All three divisions get new leaders at 2022 USBC Open Championships
March 15, 2022
By Matt Cannizzaro and Ronald Kirsh
USBC Communications
LAS VEGAS - Ryan Schlotfeld of Lincoln, Nebraska, made a friendly wager with his girlfriend and one of his friends that if any of them were able to start a game at the 2022 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships with 11 consecutive strikes, a ball change would be required for the last shot.
Joking and giving each other a hard time is the nature of their six-team group, and part of what makes the annual journey to the event so enjoyable. The company is familiar, and the mood is light, but that doesn't mean the competition is any less intense.
As top-tier competitors, they certainly understand the reality of the numbers - more than 425,000 games are expected to be bowled this year at the South Point Bowling Plaza, and recent history would suggest only a few dozen bowlers will step up with a chance to finish off a 300 game - but why couldn't they be among the successful few?
Through two events this week, Schlotfeld averaged just over five strikes per game and didn't start any of the six games with more than a double. Then, everything fell into place for the 36-year-old right-hander, and the scenario they'd joked about started to seem very possible.
Schlotfeld started his first game of singles with six consecutive strikes, before an eight-count ended his run. A few lanes away, the friend he made the deal with, Chad Rosenau, missed a single pin to start but then rattled off 11 consecutive strikes to record the longest string of the 2022 event.
In the final game of singles, the strikes added up for Schlotfeld, who also realized a big final game could make him the player to beat in Regular Singles.
He stepped up in the 10th frame with the singles lead already locked up and a shot at the first perfect game of the tournament, which got underway March 12.
After he delivered his 11th strike, he shared a look and a smile with his girlfriend, Stephanie Bonebright, and Rosenau. The non-verbal exchange resulted in Schlotfeld not changing balls, after all.
His final shot drifted high, and he left the 3-6-10 combination for a 297 game. The near-perfect effort followed games of 247 and 228 for a 772 series, more than 50 pins ahead of James Murtishaw of Menifee, California, who raised the bar Tuesday morning with 719.
"I had 590 in team with a couple missed spares, and I thought doubles played tough, but I may have been in the wrong part of the lane with the wrong ball," said Schlotfeld, who lists his home center as Lincoln's Sun Valley Lanes. "I found the right look in the back half of doubles and made some good moves in singles to give myself a chance. I found them to be a little more scorable and wanted to take advantage."
A 10-time participant at the USBC Open Championships, Schlotfeld started his 2022 tournament campaign with 594 in team and 563 in doubles, but he didn't let any struggles get him down. Instead, he relied on the rest of his group for motivation and support.
"We've got six teams here and 12 teams that will go to the Greater Ozarks in Missouri in a couple of weeks, and we all have a great time together," Schlotfeld said. "It's a special dynamic. A lot of us bowl competively together on weekends outside of big tournaments, so there's some comfort in that, too. We all may give each other a hard time, but at the end of the day, we're a big family, and we all want someone to bowl well. Fortunately, that was me today."
Schlotfeld was sure to make specific mention of his longtime doubles partner, David Schilke, who was supportive and encouraging as the final frames and a shot at tournament history grew closer.
With the 2022 Open Championships just a few days into its 129-day run, it'll be four months before this year's champions are determined. That means the potential for a lot of leaderboard watching - something Schlotfeld said he'd do a few times a week, but that some upcoming life changes will keep him occupied.
He's preparing for a cross-country move and a new role in the U.S. Navy, as he heads into his final four years of service.
The real question is, though, if he found himself in that situation again, would Schlotfeld make the ball change?
"I got seven, so I really think I might ball change if I'm in that situation again," Schlotfeld said. "After the 11th one, I did look over at Chad, and he waved off the change. I'm 99% sure I'm never really ball changing there, but in this group, I am kind of known as the clown. If anyone is going to do it, it probably would be me. You never know."
Minutes before Schlotfeld stole the spotlight at South Point, 16-time Open Championships participant Carl Schwabe of Waynetown, Indiana, used a clutch final frame to secure the lead in two categories - Classified Singles and Classified All-Events.
The 57-year-old right-hander needed a mark to get the job done. Anything less would've meant letting both titles slip away.
Schwabe left a 7 pin on his first offering, converted it and got nine on his fill ball to finish with a 628 singles series and 1,730 all-events total. He had 592 in doubles and 510 in team.
"I knew I was close to the number, but I did not know how close until someone told me in my third game," said Schwabe, who hails from Plaza Lanes in Crawfordsville, Indiana. "My team bowled the best we ever had yesterday. It was good momentum going into today."
Andy Owens of Havre, Montana, took the singles lead earlier Tuesday with 623, while the top spot in Classified All-Events belonged to Jose Ruiz with 1,723.
On the final squad of the day, three past champions put in their bid for another victory at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
Carl Krause, Andrew Kasten and Scott Molnar were team champions in 2017, the inaugural year of the Standard Division, also at South Point, and they're the players to beat once again.
This time, their Minnesota Select Sires 1 roster also included Nate Runningen and Michael Donley.
The team rolled games of 1,047, 995 and 885 for a 2,927 total Tuesday. Luke All Stars of Phoenix previously held the lead with 2,898.
Runningen led the effort Tuesday for Minnesota Select Sires 1 with a 637 series and was followed by Kasten (600), Krause (573), Donley (572) and Molnar (545).
The Regular Division is for individual bowlers with entering tournament averages of 176 and above. The Classified Division includes individual bowlers with entering tournament averages of 155 and below.
Standard Team includes teams with combined entering averages of 776-875.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
USBC Communications
LAS VEGAS - Ryan Schlotfeld of Lincoln, Nebraska, made a friendly wager with his girlfriend and one of his friends that if any of them were able to start a game at the 2022 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships with 11 consecutive strikes, a ball change would be required for the last shot.
Joking and giving each other a hard time is the nature of their six-team group, and part of what makes the annual journey to the event so enjoyable. The company is familiar, and the mood is light, but that doesn't mean the competition is any less intense.
As top-tier competitors, they certainly understand the reality of the numbers - more than 425,000 games are expected to be bowled this year at the South Point Bowling Plaza, and recent history would suggest only a few dozen bowlers will step up with a chance to finish off a 300 game - but why couldn't they be among the successful few?
Through two events this week, Schlotfeld averaged just over five strikes per game and didn't start any of the six games with more than a double. Then, everything fell into place for the 36-year-old right-hander, and the scenario they'd joked about started to seem very possible.
Schlotfeld started his first game of singles with six consecutive strikes, before an eight-count ended his run. A few lanes away, the friend he made the deal with, Chad Rosenau, missed a single pin to start but then rattled off 11 consecutive strikes to record the longest string of the 2022 event.
In the final game of singles, the strikes added up for Schlotfeld, who also realized a big final game could make him the player to beat in Regular Singles.
He stepped up in the 10th frame with the singles lead already locked up and a shot at the first perfect game of the tournament, which got underway March 12.
After he delivered his 11th strike, he shared a look and a smile with his girlfriend, Stephanie Bonebright, and Rosenau. The non-verbal exchange resulted in Schlotfeld not changing balls, after all.
His final shot drifted high, and he left the 3-6-10 combination for a 297 game. The near-perfect effort followed games of 247 and 228 for a 772 series, more than 50 pins ahead of James Murtishaw of Menifee, California, who raised the bar Tuesday morning with 719.
"I had 590 in team with a couple missed spares, and I thought doubles played tough, but I may have been in the wrong part of the lane with the wrong ball," said Schlotfeld, who lists his home center as Lincoln's Sun Valley Lanes. "I found the right look in the back half of doubles and made some good moves in singles to give myself a chance. I found them to be a little more scorable and wanted to take advantage."
A 10-time participant at the USBC Open Championships, Schlotfeld started his 2022 tournament campaign with 594 in team and 563 in doubles, but he didn't let any struggles get him down. Instead, he relied on the rest of his group for motivation and support.
"We've got six teams here and 12 teams that will go to the Greater Ozarks in Missouri in a couple of weeks, and we all have a great time together," Schlotfeld said. "It's a special dynamic. A lot of us bowl competively together on weekends outside of big tournaments, so there's some comfort in that, too. We all may give each other a hard time, but at the end of the day, we're a big family, and we all want someone to bowl well. Fortunately, that was me today."
Schlotfeld was sure to make specific mention of his longtime doubles partner, David Schilke, who was supportive and encouraging as the final frames and a shot at tournament history grew closer.
With the 2022 Open Championships just a few days into its 129-day run, it'll be four months before this year's champions are determined. That means the potential for a lot of leaderboard watching - something Schlotfeld said he'd do a few times a week, but that some upcoming life changes will keep him occupied.
He's preparing for a cross-country move and a new role in the U.S. Navy, as he heads into his final four years of service.
The real question is, though, if he found himself in that situation again, would Schlotfeld make the ball change?
"I got seven, so I really think I might ball change if I'm in that situation again," Schlotfeld said. "After the 11th one, I did look over at Chad, and he waved off the change. I'm 99% sure I'm never really ball changing there, but in this group, I am kind of known as the clown. If anyone is going to do it, it probably would be me. You never know."
Minutes before Schlotfeld stole the spotlight at South Point, 16-time Open Championships participant Carl Schwabe of Waynetown, Indiana, used a clutch final frame to secure the lead in two categories - Classified Singles and Classified All-Events.The 57-year-old right-hander needed a mark to get the job done. Anything less would've meant letting both titles slip away.
Schwabe left a 7 pin on his first offering, converted it and got nine on his fill ball to finish with a 628 singles series and 1,730 all-events total. He had 592 in doubles and 510 in team.
"I knew I was close to the number, but I did not know how close until someone told me in my third game," said Schwabe, who hails from Plaza Lanes in Crawfordsville, Indiana. "My team bowled the best we ever had yesterday. It was good momentum going into today."
Andy Owens of Havre, Montana, took the singles lead earlier Tuesday with 623, while the top spot in Classified All-Events belonged to Jose Ruiz with 1,723.
On the final squad of the day, three past champions put in their bid for another victory at the South Point Bowling Plaza.Carl Krause, Andrew Kasten and Scott Molnar were team champions in 2017, the inaugural year of the Standard Division, also at South Point, and they're the players to beat once again.
This time, their Minnesota Select Sires 1 roster also included Nate Runningen and Michael Donley.
The team rolled games of 1,047, 995 and 885 for a 2,927 total Tuesday. Luke All Stars of Phoenix previously held the lead with 2,898.
Runningen led the effort Tuesday for Minnesota Select Sires 1 with a 637 series and was followed by Kasten (600), Krause (573), Donley (572) and Molnar (545).
The Regular Division is for individual bowlers with entering tournament averages of 176 and above. The Classified Division includes individual bowlers with entering tournament averages of 155 and below.
Standard Team includes teams with combined entering averages of 776-875.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.