6
- MARCH 2015
SERVING THE BOWLING INDUSTRY SINCE 1967
2015 USBC Open
Championships
Underway In El Paso
By
Matt Cannizzaro
EL PASO, Texas -
With help from El Paso's official
mascot, Amigo Man, the 2015 United States Bowling
Congress Open Championships got off to a festive
start Saturday at the El Paso Convention Center.
Amigo Man led the tournament's first 48 teams down
Center Aisle, while local entertainers - Mariachi Tapa-
tio and Ballet Folklórico Paso Del Norte - escorted out
this year's Joe Bowler, Chuck Brockett of Burlington,
Iowa, before delivering some Southwestern flavor to
the Opening-Day festivities.
Nearly 250 bowlers and hundreds of bowling fans
and invited guests filled the 62-lane facility, which took
just 64 days to transform from an empty building into
the largest convention-center build in 112 years of
tournament history.
The venue includes 52 lanes for the USBC Open
Championships and 10 Showcase Lanes for practice
sessions and the Bowlers Journal Championships pre-
sented by USBC, office and vendor space, locker and
squad rooms and a concessions area.
El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser and his wife Lisa, USBC
President Andrew Cain, County Commissioner David
Stout, Destination El Paso General Manager Bryan
Crowe and El Paso Sports Commission Executive
Director Brian Kennedy were on-hand for the formal
ribbon cutting, Brockett officially kicked off the event by
knocking down six pins on the ceremonial first ball and
two bowlers from each team got to participate in the
Mass Ball Shot Ceremony.
Brockett, a 55-year-old left-hander, made his third
consecutive Open Championships appearance and
randomly was selected from the bowlers on Saturday's
squad to preside over the opening ceremony, a tradi-
tion that dates back to 1951. To keep with the local
theme, he sat atop the Joe Bowler throne in a Mariachi
vest and sombrero, instead of the traditional cape,
crown and scepter.
"My son and I were the last ones standing, so I was
pulling for him," said Brockett, who is the general man-
ager of the Burlington Bees, the Single-A affiliate of the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. "I was nervous, but
excited. I just didn't want to dump it in the gutter. I
pulled the shot, but thought I covered the spare. It's
exciting to know that I'll always be Joe Bowler for
2015, and I am going to treat the sombrero and vest
like trophies."
Saturday marked the first of 128 consecutive days of
competition, which will bring nearly 60,000 bowlers
and guests to Sun City between now and July 12. This
is the tournament's first visit to El Paso and fourth trip
to the state of Texas.
On the lanes, Al's Pro Shop 2 of Mazeppa, Minne-
sota, took the lead in Regular Team for the second
consecutive year after posting games of 850, 893 and
928 for a 2,671 total. Darik Rude led the way with a
660 series and was joined by Jeff Kiffmeyer (548),
Andy Rude (538), Doug Christianson (492) and Mat-
thew Carenza (433).
"The lanes definitely were a little more difficult this
year," said Darik Rude, a 34-year-old right-hander who
made his 15th tournament appearance. "We bowled
the opening weekend last year and went home with
the lead, but that didn't last too long. It's fun to bowl
early and see your name on the leaderboard. It's one
of our goals each year."
Weaver Farms of St. Anthony, Idaho, found its way to
the top of the Classified Team standings with a 2,485
total on games of 834, 730 and 921. Jace Crain paced
the team with a 590 set and was followed by Dan
Weaver (545), John Hansen (505), James Armstrong
(423) and Christy Hansen (422).
Competition continues Sunday morning with the first
doubles and singles squad of the year and will run
daily from 9 a.m. until approximately midnight.
For more information on the Open Championships,
visit BOWL.com/OpenChamp.
2015 USBC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
El Paso Convention Center, El Paso, Texas
(Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfall)
REGULAR DIVISION:
Team
1, Al's Pro Shop 2 (Andy Rude, Matthew Carenza, Doug
Christianson, Darik Rude, Jeff Kiffmeyer), Mazeppa,
Minn., 2,671. 2, Outsiders, Bloomington, Minn., 2,665. 3,
Al's Pro Shop 1, Mazeppa, Minn., 2,595. 4, In There
Somewhere, Romeoville, Ill., 2,580. 5, Waddell & Reed,
Arlington, Texas, 2,571. 6, Lowary Distribution, Fort Madi-
son, Iowa, 2,570. 7, River Rats Too, Winona, Minn.,
2,561. 8, River Rats, Winona, Minn., 2,545. 9, Zips #1,
Morrow, Ohio, 2,521. 10, Gripsacks Proshop, Des
Moines, Iowa, 2,513.
