Illinois bowler joins family tradition at 2023 USBC Open Championships
March 31, 2023
RENO, Nev. – Some bowlers find their way to the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships over time, and others are raised in the tradition of the event.
John Kontos of Joliet, Illinois, falls into the latter category.
At the age of 11, he was able to celebrate with his father, George Kontos, and his teammates as they took home the Regular Team title as co-champions at the 2001 event in Reno, Nevada.
He had a front-row seat to another major moment during his tournament debut in 2009, as his father rolled an 801 series while they competed together in doubles in Las Vegas.
This week at the 2023 edition of the USBC Open Championships, Kontos put together his own moment to keep with the family tradition after taking over the lead in Standard All-Events on Thursday with a nine-game total of 1,850.
The 32-year-old right-hander used sets of 670 in doubles, 614 in team and 566 in singles to take over the top spot by 45 pins. Kevin Smith of Gilbert, Arizona, had taken the lead Tuesday at the National Bowling Stadium with 1,805.
The 670 series in doubles also pushed John and George Kontos into 10th place in Regular Doubles with a 1,264 total. PJ Haggerty of Roseville, California, and Shawn Naumann of Orlando, Florida, currently lead with 1,360.
“My dad’s been here for 49 straight years, and every year is planned around this tournament,” said Kontos, who made his seventh Open Championships appearance. “My mom used to bowl here, too. It means everything. Not just to my family, but the entire group. It’s something special that we look forward to each year.”
The group, representing Joliet Town & Country Lanes, knew something special was in the mix after Kontos’ strong set in doubles put him well ahead of the pace to take the lead in all-events.
After a 167 start in singles, Kontos caught a glance at the tournament’s on-site leaderboard on the high end of the NBS and realized he still had some work to do to reach the number.
He improved to 183 in Game 2 and posted a clean 216 in the final game to secure his spot at the top of the standings.
“I just wanted to make shots,” Kontos said. “I’ve had some really tough years here, and I knew I had a look. I just wanted to repeat shots. I didn’t really know until Game 2 of singles. I looked up, since it’s right behind us, and knew I had to start throwing some shots. I had a rough Game 1 of singles. I had a 7-10 in the 10th frame and didn’t start Game 2 that well. I had to figure something out and find something that gets to the pocket.
“It’s not a huge score. It took more than 1,950 to win Standard (All-Events) last year, but I still think it’s a good score. Doubles and singles were tough today. We tried to set the lanes up the best we could, and it really worked out for a couple of us.”
The wait now will begin for Kontos to see if he can join his father in the winner’s circle at the Open Championships.
The culmination of that would involve multiple celebrations at the 2024 event in Las Vegas, as George Kontos prepares for his 50th consecutive tournament appearance and John Kontos would see a trophy cup next to his name for the first time.
“There would be nothing better,” John Kontos said. “In our bowling alley at home, they still have the cup up. Those guys are legends, and their win means a lot to us locally. We still have the cup and their picture up, and if I could have something next to it, it would be all I could ask for.”
2001 Regular Team co-champion Joliet Town & Country Lanes No. 2 (from left): George Kontos, Harry Banks, Robert Jakel, Tom Hinz and Joe Caldwell
Standard All-Events features bowlers with entering averages of 156-175.
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.
John Kontos of Joliet, Illinois, falls into the latter category.
At the age of 11, he was able to celebrate with his father, George Kontos, and his teammates as they took home the Regular Team title as co-champions at the 2001 event in Reno, Nevada.
He had a front-row seat to another major moment during his tournament debut in 2009, as his father rolled an 801 series while they competed together in doubles in Las Vegas.
This week at the 2023 edition of the USBC Open Championships, Kontos put together his own moment to keep with the family tradition after taking over the lead in Standard All-Events on Thursday with a nine-game total of 1,850.
The 32-year-old right-hander used sets of 670 in doubles, 614 in team and 566 in singles to take over the top spot by 45 pins. Kevin Smith of Gilbert, Arizona, had taken the lead Tuesday at the National Bowling Stadium with 1,805.
The 670 series in doubles also pushed John and George Kontos into 10th place in Regular Doubles with a 1,264 total. PJ Haggerty of Roseville, California, and Shawn Naumann of Orlando, Florida, currently lead with 1,360.
“My dad’s been here for 49 straight years, and every year is planned around this tournament,” said Kontos, who made his seventh Open Championships appearance. “My mom used to bowl here, too. It means everything. Not just to my family, but the entire group. It’s something special that we look forward to each year.”
The group, representing Joliet Town & Country Lanes, knew something special was in the mix after Kontos’ strong set in doubles put him well ahead of the pace to take the lead in all-events.
After a 167 start in singles, Kontos caught a glance at the tournament’s on-site leaderboard on the high end of the NBS and realized he still had some work to do to reach the number.
He improved to 183 in Game 2 and posted a clean 216 in the final game to secure his spot at the top of the standings.
“I just wanted to make shots,” Kontos said. “I’ve had some really tough years here, and I knew I had a look. I just wanted to repeat shots. I didn’t really know until Game 2 of singles. I looked up, since it’s right behind us, and knew I had to start throwing some shots. I had a rough Game 1 of singles. I had a 7-10 in the 10th frame and didn’t start Game 2 that well. I had to figure something out and find something that gets to the pocket.
“It’s not a huge score. It took more than 1,950 to win Standard (All-Events) last year, but I still think it’s a good score. Doubles and singles were tough today. We tried to set the lanes up the best we could, and it really worked out for a couple of us.”
The wait now will begin for Kontos to see if he can join his father in the winner’s circle at the Open Championships.
The culmination of that would involve multiple celebrations at the 2024 event in Las Vegas, as George Kontos prepares for his 50th consecutive tournament appearance and John Kontos would see a trophy cup next to his name for the first time.
“There would be nothing better,” John Kontos said. “In our bowling alley at home, they still have the cup up. Those guys are legends, and their win means a lot to us locally. We still have the cup and their picture up, and if I could have something next to it, it would be all I could ask for.”
2001 Regular Team co-champion Joliet Town & Country Lanes No. 2 (from left): George Kontos, Harry Banks, Robert Jakel, Tom Hinz and Joe Caldwell
Standard All-Events features bowlers with entering averages of 156-175.
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.