Kansas bowler makes 50th appearance at USBC Open Championships
April 23, 2024
LAS VEGAS – Great friends make for a great experience, and Rick Schroer of Wichita, Kansas, has enjoyed his journey on the lanes at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships on the way to 50 consecutive tournament appearances.
The 76-year-old made his milestone appearance at the 2024 tournament Thursday, and all 50 of his trips to compete at the event have been alongside a longtime friend and teammate – Dwight Henry of Wichita.
Henry, who made his 54th tournament appearance, helped to welcome Schroer to the 50-Year Club by joining him on his march to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza, where he received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to recognize his dedication and longevity.
The two started bowling leagues together in the late 1960s, and Henry was the one who helped Schroer make his tournament debut during the 1974 event in Indianapolis.
“We started bowling together in 1969 when I came back from overseas,” Schroer said. “We’ve bowled league together every year since, and he’s bowled the last 50 in a row with me. He’s the one who talked me into bowling nationals. I walked out with him for his 50th tournament, and we’ve made a lot of memories.”
After that first trip in 1974, Schroer knew he wanted to make the tournament an annual occurrence for the chance to compete and see the country.
“It was just the place to be,” Schroer said. “It’s the best tournament there is, and the trips you took allowed you to go to cities in all four corners of the United States. Add it all together, and it made for a great trip and a lot of fun.
“In the back of your mind, you don’t plan for 50, but I just planned to go every year. Health wise, I’ve been able to go, and now I’m aiming at 55, 60. It’s been special.”
On the lanes, he also was hooked after his team took over fourth place at the 1975 event in Dayton, Ohio. They finished the year in 13th, and it marked one of two years the team finished in 13th place (1985).
“We went into fourth place in Dayton and stayed there all the way through until the last week or two,” said Schroer, a member of the Great Plains USBC Hall of Fame. “It was Masters week, and all the pros came in. We went down to 13th, but it was a pretty big deal for us. We have several finishes that were pretty good.”
Off the lanes, his favorite host city to visit was Niagara Falls, New York, but Schroer enjoyed a little bit of every place he traveled to over the years.
“When we were in Niagara Falls, it was cold,” Schroer said. “When we went to the falls and around all that, everything had a solid coat of ice on it and was absolutely beautiful. After we bowled there, we jumped on a plane to New York City. We ate on top of the 107th floor of the World Trade Center and all that neat stuff. That was probably the best trip, but we had a lot of good trips. I really enjoyed Billings, Montana. You can see why it’s Big Sky Country.”
Schroer found his passion for the sport after picking up a job at a local bowling center, and like many bowlers, he dreamed of owning a center.
He turned that dream into a reality at Wichita’s Rose Bowl East, which he owned for more than 20 years.
“I played every sport in the book, and in high school, I got a job being a clean-up boy in a bowling alley,” Schroer said. “I just loved it, and after that, it was my No. 1 sport. I enjoyed team bowling, league bowling, and I did well at it, too.
“In the back of my mind, one of my goals was to own my own center. I was very fortunate, and a friend of mine was retiring. We worked it out to where I was able to buy it. He gambled on me because I was only 32. I owned Rose Bowl East in Wichita for 23 years, and I sold it 21 years ago.”
During his time at Rose Bowl East, Schroer saw plenty of the big names associated with the Wichita bowling scene make their way through the center to compete, and he also sponsored several professional and amateur bowlers over the years.
He earned his own part in Wichita’s bowling history with his milestone appearance this week at the USBC Open Championships.
“I’m proud of it,” Schroer said. “I think Dwight had checked, and only three of us from Kansas have reached 50 years. It’s something to be proud of, and no one can ever take that away from you. If you love something and accomplish something, it’s all good.”
In his 50th appearance, Schroer finished with sets of 511 in team, 492 in doubles and 417 in singles for a 1,420 all-events total. He now has a career pinfall at the Open Championships of 78,284 for a lifetime average of 185.5.
