Distin and Tryniski break doubles record at USBC Open Championships
April 17, 2026
Pictured above (from left): Dean Distin and Michael Tryniski
RENO, Nev. – Two-time Eagle winners Dean Distin of Phoenix, New York, and Michael Tryniski of Fulton, New York, put together a historic set Friday at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships to set the tournament’s doubles record and take the lead in the Regular Division with 1,567.
Distin led the way with games of 279, 268 and 245 for a 792 series at the National Bowling Stadium. Tryniski started with 249 and 226 before connecting for his second 300 at the USBC Open Championships for 775.
The pair beat the previous record – posted by Brenda and Stephen Padilla of Mansfield, Texas, at the 2009 event – by a single pin (1,566).
David Gerhart of York, Pennsylvania, and Daniel Vick of Pittsford, New York, previously led Regular Doubles at the 2026 event with 1,521.
Distin and Tryniski earned the Regular Doubles title in 1994 with a 1,468 total in Mobile, Alabama. The pair also helped National Clean Way claim the victory in Team All-Events that year with 9,808.
If their score holds on to win in 2026, they'll became the first pair to win doubles together multiple times at the Open Championships.
In the final game of doubles Friday, Distin tried his best to keep up with Tryniski’s run at perfection, starting with seven strikes before a 10 pin stood in the eighth. He cleaned up the spare and struck in the ninth.
The only open for the duo came in the 10th frame as Distin’s delivery went high and left the Greek Church. He knocked over three pins on the spare attempt, giving Tryniski the chance to close the game with one more strike for 300 and the record.
Both Tryniski and Distin now have 38 appearances at the Open Championships, and Friday’s performance registered as the highest three-game series for each at the event.
Tryniski, a 65-year-old right-hander, added 652 in singles and 649 in team for an all-events score of 2,076. Distin, a 59-year-old right-hander, had 656 in singles and 606 in team for 2,054.
Their efforts also helped Lakeview Lanes of Auburn, New York, to fourth place in Team All-Events at the 2026 event with 9,918. Ohio’s FOF/KPT leads at the National Bowling Stadium with 10,120.
They were joined on Lakeview Lanes by 2019 Team All-Events champion TJ Mento (1,951), Jack Vault (1,942) and Michael Carno (1,895).
Watch the video below to hear from Tryniski and Distin on their record-setting showing in Reno.
Moments before Distin and Tryniski prepared for their final frame of doubles, two-time champion Derek Magno of Cicero, New York, stepped up on the same pair and delivered his third 300 game at the Open Championships, becoming only the fourth competitor to achieve the feat.
Magno, a 45-year-old right-hander, joined Craig Szplett of Beecher, Illinois, Phoenix’s David Cirgliano and Lee Vanderhoef of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, with three perfect games on the championship lanes. Magno and Szplett now have one in each event.
The big game helped Magno and Brett Cunningham of Clay, New York, move into a tie for fifth place in Regular Doubles with 1,421. Magno started the set with 193 and 227 before the perfect finish for 720, while Cunningham added 244, 221 and 236 for 701.
Magno’s first 300 took place during team competition at the 2019 Open Championships in Las Vegas, helping propel Mento Produce – featuring three-time champion Anthony Pepe, Steve Meyer, Joe Conti Jr. and Mento – to the Team All-Events title.
His second perfect game also took place at the South Point Bowling Plaza during singles in 2022. That showing helped the team break the record for Team All-Events with 10,444, but the group ultimately finished the year in third place.
Although he didn’t connect for 300 during the 2024 event in Las Vegas, he collected his second Eagle with a win in Regular All-Events, posting 2,255.
Hear more from Magno by watching the video below.
On Thursday, Magno was recognized for finishing third in Regular All-Events (2,146) at the 2025 Open Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he joined his teammates – Conti, Cunningham, Meyer and Pepe – in being celebrated for their runner-up finish in Team All-Events (9,887).
In 2026, Mento Produce moved into third place in Team All-Events with 10,003, while Magno also took over fifth place in Regular All-Events with 2,104. He had 724 in singles and 660 in team.
Cunningham earned an additional spot in the top five after games of 276, 257 and 227 in Regular Singles for a 760 series (currently fourth).
For the 45-game marathon of Team All-Events, Cunningham added 2,081, Pepe posted 1,967, Conti closed with 1,965 and Meyer had 1,886.
The Open Championships is celebrating its 122nd edition in 2026 and making its 15th trip to Reno, Nevada. The 2026 event is scheduled to feature more than 55,000 bowlers and 11,000 five-player teams competing across 128 consecutive days at the National Bowling Stadium.
