Defending Regular Team champion returns to USBC Open Championships
April 01, 2023
Pictured above with Joe Norris Trophy (from left): Justin Veitch, David Langer, Matt McNiel and Jon Rakoski
RENO, Nev. – Since his breakthrough victory and record-setting performance in 2010, Matt McNiel of Alva, Florida, has served as the defining competitor of the modern era at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
The 37-year-old left-hander has captured five Eagles during that time and is the only player in tournament history to record three wins in Regular All-Events (2010, 2012, 2015).
His performance from the 2010 event still is displayed on a banner hanging from the rafters at every USBC Open Championships venue as the top nine-game total in tournament history (2,326), and he’s also the only bowler to post three 800 sets on the championship lanes.
Although the individual success likely will lead to McNiel’s eventual induction to the USBC Hall of Fame, he’s also be the first to point out how important the team dynamic is at an event like the Open Championships.
At the 2022 tournament in Las Vegas, McNiel and the members of Storm Products Inc. 1 – Jon Rakoski, Justin Veitch, David Langer and Ron Mohr – were able to work together to put up the top score and collect the victory in Regular Team at the South Point Bowling Plaza with a 3,486 total.
The win was the first since 2015 at the Open Championships for McNiel, while Mohr, who will be inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame in 2023, earned his second win (Team All-Events in 2001). Rakoski, Veitch and Langer each captured their first Eagle with the victory.
Four of the five team members recently returned to the event to put their title on the line at the National Bowling Stadium, and although they weren’t able to reclaim the top spot in 2023, McNiel couldn’t be prouder with how things have come together in what he defines as the best win of his career.
“Individual titles are great, but team titles mean that much more,” said McNiel, who made his 16th Open Championships appearance. “This one was the most special. If I could rank anything I’ve done in my bowling career, this one would be the most special.”
Last year at the Bowling Plaza, the team fired games of 1,203, 1,089 and 1,194 to set the pace in early April. The 2022 tournament lasted until July 18, giving the teammates more than three months to see if their score was enough to hold on.
“We had a team group chat that would consistently be very active in the evenings, especially when good teams were bowling,” McNiel said. “I think I was really more invested in this one because I wanted it more for the guys who had not gotten an Eagle yet. When I had taken the lead in all-events, I didn’t check scores that much. This was a team thing, though. I was more nervous about this one than all the other ones because it was with really close friends, and you want them to experience something unbelievable.”
As the final squad came to a close at the 2022 event, the teammates were able to enjoy the moment from across the country and celebrate the top score out of more than 9,300 teams.
For McNiel, the moment didn’t completely come full circle, however, until he was joined outside of the famed Center Aisle at the NBS by Rakoski, Veitch and Langer as they waited for their introduction and the chance to hold the Joe Norris Trophy for the first time.
“You truly feel the accomplishment when you walk down the aisle – that’s when you feel it,” McNiel said. “You don’t feel it when you get the phone call or get the award. You don’t feel it when you get here and see the banner. You feel it when you’re in the back. When everybody walks out, and you’re still there standing behind the curtain. That’s when it all sinks in. It’s the best 90 seconds or two minutes of your existence, because it’s all the hard work and sacrifice and everything you’ve given to put yourself in that position. That’s the reward.”
The nerves and anxiousness in that moment certainly have been echoed in the past from many tournament champions, and it’s often tough to make the quick change from celebrating the victory to getting ready to compete on the biggest stage in bowling.
The team, which also featured Ryan Burr in 2023, handled the emotions and maintained its focus to take over fourth place in Regular Team with games of 1,110, 1,075 and 1,123 for 3,308.
Las Vegas’ Chili Garlic Edamame leads Regular Team at the 2023 Open Championships with 3,422.
Veitch led the way in 2023 with a 719 series and was followed by McNiel (712), Burr (651), Rakoski (643) and Langer (583).
Storm Products Inc. 1 at the 2023 Open Championships (from left): Matt McNiel, Jon Rakoski, Ryan Burr, David Langer and Justin Veitch
“I told the guys there’s going to be the temptation to feel the weight of everyone else’s expectations on you now that you have that symbol next to your name,” McNiel said. “You need to let that go. You can’t carry that out with you. When you put perceived expectations on yourself and your performance the first time you see that cup next to your name, you feel like you have to be somebody you aren’t, when actually, you have to keep being the person that deserved that cup and got the cup next to their name. And, we did that really, really well. As a whole, I couldn’t ask for more. When things didn’t go our way, nobody panicked or stopped being the guys that won the event last year. When things went well, everybody just enjoyed it and soaked it all in. That was the best part about it.”
The team continued strong into minors, taking over multiple spots in the top five.
McNiel sits in second in Regular All-Events with 2,096, while Veitch currently is fifth with 2,068. Veitch briefly held the lead in Regular Singles with 740 and now sits in second place.
Storm Products Inc. 1 also sits in second in Team All-Events with 9,667. Rakoski finished his 2023 Open Championships with 1,875, Langer had 1,828 and Burr added 1,800.
Although the teammates will likely not be sharing the occasional restless night watching live scoring this year, their energy and love of the sport will have them looking forward to 2024 and beyond.
“David has been one of the best amateur players in the Upper Midwest for nearly as long as I’ve been alive and always finds a way to be competitive on everything,” McNiel said. “Jon is the true definition of a guy who loves bowling more than just about anyone else I’ve ever seen. Justin has this casual attitude when you talk to him, but when he gets up on the approach and puts a bowling ball in his hand, he’s like Superman.
“These are the guys I want to surround myself with, because when we synergize, we do things like we did last year. It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen every year, but I think as long as we’re able to enjoy it and play free, we’ll always be bowling together.”
Regular Team consists of bowlers with a combined entering average of 876 and above.
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
RENO, Nev. – Since his breakthrough victory and record-setting performance in 2010, Matt McNiel of Alva, Florida, has served as the defining competitor of the modern era at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
The 37-year-old left-hander has captured five Eagles during that time and is the only player in tournament history to record three wins in Regular All-Events (2010, 2012, 2015).
His performance from the 2010 event still is displayed on a banner hanging from the rafters at every USBC Open Championships venue as the top nine-game total in tournament history (2,326), and he’s also the only bowler to post three 800 sets on the championship lanes.
Although the individual success likely will lead to McNiel’s eventual induction to the USBC Hall of Fame, he’s also be the first to point out how important the team dynamic is at an event like the Open Championships.
At the 2022 tournament in Las Vegas, McNiel and the members of Storm Products Inc. 1 – Jon Rakoski, Justin Veitch, David Langer and Ron Mohr – were able to work together to put up the top score and collect the victory in Regular Team at the South Point Bowling Plaza with a 3,486 total.
The win was the first since 2015 at the Open Championships for McNiel, while Mohr, who will be inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame in 2023, earned his second win (Team All-Events in 2001). Rakoski, Veitch and Langer each captured their first Eagle with the victory.
Four of the five team members recently returned to the event to put their title on the line at the National Bowling Stadium, and although they weren’t able to reclaim the top spot in 2023, McNiel couldn’t be prouder with how things have come together in what he defines as the best win of his career.
“Individual titles are great, but team titles mean that much more,” said McNiel, who made his 16th Open Championships appearance. “This one was the most special. If I could rank anything I’ve done in my bowling career, this one would be the most special.”
Last year at the Bowling Plaza, the team fired games of 1,203, 1,089 and 1,194 to set the pace in early April. The 2022 tournament lasted until July 18, giving the teammates more than three months to see if their score was enough to hold on.
“We had a team group chat that would consistently be very active in the evenings, especially when good teams were bowling,” McNiel said. “I think I was really more invested in this one because I wanted it more for the guys who had not gotten an Eagle yet. When I had taken the lead in all-events, I didn’t check scores that much. This was a team thing, though. I was more nervous about this one than all the other ones because it was with really close friends, and you want them to experience something unbelievable.”
As the final squad came to a close at the 2022 event, the teammates were able to enjoy the moment from across the country and celebrate the top score out of more than 9,300 teams.
For McNiel, the moment didn’t completely come full circle, however, until he was joined outside of the famed Center Aisle at the NBS by Rakoski, Veitch and Langer as they waited for their introduction and the chance to hold the Joe Norris Trophy for the first time.
“You truly feel the accomplishment when you walk down the aisle – that’s when you feel it,” McNiel said. “You don’t feel it when you get the phone call or get the award. You don’t feel it when you get here and see the banner. You feel it when you’re in the back. When everybody walks out, and you’re still there standing behind the curtain. That’s when it all sinks in. It’s the best 90 seconds or two minutes of your existence, because it’s all the hard work and sacrifice and everything you’ve given to put yourself in that position. That’s the reward.”
The nerves and anxiousness in that moment certainly have been echoed in the past from many tournament champions, and it’s often tough to make the quick change from celebrating the victory to getting ready to compete on the biggest stage in bowling.
The team, which also featured Ryan Burr in 2023, handled the emotions and maintained its focus to take over fourth place in Regular Team with games of 1,110, 1,075 and 1,123 for 3,308.
Las Vegas’ Chili Garlic Edamame leads Regular Team at the 2023 Open Championships with 3,422.
Veitch led the way in 2023 with a 719 series and was followed by McNiel (712), Burr (651), Rakoski (643) and Langer (583).
Storm Products Inc. 1 at the 2023 Open Championships (from left): Matt McNiel, Jon Rakoski, Ryan Burr, David Langer and Justin Veitch
“I told the guys there’s going to be the temptation to feel the weight of everyone else’s expectations on you now that you have that symbol next to your name,” McNiel said. “You need to let that go. You can’t carry that out with you. When you put perceived expectations on yourself and your performance the first time you see that cup next to your name, you feel like you have to be somebody you aren’t, when actually, you have to keep being the person that deserved that cup and got the cup next to their name. And, we did that really, really well. As a whole, I couldn’t ask for more. When things didn’t go our way, nobody panicked or stopped being the guys that won the event last year. When things went well, everybody just enjoyed it and soaked it all in. That was the best part about it.”
The team continued strong into minors, taking over multiple spots in the top five.
McNiel sits in second in Regular All-Events with 2,096, while Veitch currently is fifth with 2,068. Veitch briefly held the lead in Regular Singles with 740 and now sits in second place.
Storm Products Inc. 1 also sits in second in Team All-Events with 9,667. Rakoski finished his 2023 Open Championships with 1,875, Langer had 1,828 and Burr added 1,800.
Although the teammates will likely not be sharing the occasional restless night watching live scoring this year, their energy and love of the sport will have them looking forward to 2024 and beyond.
“David has been one of the best amateur players in the Upper Midwest for nearly as long as I’ve been alive and always finds a way to be competitive on everything,” McNiel said. “Jon is the true definition of a guy who loves bowling more than just about anyone else I’ve ever seen. Justin has this casual attitude when you talk to him, but when he gets up on the approach and puts a bowling ball in his hand, he’s like Superman.
“These are the guys I want to surround myself with, because when we synergize, we do things like we did last year. It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen every year, but I think as long as we’re able to enjoy it and play free, we’ll always be bowling together.”
Regular Team consists of bowlers with a combined entering average of 876 and above.
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.