The 2024 Open Championships got underway Feb. 23 and will run through July 29 at the South Point Bowling Plaza. The tournament is scheduled to feature more than 11,000 teams and 55,000 bowlers making their way to compete in Las Vegas.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
The 76-year-old made his milestone appearance at the 2024 tournament Thursday, and all 50 of his trips to compete at the event have been alongside a longtime friend and teammate – Dwight Henry of Wichita.
Henry, who made his 54th tournament appearance, helped to welcome Schroer to the 50-Year Club by joining him on his march to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza, where he received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to recognize his dedication and longevity.
The two started bowling leagues together in the late 1960s, and Henry was the one who helped Schroer make his tournament debut during the 1974 event in Indianapolis.
“We started bowling together in 1969 when I came back from overseas,” Schroer said. “We’ve bowled league together every year since, and he’s bowled the last 50 in a row with me. He’s the one who talked me into bowling nationals. I walked out with him for his 50th tournament, and we’ve made a lot of memories.”
After that first trip in 1974, Schroer knew he wanted to make the tournament an annual occurrence for the chance to compete and see the country.
“It was just the place to be,” Schroer said. “It’s the best tournament there is, and the trips you took allowed you to go to cities in all four corners of the United States. Add it all together, and it made for a great trip and a lot of fun.
“In the back of your mind, you don’t plan for 50, but I just planned to go every year. Health wise, I’ve been able to go, and now I’m aiming at 55, 60. It’s been special.”
On the lanes, he also was hooked after his team took over fourth place at the 1975 event in Dayton, Ohio. They finished the year in 13th, and it marked one of two years the team finished in 13th place (1985).
“We went into fourth place in Dayton and stayed there all the way through until the last week or two,” said Schroer, a member of the Great Plains USBC Hall of Fame. “It was Masters week, and all the pros came in. We went down to 13th, but it was a pretty big deal for us. We have several finishes that were pretty good.”
Off the lanes, his favorite host city to visit was Niagara Falls, New York, but Schroer enjoyed a little bit of every place he traveled to over the years.
“When we were in Niagara Falls, it was cold,” Schroer said. “When we went to the falls and around all that, everything had a solid coat of ice on it and was absolutely beautiful. After we bowled there, we jumped on a plane to New York City. We ate on top of the 107th floor of the World Trade Center and all that neat stuff. That was probably the best trip, but we had a lot of good trips. I really enjoyed Billings, Montana. You can see why it’s Big Sky Country.”
Schroer found his passion for the sport after picking up a job at a local bowling center, and like many bowlers, he dreamed of owning a center.
He turned that dream into a reality at Wichita’s Rose Bowl East, which he owned for more than 20 years.
“I played every sport in the book, and in high school, I got a job being a clean-up boy in a bowling alley,” Schroer said. “I just loved it, and after that, it was my No. 1 sport. I enjoyed team bowling, league bowling, and I did well at it, too.
“In the back of my mind, one of my goals was to own my own center. I was very fortunate, and a friend of mine was retiring. We worked it out to where I was able to buy it. He gambled on me because I was only 32. I owned Rose Bowl East in Wichita for 23 years, and I sold it 21 years ago.”
During his time at Rose Bowl East, Schroer saw plenty of the big names associated with the Wichita bowling scene make their way through the center to compete, and he also sponsored several professional and amateur bowlers over the years.
He earned his own part in Wichita’s bowling history with his milestone appearance this week at the USBC Open Championships.
“I’m proud of it,” Schroer said. “I think Dwight had checked, and only three of us from Kansas have reached 50 years. It’s something to be proud of, and no one can ever take that away from you. If you love something and accomplish something, it’s all good.”
In his 50th appearance, Schroer finished with sets of 511 in team, 492 in doubles and 417 in singles for a 1,420 all-events total. He now has a career pinfall at the Open Championships of 78,284 for a lifetime average of 185.5.
The 2024 Open Championships got underway Feb. 23 and will run through July 29 at the South Point Bowling Plaza. The tournament is scheduled to feature more than 11,000 teams and 55,000 bowlers making their way to compete in Las Vegas.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.