Missouri bowler celebrates 50 years at USBC Open Championships
April 27, 2010
RENO, Nev. - In 1955, Clancy Mueller of St. Charles, Mo., and his high school teammates piled into a car and headed to Fort Wayne, Ind., for the USBC Open Championships.
They were the young hotshots in their local scratch league and wanted to try their luck against thousands of bowlers on the sport's biggest stage. Mueller had such a terrific experience that he's been back to the Open Championships 49 times since.
The 73-year-old right-hander has enjoyed one milestone after another on the tournament lanes and celebrated the crowning moment of his career as he became the 126th bowler in tournament history to compete in the event 50 times. Mueller made his milestone march at the National Bowling Stadium on Monday night.
"The first tournament I went to was terrific, and that's why I've now been to 50," Mueller said. "I started thinking about 50 last year in Las Vegas, and it's actually been on my mind a lot. It's a pretty big deal for me."
This year, Mueller was joined in Reno by his wife, Joann, and their daughters, Linda and Terri. They haven't been to the tournament as a family since the early 1970s, but used the special occasion as an excuse for a family vacation, which included a trip around Lake Tahoe.
Mueller's participation in the Open Championships has taken him all over the country, and through bowling and recreational travel, he has been to all 50 states. He's still energetic and fiercely competitive and has high expectations on the lanes.
"I've had some really good years, and some really bad ones, but I love to bowl, and that's why I keep coming back," said Mueller, who spent nearly 30 years as an air supervisor for UPS until he retired in 1995. "It's a relief to get off a wall shot and see how good or bad you are. I used to be a pretty fair bowler, but now, I'm just a fellow who likes to bowl."
Now that his days are free, Mueller bowls up to 30 games each week between his three leagues and practice, and he also finds time for tournaments.
Hours before he was scheduled to make his 50th march down Center Aisle, Mueller was at a local bowling center rolling a few games just to get loose and comfortable.
Even though he knew what to expect as the man of the hour Monday, Mueller was more nervous than he's ever been at the Open Championships. He'd seen other bowlers celebrate milestones, but didn't realize how overwhelming it would be.
"I was more nervous than I was at my first tournament, but the presentation was so special," said Mueller, who received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate his achievement. "As corny as it may sound, I loved every minute of it. The closer it got, the more nervous I got. All eyes were on me, and for a minute, it felt like the time I had 11 in a row here. The place practically shut down to watch me. Overall, though, it was a truly special night tonight."
Among his top Open Championships memories are his first 1,800 all-events total (1,858 at the 1959 event in St. Louis), his first 1,900 (1,914 at the 1963 tournament in Buffalo, N.Y.) and the 298 game he rolled on the way to a career-high all-events effort (1,927) in Billings, Mont., in 2002. He also has a pair of memorable 279 games on the championship lanes.
"There were a lot of great moments over the years, and there seems to be no limit to it," said Mueller, who is particularly proud of his Missouri State Match Games title in 1960. "To start off the way I did in team this year feels pretty good, and the possibility of shooting 1,800, or even 1,900, at my age is amazing. I'd also love another crack at 300 here."
Mueller started his 2010 tournament campaign with a 617 series in team and added 642 in doubles and 607 in singles for a 1,866 all-events total Tuesday. It was his best performance since shooting 1,836 at the 2003 tournament in Knoxville, Tenn., and just the second time in his career that he shot 600 or better in all three events.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. 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.
They were the young hotshots in their local scratch league and wanted to try their luck against thousands of bowlers on the sport's biggest stage. Mueller had such a terrific experience that he's been back to the Open Championships 49 times since.
The 73-year-old right-hander has enjoyed one milestone after another on the tournament lanes and celebrated the crowning moment of his career as he became the 126th bowler in tournament history to compete in the event 50 times. Mueller made his milestone march at the National Bowling Stadium on Monday night.
"The first tournament I went to was terrific, and that's why I've now been to 50," Mueller said. "I started thinking about 50 last year in Las Vegas, and it's actually been on my mind a lot. It's a pretty big deal for me."
This year, Mueller was joined in Reno by his wife, Joann, and their daughters, Linda and Terri. They haven't been to the tournament as a family since the early 1970s, but used the special occasion as an excuse for a family vacation, which included a trip around Lake Tahoe.
Mueller's participation in the Open Championships has taken him all over the country, and through bowling and recreational travel, he has been to all 50 states. He's still energetic and fiercely competitive and has high expectations on the lanes.
"I've had some really good years, and some really bad ones, but I love to bowl, and that's why I keep coming back," said Mueller, who spent nearly 30 years as an air supervisor for UPS until he retired in 1995. "It's a relief to get off a wall shot and see how good or bad you are. I used to be a pretty fair bowler, but now, I'm just a fellow who likes to bowl."
Now that his days are free, Mueller bowls up to 30 games each week between his three leagues and practice, and he also finds time for tournaments.
Hours before he was scheduled to make his 50th march down Center Aisle, Mueller was at a local bowling center rolling a few games just to get loose and comfortable.
Even though he knew what to expect as the man of the hour Monday, Mueller was more nervous than he's ever been at the Open Championships. He'd seen other bowlers celebrate milestones, but didn't realize how overwhelming it would be.
"I was more nervous than I was at my first tournament, but the presentation was so special," said Mueller, who received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate his achievement. "As corny as it may sound, I loved every minute of it. The closer it got, the more nervous I got. All eyes were on me, and for a minute, it felt like the time I had 11 in a row here. The place practically shut down to watch me. Overall, though, it was a truly special night tonight."
Among his top Open Championships memories are his first 1,800 all-events total (1,858 at the 1959 event in St. Louis), his first 1,900 (1,914 at the 1963 tournament in Buffalo, N.Y.) and the 298 game he rolled on the way to a career-high all-events effort (1,927) in Billings, Mont., in 2002. He also has a pair of memorable 279 games on the championship lanes.
"There were a lot of great moments over the years, and there seems to be no limit to it," said Mueller, who is particularly proud of his Missouri State Match Games title in 1960. "To start off the way I did in team this year feels pretty good, and the possibility of shooting 1,800, or even 1,900, at my age is amazing. I'd also love another crack at 300 here."
Mueller started his 2010 tournament campaign with a 617 series in team and added 642 in doubles and 607 in singles for a 1,866 all-events total Tuesday. It was his best performance since shooting 1,836 at the 2003 tournament in Knoxville, Tenn., and just the second time in his career that he shot 600 or better in all three events.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. 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.