Wednesday, June 19, 2019


OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS WEEKLY GLANCE
(For June 12 - June 18, 2019)
Last year's runners-up take lead at 2019 USBC Open Championships
Higgy's Aquarium of Westerville, Ohio, entered the 2019 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships looking to improve on two runner-up finishes at last year's tournament in Syracuse, New York.

The team got progressively better during its three games of team competition June 16 at the South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas, using a 1,033 start as a springboard to the top of this year's Regular Team standings, adding games of 1,159 and a nearly flawless 1,170 for a 3,362 total.

Team captain Dan Higgins led the group with a 755 series and was joined in the effort by Joe Bailey (695), Chad Roberts (664), Joshua Conner (643) and Charles Tompkins (605).

Higgy's Aquarium marked in all but one frame in the finale and filled 139 of 150 frames overall to surge past Melrose Bowl Red of Norwood, Minnesota, which previously held the lead with 3,301, shot May 2.
The group, with Tony Carson on the roster instead of Tompkins, fell 22 pins short of a Regular Team title in 2018.

Their previous success includes the Team All-Events title in Reno, Nevada, in 2016. A year later, Higgy's Aquarium fell 27 pins short of becoming the first team in two decades to win back-to-back Team All-Events titles, and the teammates followed that runner-up finish with another second-place effort in 2018. Tompkins replaced Carson on the team after the 2018 event.

This year's Team All-Events performance wasn't what they were hoping for, as the group never quite matched up during doubles and singles June 17, shooting 3,193 in doubles and 3,203 in singles for a 9,758 total, which puts them fourth in Team All-Events this year in Las Vegas with 21 days left in the event. Syracuse's Mento Produce leads with a 9,983.

Two bowlers reach milestones at South Point Bowling Plaza
Leo Plaia of River Ridge, Louisiana, and Mike Putzer of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, became the newest members of the 50-Year Club at the USBC Open Championships.
They were honored before their team events at the South Point Bowling Plaza on June 12 and June 14, respectively, and each received a chevron, plaque and diamond lapel pin to commemorate the milestone.
Plaia, a 78-year-old right-hander, continued a family tradition that includes his mother, Frances, who was recognized in 2015 for 50 years of participation at the USBC Women's Championships. She also was a founding member of the Zodiacs of New Orleans, known as "The World's Best-Dressed Bowling Team."
In his own milestone appearance at the Open Championships, his 50th consecutive event, Plaia rolled sets of 571 in team, 569 in singles and 564 in doubles for a 1,704 all-events total.
In his Open Championships career, Plaia has knocked down 84,487 pins for a career average of 187.7. His tournament debut came at the 1970 tournament in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Putzer, a 70-year-old right-hander and the 1976 Regular Singles champion at the Open Championships, made his first tournament appearance at the 1965 event in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Along with his singles title in 1976, he also finished as the runner-up in Regular All-Events.
On the lanes this year at the Bowling Plaza, Putzer rolled sets of 488 in team, 482 in singles and 455 in doubles for a 1,425 all-events total.
In 50 appearances at the Open Championships, he has knocked down 85,304 pins for a career average of 190.8.
Former Junior Team USA member rolls 300 game in tournament debut
Former Junior Team USA member David Hooper Jr. of Greenville, South Carolina, made his debut at the USBC Open Championships one to remember by rolling the 11th perfect game of the 2019 event.
After a slow start in doubles June 13 at the South Point Bowling Plaza, the 20-year-old right-hander tossed 12 consecutive strikes in his second game. The 300 came between games of 147 and 204 for a 651 series.
Hooper was a member of Junior Team USA in 2018, a spot he earned through his performance at the 2017 Junior Gold Championships presented by the Brands of Ebonite International.
He advanced to the CBS Sports Network finals and was the runner-up to Wesley Low Jr. in the 20-and-under category.
He credits his success at the Open Championships to the experience he gained under the TV lights at the Junior Gold Championships and his time competing on challenging lane conditions.
Hooper added a 682 series in singles and 585 in team to finish his first Open Championships with a 1,918 all-events total.
Three other bowlers also made runs at perfection this week in Las Vegas but eventually fell short.
Jonathan Ferrell of Phoenix, a 10-time OC participant, rolled the sixth 299 of the year during his team event June 14. He left a 6 pin on his final shot.
On June 10, Paul Enright of Henderson, Nevada, logged the third 298 of the 2019 Open Championships, leaving the 2-8 combination on his final offering.
On June 17, two-time Open Championships titlist Gregg Zicha of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, added a 298 of his own during the final game of his team event. He left the 3-6 combination on his final shot.
Butturff racks up honor scores at the 2019 Bowlers Journal Championships
Team USA's Jakob Butturff of Tempe, Arizona, rolled a perfect game and two 800 series this week at the 2019 Bowlers Journal Championships presented by USBC.
The reigning USBC Masters champion and 25-year-old left-hander kicked off a busy summer with games of 269, 279 and 279 for an 827 series June 13 at the South Point Bowling Center. The effort moved him into second place in Open Singles behind AJ Rice of Columbus, Georgia, who leads with 835.
Satisfied with his position in the singles standings, Butturff returned to the Bowlers Journal Championships on June 16 and competed only in doubles. He rolled games of 300, 278 and 279 for an 857 series and teamed with Brandon Pierce of Huntsville, Missouri (557), for a 1,414 total, which is just outside the top 10 in Open Doubles.
Mykel Holliman of Collierville, Tennessee, who finished second to Butturff at the 2019 Masters, leads Open Doubles this year at the Bowlers Journal with Justin Neiman of Macomb, Michigan, with 1,492.
Butturff's 827 and 857 were the fourth and fifth 800 series this year at the Bowlers Journal, and his 300 was the seventh perfect game of the event, which runs through the first week of July.
His stay in Las Vegas will include competing alongside Chris Barnes, Kyle Troup and Anthony Simonsen in Weber Cup XX at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, before he makes his way to the South Point Bowling Plaza for the 2019 Open Championships on June 26-27.
His travels then will take him to multiple PBA Tour events and the 2019 Pan-American Games in Lima, Peru, from July 26-Aug. 11, where he will represent Team USA with Nick Pate of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota.
A look ahead
The 2019 USBC Open Championships is entering its final days, and while there won't be any milestones or returning champions this week, there's still a few scheduled to compete before the 122-day tournament concludes July 8.

