First-timer rolls to Standard lead at 2017 USBC Open Championships
May 28, 2017
LAS VEGAS - Just weeks after finishing his freshman year at West Texas A&M, Rusty Johnston of Austin, Texas, was excited about the opportunity to compete in his first United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
The 19-year-old right-hander shook off the initial nerves of competing in the world's largest participatory sporting event and settled in during doubles and singles Sunday on his way to taking the Standard All-Events lead at the South Point Bowling Plaza with a 1,915 total.
Brennan Nett of Kiel, Wisconsin, previously held the lead in Standard All-Events with 1,865.
After starting his debut Saturday with a 564 series in his team event, Johnston averaged more than 225 during doubles and singles, finishing with 681 in singles and 670 in doubles. Johnston's singles effort also helped him into a tie for second place in Standard Singles, which is led by Charlie Theobald of Minot, North Dakota, with 696.
Johnston's time at West Texas A&M helped introduce him to more challenging conditions on a regular basis and taught him how to work together with his teammates. He felt that experience was crucial to his success over the weekend at the Bowling Plaza.
"Being exposed to different shots each week and not always knowing what you were bowling on really helped prepare me for this," Johnston said. "I had never worked with other players to help break down a pattern, so that was something I learned to do this year, too. I think that really helped me this week."
Having the chance to bowl alongside his teammates also meant they could keep a watchful eye on him, just as they would throughout the course of the USBC Collegiate season. Johnston started doubles with a 179 game, but a slight adjustment helped him to games of 238, 253, 236, 246 and 199 to finish off his USBC Open Championships debut.
"They told me to slow down my feet, since it looked like I was getting up there too fast," Johnston said. "After that, everything started to line up. I was releasing it consistently, getting the ball downlane where I wanted to and things seemed to go my way."
Johnston had competed in some larger youth events, including the Junior Gold Championships, with limited success, so he hopes his performance in Las Vegas is a steppingstone to bigger and better things.
"I bowled some events like Junior Gold as a youth bowler, but I never really did that great in those tournaments," Johnston said. "I didn't expect too much coming in, but after today, I really had a feel for it. It would be awesome to come out here the first time and win. It would be pretty incredible for me."
Standard All-Events and Standard Singles includes bowlers with entering averages of 181-209.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.
The 19-year-old right-hander shook off the initial nerves of competing in the world's largest participatory sporting event and settled in during doubles and singles Sunday on his way to taking the Standard All-Events lead at the South Point Bowling Plaza with a 1,915 total.
Brennan Nett of Kiel, Wisconsin, previously held the lead in Standard All-Events with 1,865.
After starting his debut Saturday with a 564 series in his team event, Johnston averaged more than 225 during doubles and singles, finishing with 681 in singles and 670 in doubles. Johnston's singles effort also helped him into a tie for second place in Standard Singles, which is led by Charlie Theobald of Minot, North Dakota, with 696.
Johnston's time at West Texas A&M helped introduce him to more challenging conditions on a regular basis and taught him how to work together with his teammates. He felt that experience was crucial to his success over the weekend at the Bowling Plaza.
"Being exposed to different shots each week and not always knowing what you were bowling on really helped prepare me for this," Johnston said. "I had never worked with other players to help break down a pattern, so that was something I learned to do this year, too. I think that really helped me this week."
Having the chance to bowl alongside his teammates also meant they could keep a watchful eye on him, just as they would throughout the course of the USBC Collegiate season. Johnston started doubles with a 179 game, but a slight adjustment helped him to games of 238, 253, 236, 246 and 199 to finish off his USBC Open Championships debut.
"They told me to slow down my feet, since it looked like I was getting up there too fast," Johnston said. "After that, everything started to line up. I was releasing it consistently, getting the ball downlane where I wanted to and things seemed to go my way."
Johnston had competed in some larger youth events, including the Junior Gold Championships, with limited success, so he hopes his performance in Las Vegas is a steppingstone to bigger and better things.
"I bowled some events like Junior Gold as a youth bowler, but I never really did that great in those tournaments," Johnston said. "I didn't expect too much coming in, but after today, I really had a feel for it. It would be awesome to come out here the first time and win. It would be pretty incredible for me."
Standard All-Events and Standard Singles includes bowlers with entering averages of 181-209.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.