Iowa bowlers raise bar in Standard Team at 2021 USBC Open Championships
May 06, 2021
LAS VEGAS - Jerod Arrowood of Milford, Iowa, said life recently has taken him in a direction that does not include bowling in a league this season, but he didn't want to miss the 2021 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships and the chance to reunite with friends and teammates.
The break proved to be as good for his bowling game as it has been for his daily outlook, and he was able to lead Seven Pin Pro Shop 3 of Omaha, Nebraska, to the top of the Standard Team standings Thursday at the South Point Bowling Plaza.Arrowood turned in the best set of his six appearances on the tournament lanes, and his 661 series helped the team to games of 905, 1,050 and 949 for a 2,904 total. He was joined on the lanes by Doug Brummel (591), Douglas Cunningham (571), Shane Stanley (569) and Joel Wassom (512).
RPM 1 of South Elgin, Illinois, previously held the lead with 2,814. Standard Team includes teams with combined entering averages of 776-875.
"Normally, when you're bowling league and come to a big tournament, you're thinking about 30 different things," Arrowood said. "But, when you're not bowling, you're just thinking about the fundamentals and only worrying about a couple of things, like timing and keeping your eye on your mark."
Seven Pin Pro Shop 3 is part of a group that traditionally includes 8-12 teams, organized by Nebraska's Scott Sullinger.
For Arrowood, it is that energic group, plus the storied history and tradition of the USBC Open Championships, that motivated him to make sure the tournament was on his calendar this year.
"For me, it's because I started a long time ago, and the tradition is where it is for me," Arrowood said. "You come with a bunch of people you don't see all the time, or may never see, and it's just about the tradition of it all and all having a good time together. Winning would be surreal. Every time I come here and just look at the banners, I know what a special thing it is."
Thursday's team performance also provided some sentimentality for Cunningham, who made his 43rd appearance at the Open Championships.
He joked that technically, he has gotten his picture taken 42 previous times at the tournament, but this one was pretty special, since it was headed for the news page on BOWL.com.
"The tournaments all are memorable, but they're different in their own way," Cunningham said. "You've just got to make the adjustments and hope, and today things just fell right."
The 79-day run of the 2021 Open Championships began May 1, and the tournament will conclude July 18.
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