383. 7, Barbara Batt/Gabby DaClouche, Jacksonville, Fla., 1,376. 8, Curtis Odom, Coldwater, Mich./Mark Weller, Jonesville, Mich., 1,372. 9, Mike Kruse Jr./Mike Kruse Sr., Vermillion, S.D., 1,362. 10, Rick Ehrnschwender, Cincinnati/Chris Viale, Westfield, Mass., 1,361.

Singles

1, Joseph Burgio, Buffalo, N.Y., 788. 2, Keith Jeffery, St. Louis, 777. 3, Orin Baugher, Spokane, Wash., 773. 4, Jason Johnson, Macedonia, Ohio, 772. 5, Jeff Voght, Canajoharie, N.Y., 771. 6, Jason Zook, Tampa, Fla., 770. 7, Scott Horvath, Windsor, Colo., 748. 8 (tie), Brian Watson, Washington, W.V., and Steven Vance, Stone Mountain, Ga., 747. 10, Jim Santino, Birch Run Mich., 745.

All-Events

1, Ron Nelson Jr., Bridgeview, Ill., 2,138. 2, Chris Dicus, Chillicothe, Ohio, 2,123. 3, Jeff Voght, Canajoharie, N.Y., 2,115. 4, Anthony LaCaze, Glen Ellyn, Ill., 2,110. 5, Michael Hansell, Broken Arrow, Okla., 2,107. 6, Richard Renollet, Park City, Kan., 2,103. 7, Joseph Burgio, Buffalo, N.Y., 2,093. 8, Stace Bohlender, Lawton, Okla., 2,075. 9, Bob Handley, Winter Park, Fla., 2,073. 10, Jason Porter, Ludington, Mich., 2,070.

Team All-Events

1, Junior Team USA Support (Steve Novak, Amanda Vermilyea, Anthony LaCaze, Jeffrey Mersch, Erik Vermilyea), Orlando, Fla., 9,846. 2, Cambridge 1, Feeding Hills, Mass., 9,784. 3, Forgey Sports Medicine 1, Milwaukie, Ore., 9,582. 4, Bowler's Connection, Waukee, Iowa, 9,548. 5, St. Charles Lanes, O'Fallon, Mo., 9,541. 6, Joliet Town/Country Lanes 2, Joliet, Ill., 9,496. 7, Holiday Bowl 2, Wichita Falls, Texas, 9,477. 8, Forgey Sports Medicine 2, Portland, Ore., 9,330. 9, S and C Promo Products. Omro, Wis., 9,326. 10, AF Strikes Eagles, Burke, Va., 9,320.

CLASSIFIED DIVISION

Team

1, Malad Gun Club (Darren Tripp, William Evans, Mike Bercier, Doyle Williams, Rex Williams), Malad City, Idaho, 2,745. 2, ATW, New London, Minn., 2,698. 3, Pro Zone 3, Mission Hills, Calif., 2,696. 4, Yetties From Ypsi, Ypsilanti, N.D., 2,684. 5, Golden Gate Bowling Club 2, San Francisco, 2,683. 6, Whitlow Furnace & Duct, Scobey, Mont., 2,675. 7, Brits On Tour, Oxfordshire, England., 2,671. 8, Wild Bill's, Tremonton, Utah, 2,663. 9 (tie), Johnson Insurance, Hardin, Mont., Lake Country Rollers 1, Clarissa, Minn., and 2 Bar Lighting, Cheyenne, Wyo., 2,661.

Doubles

1, Eric Douglass, Goldfield, Iowa/Troy Schultz, Clarion, Iowa, 1,204. 2, Veronica Boone/Luis Boone, Mission Hills, Calif., 1,195. 3, George Marquez, Whittier/ Pete Dumpit, El Monte, Calif., 1,192. 4, Mamerto Jablan, Baldwin Park/Philip Lebaguin, Cerritos, Calif., 1,161. 5, Jeff Zolman, Lagrange, Ind./Dick Kelly, Orland, Ind., 1,149. 6, Steve Peterson/Rich Wahl, Hannaford, N.D., 1,147. 7, Kelly Campbell, Wenatchee, Wash./Rollin Murphy, Spokane, Wash., 1,143. 8, Joel Olson/Cory Forcht, Greenfield, Iowa, 1,137. 9, Virginia Sweatt, Lakewood, Calif./Ernie Taylor, Cypress, Calif., 1,134. 10, Mark Heilman, Kasota/Bruce Huikko, South Haven, Minn., 1,132.

Singles

1, Dennis Tomhave, Vermillion, S.D., 679. 2, Ryan Knutson, Dilworth, Minn., 664. 3, Adam Macleod, Brampton, Ontario, 662. 4, Roy Umehira, Honolulu, 657. 5, Jean Reese, Owatonna, Minn., 654. 6, Richard Pecoraro, San Bernadino, Calif., 651. 7, Glenn Matsuda, La Palma, Calif., 644. 8 (tie), Merwin Metzger, Big Lake, Minn., and Patrick Schmidt, Flower Mound, Texas, 632. 10, Alan Schroeder, Mt. Vernon, S.D., 629.

All-Events

1, Anthony Kastle, Charlotte, N.C., 1,834. 2, Dennis Tomhave, Vermillion, S.D., 1,799. 3, Pete Dumpit, El Monte, Calif., 1,798. 4, Roy Umehira, Honolulu, 1,782. 5, Allen Blommel, Clarissa, Minn., 1,757. 6, Ryan Knutson, Dilworth, Minn., 1,750. 7 (tie), John Dorseth, Scobey, Mont., and Glenn Matsuda, La Palma, Calif., 1,745. 9, Eric Halverson, Spearfish, S.D., 1,738. 10, Luis Boone, Mission Hills, Calif., 1,737.