Follow the action from the tournament’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts.
RENO, Nev. – Two-time Eagle winners Dean Distin of Phoenix, New York, and Michael Tryniski of Fulton, New York, put together a historic set Friday at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships to set the tournament’s doubles record and take the lead in the Regular Division with 1,567.
Distin led the way with games of 279, 268 and 245 for a 792 series at the National Bowling Stadium. Tryniski started with 249 and 226 before connecting for his second 300 at the USBC Open Championships for 775.
The pair beat the previous record – posted by Brenda and Stephen Padilla of Mansfield, Texas, at the 2009 event – by a single pin (1,566).
David Gerhart of York, Pennsylvania, and Daniel Vick of Pittsford, New York, previously led Regular Doubles at the 2026 event with 1,521.
Distin and Tryniski earned the Regular Doubles title in 1994 with a 1,468 total in Mobile, Alabama. The pair also helped National Clean Way claim the victory in Team All-Events that year with 9,808.
If their score holds on to win in 2026, they'll became the first pair to win doubles together multiple times at the Open Championships.
In the final game of doubles Friday, Distin tried his best to keep up with Tryniski’s run at perfection, starting with seven strikes before a 10 pin stood in the eighth. He cleaned up the spare and struck in the ninth.
The only open for the duo came in the 10th frame as Distin’s delivery went high and left the Greek Church. He knocked over three pins on the spare attempt, giving Tryniski the chance to close the game with one more strike for 300 and the record.
Both Tryniski and Distin now have 38 appearances at the Open Championships, and Friday’s performance registered as the highest three-game series for each at the event.
Tryniski, a 65-year-old right-hander, added 652 in singles and 649 in team for an all-events score of 2,076. Distin, a 59-year-old right-hander, had 656 in singles and 606 in team for 2,054.
Their efforts also helped Lakeview Lanes of Auburn, New York, to fourth place in Team All-Events at the 2026 event with 9,918. Ohio’s FOF/KPT leads at the National Bowling Stadium with 10,120.
They were joined on Lakeview Lanes by 2019 Team All-Events champion TJ Mento (1,951), Jack Vault (1,942) and Michael Carno (1,895).
Watch the video below to hear from Tryniski and Distin on their record-setting showing in Reno.
Moments before Distin and Tryniski prepared for their final frame of doubles, two-time champion Derek Magno of Cicero, New York, stepped up on the same pair and delivered his third 300 game at the Open Championships, becoming only the fourth competitor to achieve the feat.
Magno, a 45-year-old right-hander, joined Craig Szplett of Beecher, Illinois, Phoenix’s David Cirgliano and Lee Vanderhoef of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, with three perfect games on the championship lanes. Magno and Szplett now have one in each event.
The big game helped Magno and Brett Cunningham of Clay, New York, move into a tie for fifth place in Regular Doubles with 1,421. Magno started the set with 193 and 227 before the perfect finish for 720, while Cunningham added 244, 221 and 236 for 701.
Magno’s first 300 took place during team competition at the 2019 Open Championships in Las Vegas, helping propel Mento Produce – featuring three-time champion Anthony Pepe, Steve Meyer, Joe Conti Jr. and Mento – to the Team All-Events title.
His second perfect game also took place at the South Point Bowling Plaza during singles in 2022. That showing helped the team break the record for Team All-Events with 10,444, but the group ultimately finished the year in third place.
Although he didn’t connect for 300 during the 2024 event in Las Vegas, he collected his second Eagle with a win in Regular All-Events, posting 2,255.
Hear more from Magno by watching the video below.
On Thursday, Magno was recognized for finishing third in Regular All-Events (2,146) at the 2025 Open Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he joined his teammates – Conti, Cunningham, Meyer and Pepe – in being celebrated for their runner-up finish in Team All-Events (9,887).
In 2026, Mento Produce moved into third place in Team All-Events with 10,003, while Magno also took over fifth place in Regular All-Events with 2,104. He had 724 in singles and 660 in team.
Cunningham earned an additional spot in the top five after games of 276, 257 and 227 in Regular Singles for a 760 series (currently fourth).
For the 45-game marathon of Team All-Events, Cunningham added 2,081, Pepe posted 1,967, Conti closed with 1,965 and Meyer had 1,886.
The Open Championships is celebrating its 122nd edition in 2026 and making its 15th trip to Reno, Nevada. The 2026 event is scheduled to feature more than 55,000 bowlers and 11,000 five-player teams competing across 128 consecutive days at the National Bowling Stadium.
Follow the action from the tournament’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts.