MARCH 2014 -
7
SERVING THE BOWLING INDUSTRY SINCE 1967
Reno Welcomes USBC Open
Championships
Record 12th Time
By Matt Cannizzaro
RENO, Nev. - The National Bowling Stadium has played a big role in the history of
the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, and that tradition contin-
ued Friday as the 111th edition of the tournament kicked off in The Biggest Little
City in the World.
Hundreds of bowlers, fans, friends, family and dignitaries helped usher in the 2014
USBC Open Championships, which will run for 136 days, concluding July 13. It is
the event's record 12th trip to Reno and ninth visit to the NBS.
The Opening-Day festivities included a ribbon cutting, traditional Mass Ball Shot
Ceremony and live entertainment from the cast of "Ring of Fire," a musical based on
the music of American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. The show is playing at the
Eldorado Showroom until May 4.
As has been the tradition since 1951, Joe Bowler presided over the opening cere-
mony and helped officially start the tournament by throwing out the first ball. This
year, the honor went to 63-year-old James Campton of Leavenworth, Kan., who
knocked down five pins on his initial delivery.
"It was quite an experience," said Campton, who made his 16th Open Champion-
ships appearance overall and second on Opening Day. "I enjoyed it, and it was a lot
of fun, but a little nerve-wracking, too. I'll say this much, it's something that I'll never
forget."
On the lanes, Team Keeney of Casey, Ill., set the pace in Regular Team with a
2,731 total. The group was led by Chad Stevens, who shot 589. He was followed by
Travis Heil (567), Stan Keeney (544), Tom Elsberry (525) and Jim Osborne (506).
In the Classified Division, Fagan Trucking of Shelton, Neb., set the bar with a
2,416 effort. Richard Hadenfeldt contributed a 586 series and was joined by Chuck
Wellensiek (497), Van Alberts (485), Jan Hadenfeldt (469) and Dorothy Obermeier
(379).
Friday's squad included the first of more than 9,000 teams that will make their way
to the NBS for this year's Open Championships, one of a handful of events being
held in Reno in the coming months.
The 2014 USBC Women's Championships will return to the nearby Reno-Sparks
Convention Center from April 11 until June 30. The RSCC also will welcome the
XBowling Intercollegiate Singles and Team Championships (April 13-18), while the
NBS hosts the USBC Queens, Senior Queens and Senior Championships in late
June and early July.
The first night of the 2014 Open Championships also marked the first live stream
broadcast of the year from Reno. There are nearly 30 broadcasts on the schedule,
and they all will air on BowlTV, which is being sponsored by Track.
Presenting sponsors for the 2014 USBC Open Championships include Circus Cir-
cus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno.
2014 USBC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev.
(Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfall)
REGULAR DIVISION
Team
1, Team Keeney (Stan Keeney, Jim Osborne, Chad Stevens, Tom Elsberry, Travis
Heil), Casey, Ill., 2,731. 2, Texa Tonka Green 2, Pacific Grove, Calif., 2,654. 3, Gil's
Bunch, Kilgore, Texas, 2,617. 4, Goldsborough Marine, Pocomoke City, Md., 2,551.
5, Wakefield Bowl, Wayne, Neb., 2,473. 6, Mascoutah Community Lanes, Mascou-
tah, Ill., 2,429. 7, Wildcat Lanes, Wayne, Neb., 2,420. 8, Bowlers Image Pro Shop 1,
Fort Worth, Texas, 2,415. 9, Texa Tonka Green 1, Pacific Grove, Calif., 2,396. 10,
Ch 4 News Team, Aurora, Ill., 2,395.
CLASSIFIED DIVISION
Team
1, Fagan Trucking (Jan Hadenfeldt, Dorothy Obermeier, Van Alberts, Richard Ha-
denfeldt, Chuck Wellensiek), Shelton, Neb., 2,416. 2, Hoegemeyer Hybrid, Shelton,
Neb., 2,409. 3, RHL Associates, Leavenworth, Kan., 2,314. 4, We Are Family, Or-
ange, Calif., 2,309. 5, Dazed and Confused, Germantown, Md., 2,218. 6, Tom's
Bowling Center 2, Gibbon, Minn., 2,213. 7, Mascoutah Community Lanes, Mascou-
tah, Ill., 2,069.
More standings on page 12.
First-timer Rolls 300 at 2014 Open
Championships
and Aaron Smith
RENO, Nev. -
First-time
articipant Darryl Carreon of Woodbridge, Va., quickly made his way into the
tournament record books with a perfect game during his team event at the National
Bowling Stadium on Friday.
After his inaugural march down the tournament's famed Center Aisle, the 29-year-
old right-hander rolled games of 188 and 268, which included a brief moment in the
spotlight when he started his second game with seven consecutive strikes.
A 4 pin ended his first run at perfection, followed by another, but he immediately
learned from those shots and rattled off 15 straight strikes to finish with the second
300 of the 2014 USBC Open Championships. His 756 series helped Spare Time
Sports 3 of Indian Head, Md., to a 2,998 series. Coach's Corner 1 of Lafayette,
Colo., leads Regular Team with 3,236.
"I missed my target slightly to the left when I threw the strike in the seventh frame
(of the second game)," said Carreon, who bowls out of Bowl America Shirley in Al-
exandria, Va. "I should have made that fraction of a move to the left with my feet,
and I paid for it. In the fourth frame of the last game, I feel like I leaked it early to the
right, and it came back high flush. To me, that was the adjustment that I missed in
the second game, so I made an adjustment on both lanes and just kept striking."
In the 10th frame, the 78-lane NBS grew silent as Carreon had the stage to him-
self. Feeling the pressure of needing one strike to add his name to the record books,
he made a slight adjustment to compensate for the nerves and delivered his purest
shot of the day.
"The 12th shot was probably the most nervous I've been throwing a shot in my
life," Carreon said. "I told myself to move the feet a few more boards left and just let
it go. It was probably the cleanest shot I felt off my hand. I saw it and just said,
'that's got to carry all of them.'"
Although he was mobbed by his fellow competitors and congratulated by onlook-
ers, Carreon's thoughts after the final shot were of his mentor, Willie Jelks.
"I was just thinking of back home," Carreon said. "I came out here feeling inspired.
In the last 10 to 12 years, he's given me so much knowledge. I brought it all here
and didn't take anything for granted. I'm just thankful for him."
Carreon will return to the NBS on Saturday morning to see if he can keep the mo-
mentum going, but leaving The Biggest Little City in the World with a piece of tour-
nament history is something he'll never forget.
"This definitely tops all of my achievements," Carreon said. "I'm honestly still a little
speechless. It's special to me. Tomorrow, I'll come in the same way I came in this
afternoon. I'm just going to see what the lanes show me and throw each shot one at
a time."
The other 300 of the 2014 tournament belongs to
f Chicago, who sandwiched the first 300 of the year between
games of 257 and 226 for a 783 series.
