Illinois team soars into lead at USBC Open Championships
March 12, 2010
RENO, Nev. - Ray Struck of Orland Park, Ill., and his teammates spend months each year preparing for the USBC Open Championships, and neither illness nor injury could keep them from finding success on the tournament lanes this week.
Despite a stomach virus that kept him in bed since arriving in Reno, Struck turned in the second-best performance of his 16-year Open Championships career and helped Bluebird Lanes of Orland Park into the top spot in Regular Team and Team All-Events at the National Bowling Stadium.
Bluebird Lanes started slowly with a split-filled 903 opening game, but recovered with games of 1,123 and 1,096 and moved into the team lead with a 3,122 total Thursday. Central Saw & Mower previously held the lead with 3,081.
The Bluebird Lanes bowlers continued striking during doubles and singles and raised the bar in Team All-Events with a 9,602 effort Friday. Bowlers Junction of Hemet, Calif., previously held the lead with 9,214. Team All-Events includes the all-events totals of all five team members.
"We came in with a plan and knew what we wanted to do from the start," said Struck, a 41-year-old right-hander who is one of just 19 bowlers to record two perfect games in Open Championships competition. "We try to get guys together who have similar games and can do similar things. We started around boards six, seven and eight and gradually moved left to about boards 15 and 16. Our communication was very good."
The team's successful communication can be attributed to a dozen years together at the Open Championships and more than 25 years in events across the Chicago area. They also had the opportunity to practice together on the tournament pattern twice a week at Bluebird Lanes and nearby Town and Country Lanes.
"The owners at both centers were gracious enough to put out the pattern, and we practiced on it about twice a week since it became available," Struck said. "From there, we discussed bowling balls and ball reaction and where we wanted to play as a group. George (Kontos, 2001 Regular Team co-champion) understands what it takes to win an eagle and become a team champion, so without the owners encouraging success, it would be very hard to do what we did."
Struck led the group's Team All-Events surge with a 2,023 all-events total and was followed by Ron Davis (1,941), Robert Flaws (1,940), Michael Dugan (1,869) and Dennis Campbell (1,829). Flaws also competed at less than 100 percent because of an injured knee that required a cortisone shot before traveling to Reno, while Dugan stepped in at the last minute for a regular team member who couldn't make the trip.
"Right now, this is awesome," said Struck, whose best all-events total is 2,118, which he rolled at the 2002 event in Billings, Mont. "This is the biggest tournament of the year. This is what you bowl for. We spent months preparing and discussing what we wanted to do, and to come out and do it is awesome."
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado and Silver Legacy Hotel/Casinos in Reno, Nev. 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.
Despite a stomach virus that kept him in bed since arriving in Reno, Struck turned in the second-best performance of his 16-year Open Championships career and helped Bluebird Lanes of Orland Park into the top spot in Regular Team and Team All-Events at the National Bowling Stadium.
Bluebird Lanes started slowly with a split-filled 903 opening game, but recovered with games of 1,123 and 1,096 and moved into the team lead with a 3,122 total Thursday. Central Saw & Mower previously held the lead with 3,081.
The Bluebird Lanes bowlers continued striking during doubles and singles and raised the bar in Team All-Events with a 9,602 effort Friday. Bowlers Junction of Hemet, Calif., previously held the lead with 9,214. Team All-Events includes the all-events totals of all five team members.
"We came in with a plan and knew what we wanted to do from the start," said Struck, a 41-year-old right-hander who is one of just 19 bowlers to record two perfect games in Open Championships competition. "We try to get guys together who have similar games and can do similar things. We started around boards six, seven and eight and gradually moved left to about boards 15 and 16. Our communication was very good."
The team's successful communication can be attributed to a dozen years together at the Open Championships and more than 25 years in events across the Chicago area. They also had the opportunity to practice together on the tournament pattern twice a week at Bluebird Lanes and nearby Town and Country Lanes.
"The owners at both centers were gracious enough to put out the pattern, and we practiced on it about twice a week since it became available," Struck said. "From there, we discussed bowling balls and ball reaction and where we wanted to play as a group. George (Kontos, 2001 Regular Team co-champion) understands what it takes to win an eagle and become a team champion, so without the owners encouraging success, it would be very hard to do what we did."
Struck led the group's Team All-Events surge with a 2,023 all-events total and was followed by Ron Davis (1,941), Robert Flaws (1,940), Michael Dugan (1,869) and Dennis Campbell (1,829). Flaws also competed at less than 100 percent because of an injured knee that required a cortisone shot before traveling to Reno, while Dugan stepped in at the last minute for a regular team member who couldn't make the trip.
"Right now, this is awesome," said Struck, whose best all-events total is 2,118, which he rolled at the 2002 event in Billings, Mont. "This is the biggest tournament of the year. This is what you bowl for. We spent months preparing and discussing what we wanted to do, and to come out and do it is awesome."
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado and Silver Legacy Hotel/Casinos in Reno, Nev. 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.