Family shares memorable day at USBC Open Championships
June 28, 2010
RENO, Nev. - Bowling is a family business for Dennis Johnson of Wyoming, Mich., and the USBC Open Championships doubles as a family vacation each year.
With his daughter Samantha now in college, he's not sure how much longer she'll want to make the annual journey, so he made sure to make this year's trip a memorable one by rolling the 31st perfect game of the 2010 event.
The 44-year-old right-hander started singles with 12 consecutive strikes and added games of 233 and 215 for a 748 series at the National Bowling Stadium on Monday. Terrence Syring of Bay City, Mich., leads Regular Singles with 833.
"This is the best set I've ever had at this tournament, and I did it in front of my wife and daughter, which is great," said Johnson, who made his 19th Open Championships appearance. "This is the pinnacle event in bowling, so it's really special. It's definitely a career highlight."
As he polished off his 300 game, Johnson made it a point not to turn around. He figured there might be some people gathering to watch a perfect game on bowling's biggest stage, and he was right. Everyone in the stands and VIP seating nearby looked on anxiously, and most of the bowlers on the low side of the Stadium stopped to watch, too.
"I was nervous, but I had my mind focused on executing on every shot," said Johnson, whose previous-best series on the championship lanes was 713 in singles at the 1991 event in Toledo, Ohio. "I tried not to turn around because I didn't want to see the crowd and get nervous. I knew where my wife and daughter were, and that was enough."
Johnson returns to the Open Championships each year because of the challenge, the camaraderie and the chance to see different places with his family. Reno is a favorite destination because they also spend some time at nearby Lake Tahoe.
At home, Johnson's focus is on his role as the proprietor at Clique Lanes in Grand Rapids, Mich., and he has passed his passion for bowling onto his daughter, who just finished her first year at Grand Valley State University, where she is a member of the bowling team. She actually will be in Reno later this summer for a collegiate event, and now, the bar has been set.
"We own a bowling center, and bowling is a part of our everyday lives," Johnson said. "To be here together is important to us, too, because it is a family vacation and because we love being a part of the Open Championships."
Johnson added a 625 series in doubles and 599 in team for a career-high 1,972 all-events total. His previous high was 1,962 in Wichita, Kan., in 1989.
The 2010 Open Championships kicked off on Feb. 20 and will end its 136-day run on July 5.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.
With his daughter Samantha now in college, he's not sure how much longer she'll want to make the annual journey, so he made sure to make this year's trip a memorable one by rolling the 31st perfect game of the 2010 event.
The 44-year-old right-hander started singles with 12 consecutive strikes and added games of 233 and 215 for a 748 series at the National Bowling Stadium on Monday. Terrence Syring of Bay City, Mich., leads Regular Singles with 833.
"This is the best set I've ever had at this tournament, and I did it in front of my wife and daughter, which is great," said Johnson, who made his 19th Open Championships appearance. "This is the pinnacle event in bowling, so it's really special. It's definitely a career highlight."
As he polished off his 300 game, Johnson made it a point not to turn around. He figured there might be some people gathering to watch a perfect game on bowling's biggest stage, and he was right. Everyone in the stands and VIP seating nearby looked on anxiously, and most of the bowlers on the low side of the Stadium stopped to watch, too.
"I was nervous, but I had my mind focused on executing on every shot," said Johnson, whose previous-best series on the championship lanes was 713 in singles at the 1991 event in Toledo, Ohio. "I tried not to turn around because I didn't want to see the crowd and get nervous. I knew where my wife and daughter were, and that was enough."
Johnson returns to the Open Championships each year because of the challenge, the camaraderie and the chance to see different places with his family. Reno is a favorite destination because they also spend some time at nearby Lake Tahoe.
At home, Johnson's focus is on his role as the proprietor at Clique Lanes in Grand Rapids, Mich., and he has passed his passion for bowling onto his daughter, who just finished her first year at Grand Valley State University, where she is a member of the bowling team. She actually will be in Reno later this summer for a collegiate event, and now, the bar has been set.
"We own a bowling center, and bowling is a part of our everyday lives," Johnson said. "To be here together is important to us, too, because it is a family vacation and because we love being a part of the Open Championships."
Johnson added a 625 series in doubles and 599 in team for a career-high 1,972 all-events total. His previous high was 1,962 in Wichita, Kan., in 1989.
The 2010 Open Championships kicked off on Feb. 20 and will end its 136-day run on July 5.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.