For more information on the Open Championships, visit BOWL.com/OpenChamp.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world - the USBC Open and Women's Championships - and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 1,638 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
2019 USBC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
South Point Bowling Plaza
Las Vegas

(Division leaders with hometown and pinfall)

As of June 18, 2019

REGULAR DIVISION
Team
(Combined averages of 876 and above)

1, Higgy's Aquarium (Chad Roberts, Joshua Conner, Charles Tompkins, Joe Bailey, Dan Higgins), Westerville, Ohio, 3,362. 2, Melrose Bowl Red, Norwood, Minn., 3,301. 3, S and B Pro Shop 1, Warren, Mich., 3,254. 4, Bowlers Sport Shop, Indianapolis, 3,249. 5, Gasthaus Motel, Monroe, Wis., 3,236. 6, Himmler's Pro Shop, Versailles, Ind., 3,223. 7(tie), Ray Orf's Pro Shop 2, St. Charles, Mo., and Team NABR, Fairport, N.Y., 3,214. 9(tie), Mento Produce, Syracuse, N.Y., and Off Color Name, Pittsburgh, 3,204.  
Doubles
(Combined averages of 351 and above)

1, Cotie Holbek, Burlington, Wis./Steven Fisher, Winthrop Harbor, Ill., 1,478. 2, Lawrence Porter, Whitesboro, N.Y./Art Alexander III, North Syracuse, N.Y., 1,423. 3, Jason Duran, Brighton, Colo./Duane Mellinger, Aurora, Colo., 1,413. 4, Joseph Conti, Liverpool, N.Y./Derek Magno, Cicero, N.Y., 1,404. 5, Nicholas Pate, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Casey Maxted, Gillette, Wyo., 1,397. 6, Aaron Pawloski, Brentwood, Calif./Robert Huckaby, Santa Cruz, Calif., 1,392. 7, Dan Vick, Pittsford, N.Y./David Gerhart, Mount Joy, Pa., 1,390. 8, Will Barnes, Wichita, Kan./Geoffrey Young, Roanoke, Texas, 1,384. 9, Matt Dzikiewicz, Rocky Hill, Conn./Patrick Hanrahan, Wichita, Kan., 1,383. 10, Anthony Coats, Pflugerville, Texas/Justin Pyle, Round Rock, Texas, 1,378.
Singles
(Averages of 176 and above)

1, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 812. 2, Ron Case, Oakley, Calif., 803. 3, Ryan Mouw, Muskegon, Mich., 802. 4, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 800. 5, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 794. 6, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 792. 7, Zachery Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 780. 8, William Welch, Franklin, Wis., 778. 9, Dylan Burns, Wichita, Kan., 777. 10, Jason Rasinske, Dimondale, Mich., 775.
All-Events
(Averages of 176 and above)

1, Ryan Mouw, Muskegon, Mich., 2,156. 2, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 2,153. 3, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 2,151. 4, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 2,150. 5, Derek Magno, Cicero, N.Y., 2,142. 6, Aaron Pawloski, Brentwood, Calif., 2,128. 7, Daniel Vick, Pittsford, New York, 2,122. 8, EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 2,097. 9, John Burkett, Fort Worth, Texas, 2,095. 10, Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 2,091.
Team All-Events
(Combined all-events totals of all five team members)

1, Mento Produce (Anthony Pepe, Travis Mento, Steve Meyer, Derek Magno, Joseph Conti), Syracuse, N.Y., 9,983. 2, S and B Pro Shop 1, Warren, Mich., 9,967. 3, Team NABR, Fairport, N.Y., 9,900. 4, Higgy's Aquarium, Westerville, Ohio, 9,758. 5, Bowlers Headquarters/EFX, Muskego, Wis., 9,717. 6, Big O Tires, Oakley, Calif., 9,709. 7, Tile-All, Inc. 2, Mount Laurel, N.J., 9,660. 8, The Locker Guy 1, Owatonna, Calif., 9,607. 9, Off Color Name, Pittsburgh, Pa., 9,596. 10, Team 2 kp, Milton, Fla, 9,592.
STANDARD DIVISION    
Team
(Combined averages of 776-875)

1, Shawn Blanton Team 2 (Chris Strehl, Shawn Blanton, Andrew Dill, John Leonard, Davey Murphy), Owensboro, Ky, 2,870. 2, Steve Austin Team 1, Sparta, Mich., 2,864. 3, Princess and The Jokers, Queen Creek, Arizona, 2,863. 4, Buffalo Wild Wings 1, Chicago, 2,854. 5, Schliep Consulting LLC, Shakopee, Minn., 2,849. 6, WALCO 1, Kalona, Iowa, 2,848. 7(tie), Cancer Sucks 3, McDonough, Ga., and New Vision Team 1, Ashtabula, Ohio, 2,840. 9, House Stark, Melissa, Texas, 2,829. 10(tie), Just One More, Sunnyside, Wash., and Valley Bowling Center Waverly N.Y. 1, Athens, Pa., 2,825.
Doubles
(Combined Averages of 311-350)

1, Todd Reno, Lemont, Ill./Robert Riley, Plainfield, Ill., 1,270. 2, Jeff Nolte, Palm City, Fla./Frank Kartner, Jensen Beach, Fla., 1,250. 3, Jeff Schott/Tyler Shellabarger, Celina, Ohio, 1,248. 4, Glendon Riffe, Pawcatuck, Conn./Howard Eldredge, Westerly, R.I., 1,237. 5, Mitchell Scheller/David Scheller, Mount Olive, Ill., 1,230. 6, Wes Leong, Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada/William Walters, Thornville, Ohio, 1,226. 7, Paul Spiotta/Greg Wolff, Batavia, N.Y., 1,225. 8, Larry Waldron/Michael Walker, Marianna, Fla., 1,221. 9(tie), Caroline Pirkola/Joshua Kurdziel, Appleton, Wis., Steve Reyna/Jordyn Johnson, Lincoln, Neb., and Colin Alexander, Palm Harbor, Fla./Scott Alexander, Stamford, Conn., 1,220.
Singles
(Averages of 156-175)

1, Cody Morrow, Eugene, Mo., 690. 2, Don Erickson, Renton, Wash., 680. 3, Andrew Leppen, Amherst Junction, Mich., 679. 4(tie), Dale Storm, St. Charles, Minn., and Bryan Mitchell, Chandler, Ariz., 678. 6, Monty Hansen, Sterling Heights, Mich., 676. 7, Dan Krostal, Waukegan, Ill., 673. 8, James Schmidt, Boerne, Texas, 672. 9, Donald Mehrtens Jr., St. Rose, La., 671. 10(tie), Kenny Phillips Jr., Joplin, Mo., and Gary Goldermann, Brighton, Colo., 668.
All-Events
(Averages of 156-175)

1, Jenny Wonders, Roscoe, Ill., 1,876. 2, Randy Lightsey, San Antonio, 1,874. 3, Vicente Ada, Bellmawr, N.J., 1,873. 4, Ryan Allender, Griffith, Ind., 1,866. 5, Don Erickson, Renton, Wash., 1,865. 6, Donald Wilson, Olive Branch, Miss., 1,862. 7, Gene Rivers, San Antonio, 1,860. 8, Tyler Boe, Mountlake Terrace, Wash., 1,849. 9, Joshua Shane Brady, McDonough, Ga., 1,837. 10, James Ulczak, Chicago, 1,832.
CLASSIFIED DIVISION
Team
(Combined averages of 775 and below)

1, Lynn Christianson Team 1 (Doug Fugleberg, Corey Hanson, Ricky Crane, Jody Bueng, Lynn Christianson), Twin Valley, Minn., 2,624. 2, Romano's "B" Team, Essington, Pa., 2,589. 3, Roy Allen Team 2, Springfield, Mo., 2,580. 4, Who's Buying?, Beavercreek, Ohio, 2,578. 5, High Rollers, Baton Rouge, La., 2,557. 6, The Bowlers Store 1, Dayton, Ohio, 2,533. 7, Keith Settles Team 2, Indianapolis, 2,532. 8, Bowling Buddies, Huntsville, Alabama, 2,504. 9, Greater Toronto Ten Pin, Toronto, 2,501. 10, Woodshed Pizza, Winona, Wis., 2,498.
Doubles
(Combined averages of 310 and below)

1, Kevin Graham, Fairfield, Conn./Anthony Merritt, Naugatuck, Conn., 1,133. 2, Erik Koteles, Madison, Wis./Michael Henes, Cottage Grove, Wis., 1,117. 3, Jennifer Prokopinski, Chippewa Falls, Wis./Lori Stuart, Fall Creek, Wis., 1,114. 4, Stephen Martin and Jesse Banks, Chicago, 1,105. 5, Charles Hurst, Julesburg, Colo./Matthew Walters, Englewood, Ohio, 1,103. 6, Ronald Burns/Bill Lanes, Burleson, Texas, 1,101. 7(tie), Mare Byres, Rio Rancho, N.M./Linda Johnson, Albuquerque, N.M., and Gregory Gates, Pontiac, Mich./John Sawyers, Waterford, Mich., 1,100. 9, Ronald Shelton, Waukon, Neb./Michael Rediske Hokah, Minn., 1,097. 10(tie), Dylan Gauna/Stan Gauna, Albuquerque, N.M., and Bill Tilton, Anderson, Mo./Tyler Bacon, Grove, Okla., 1,096.
Singles
(Averages of 155 and below)

1, Jay Stratton, West Valley, Utah, 653. 2, Charles Vo, Sugar Land, Texas, 644. 3, Bill Vianco, Delphi, Ind., 638. 4(tie), Patrick Murphy, Ballwin, Mo., and Patrick Muirhead, Starkville, Miss., 626. 6, Robert McKinzie, Liberty, Mo., 624. 7, Michael Stolba, Buena Vista, Colo., 614. 8(tie), Derek Hopson, Belleville, N.J., Larry Meyers, Renwick, Iowa, and Teresa Burroughs, Checotah, Okla., 612.
All Events
(Averages of 155 and below)

1, Jay Stratton, West Valley, Utah, 1,718. 2, James Yourishin Jr., Aurora, Colo., 1,717. 3, Larry Meyers, Renwick, Iowa, 1,707. 4, Derek Hopson, Belleville, N.J., 1,687. 5, Wesley Straight, Cooperstown, N.D., 1,673. 6, Brian Whited, Cave Creek, Ariz., 1,668. 7, Jeremy McGill, Louisville, Ky., 1,667. 8, Bill Vianco, Delphi, Ind., 1,657. 9, Kevin Nickell, Lincoln, Neb., 1,656. 10, Chris Johnson, Lincoln, Neb., 1,650.

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