CLASSIFIED DIVISION: Team
1, Weaver Farms (Jace Crain, Christy Hansen, John Han-
sen, James Armstrong, Dan Weaver), St. Anthony, Idaho,
2,485. 2, Gary Sanders Masonry, West Point, Iowa,
2,460. 3, We Are Family, Orange, Calif., 2,379. 4, Keeney
1, Casey, Ill., 2,319. 5, Plattsburg Bowl, Kearney, Mo.,
2,279. 6, Off All Day, Sidney, Mont., 2,164. 7, The Double
F Crew, Fallon, Nev., 2,154. 8, JD's Lawncare, Pella,
Iowa, 2,143. 9, Roscoe Center Farms 2, Mazeppa, Minn.,
2,122.
Massachusetts Bowler
Rolls 900!
By Matt Cannizzaro
ARLINGTON, Texas -
Hakim Emmanuel of Stoughton,
Massachusetts, admitted that his palms were sweaty
and his bowling ball felt heavier than ever as he put the
finishing touches on the first perfect game of his bowling
career Thursday night, but that was nothing compared to
the nerves he felt two games later when he found him-
self on the verge of history with a chance at a third con-
secutive 300 game and a 900 series.
The 38-year-old right-hander coolly delivered his 36th
consecutive strike during the Thursday Night Patriots
Doubles league at Westgate Lanes in Brockton, Massa-
chusetts, making him the 26th bowler in history, and first
in the Bay State, to record a perfect series. The achieve-
ment is pending approval from the United States Bowling
Congress and would be the 27th USBC-approved 900.
"I've gotten close before, but I've never gotten that elu-
sive 300," said Emmanuel, whose previous high game in
USBC-certified competition was 290 on two occasions.
"The first one last night was one of those moments I'll
never forget. After that, I just told myself to stay in the
game and stay focused."
What happened next stopped everything at the 62-lane
(50 tenpin and 12 candlepin) center, and all of the 32-
team doubles league rallied behind Emmanuel to watch
him claim his spot in the Massachusetts and USBC re-
cord books.
Not only had perfection eluded Emmanuel, who has
been bowling competitively since he was 15, but he also
hadn't eclipsed the 800 mark in a three-game series.
"Toward the end of the second 300, in the back of my
mind, I was wondering if it was real and if I could do it
again," said Emmanuel, who entered the night with a
217 average for 25 weeks in the league. "People
stopped bowling as I entered the 10th frame of the last
game, and I just reminded myself that I'd made it that far,
so throw another good shot and see what happens."
Emmanuel has improved nearly 20 pins in average since
last season and attributes that to the help and pro shop
guidance of amateur standout Alex Aguiar and the staff
at Strike F/X Pro Shops as well as countless hours
watching the sport's top bowlers on various live-
streaming outlets.
"I've always stayed in the game and always wanted to
excel," Emmanuel said. "This is a feeling that's incredible
and something I may never feel again. It was so surreal,
and I had to pinch myself to believe it was true. I'm still
speechless."
The first USBC-approved 900 occurred Feb. 2, 1997
when Jeremy Sonnenfeld rolled three consecutive per-
fect games in Lincoln, Neb. There never has been a
Sport-certified 900 series.
USBC-Approved 900 Series (27) Total
April 16, 2013
Joe Scarborough (R), Charlotte, N.C.,
(bowled in The Villages, Fla.),
April 21, 2013
Todd James (R), East New Market, Md., (bowled in Laurel,
Del.), March 18, 2014
Amos Gordon (R), Colorado Springs, Colo., April 11, 2014
Earon Vollmar (R), Toledo, Ohio, Jan. 19, 2015
Hakim Emmanuel (R), Stoughton, Mass., Feb. 19, 2015**
** Pending formal approval by the United States Bowling
Congress.
Brockett, a 55-year-old left-hander, made his third consecutive Open
Championships appearance and randomly was selected from the
bowlers on Saturday's squad to preside over the opening ceremony, a
tradition that dates back to 1951.
