Nevada bowler reaches milestone at 2018 USBC Open Championships
March 26, 2018
By Fran Piraino
USBC Communications
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Susan Martin never intended to be a trailblazer when she bowled in her first United States Bowling Congress Open Championships in 1994.
Yet, the 61-year-old right-hander from Reno, Nevada, recorded a special milestone recently by becoming the first female in tournament history to record 25 appearances on the championship lanes.
As she approached her 25th USBC Open Championships, Martin took the steps necessary to make sure she was on the first squad of the year when it was time to make the memorable march to the lanes, and that happened Saturday at the Oncenter Convention Center, where she helped kick off the 2018 event.
"This is exciting," Martin said. "I've wanted to accomplish certain things in my bowling career, and this is one of them. To get to 25 years, and be the first woman to do it, is pretty remarkable."
Originally called the American Bowling Congress Championships Tournament, the event was male-only from its inception in 1901, until ABC opened its membership to women in 1994. That included participating in the national tournament for the first time.
Martin made her tournament debut that year in Mobile, Alabama, and bowled in doubles and singles as a substitute, replacing a bowler who fractured his wrist.
She does recall that a few male competitors were not initially receptive of women bowling in the Open Championships.
"I heard some remarks, especially because I wore a skirt to bowl," said Martin, a past state doubles champion in Tennessee and Nevada. "At the time, there was a lot of controversy about women being allowed to bowl."
Martin was among a handful of women to compete in the 1994 event. Mary Hammack of Grand Bay, Alabama, had the distinction of being the first female competitor.
"At first, some men were OK with it, or they hated it," Martin said. "Eventually, over the years, things gradually changed. Now, it's no big deal, and women are welcomed. The way I see it is we are all bowlers, and we're all a part of the same community."
Being a part of the Open Championships is something Martin looks forward to each year.
She usually bowls in April or May but moved up her reservation to opening night to ensure she would be the first female to earn a 25-year plaque, which will hang on a wall at her home with her other bowling awards.
Martin rolled a 463 series in team this year and followed it with 450 in doubles (with her husband Dave) and 387 in singles. Her career tournament average stands at 166.
"Of course, you want to bowl well, but that's not the main reason I'm here," Martin said. "I get excited to see all the bowlers here. To see all the different bowlers, from the young kids out of high school to the ones who have been here for 50 years, that's what I enjoy most."
Martin is heavily invested in grooming the next generation of bowlers. For the past 12 years, she has worked with high school bowlers attending Northern Nevada schools as the director of the High Desert Interscholastic Bowling Program. Martin also is the proud mother of two daughters who are bowlers, Katie and Laura.
"Working with the kids is important to me," Martin said. "They are the future of the sport."
Eight other women are scheduled to reach the 25-year plateau in 2018 - Rayetta Dominguez of Grove, Oklahoma; Clyde Feagin of De Kalb, Texas; Shirley Gordon of Cumberland Foreside, Maine; Tisha Haynes of Las Vegas; Marleen Huikko of Buffalo, Minnesota; Leslie Rainville of Pacifica, California; Kathie Tekavec of Leadville, Colorado; and Carolyn Wing of Pacifica, California.
Dominguez made history in 1994 as the first female champion at the Open Championships, helping Canterbury Lanes 1 to the Booster Team title, while Gordon is part of a family legacy - her husband Fred has made 52 tournament appearances, and their son Scott has logged a dozen.
USBC Communications
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Susan Martin never intended to be a trailblazer when she bowled in her first United States Bowling Congress Open Championships in 1994.
Yet, the 61-year-old right-hander from Reno, Nevada, recorded a special milestone recently by becoming the first female in tournament history to record 25 appearances on the championship lanes.
As she approached her 25th USBC Open Championships, Martin took the steps necessary to make sure she was on the first squad of the year when it was time to make the memorable march to the lanes, and that happened Saturday at the Oncenter Convention Center, where she helped kick off the 2018 event.
"This is exciting," Martin said. "I've wanted to accomplish certain things in my bowling career, and this is one of them. To get to 25 years, and be the first woman to do it, is pretty remarkable."
Originally called the American Bowling Congress Championships Tournament, the event was male-only from its inception in 1901, until ABC opened its membership to women in 1994. That included participating in the national tournament for the first time.
Martin made her tournament debut that year in Mobile, Alabama, and bowled in doubles and singles as a substitute, replacing a bowler who fractured his wrist.
She does recall that a few male competitors were not initially receptive of women bowling in the Open Championships.
"I heard some remarks, especially because I wore a skirt to bowl," said Martin, a past state doubles champion in Tennessee and Nevada. "At the time, there was a lot of controversy about women being allowed to bowl."
Martin was among a handful of women to compete in the 1994 event. Mary Hammack of Grand Bay, Alabama, had the distinction of being the first female competitor.
"At first, some men were OK with it, or they hated it," Martin said. "Eventually, over the years, things gradually changed. Now, it's no big deal, and women are welcomed. The way I see it is we are all bowlers, and we're all a part of the same community."
Being a part of the Open Championships is something Martin looks forward to each year.
She usually bowls in April or May but moved up her reservation to opening night to ensure she would be the first female to earn a 25-year plaque, which will hang on a wall at her home with her other bowling awards.
Martin rolled a 463 series in team this year and followed it with 450 in doubles (with her husband Dave) and 387 in singles. Her career tournament average stands at 166. "Of course, you want to bowl well, but that's not the main reason I'm here," Martin said. "I get excited to see all the bowlers here. To see all the different bowlers, from the young kids out of high school to the ones who have been here for 50 years, that's what I enjoy most."
Martin is heavily invested in grooming the next generation of bowlers. For the past 12 years, she has worked with high school bowlers attending Northern Nevada schools as the director of the High Desert Interscholastic Bowling Program. Martin also is the proud mother of two daughters who are bowlers, Katie and Laura.
"Working with the kids is important to me," Martin said. "They are the future of the sport."
Eight other women are scheduled to reach the 25-year plateau in 2018 - Rayetta Dominguez of Grove, Oklahoma; Clyde Feagin of De Kalb, Texas; Shirley Gordon of Cumberland Foreside, Maine; Tisha Haynes of Las Vegas; Marleen Huikko of Buffalo, Minnesota; Leslie Rainville of Pacifica, California; Kathie Tekavec of Leadville, Colorado; and Carolyn Wing of Pacifica, California.
Dominguez made history in 1994 as the first female champion at the Open Championships, helping Canterbury Lanes 1 to the Booster Team title, while Gordon is part of a family legacy - her husband Fred has made 52 tournament appearances, and their son Scott has logged a dozen.