Past champion returns to lead at 2025 USBC Open Championships
March 28, 2025
BATON ROUGE, La. – In June of 2007, Jesse Smyle of Bowman, North Dakota, and his father, Frank, made their run to the lead in Classified Doubles at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, taking over the top spot at the National Bowling Stadium with a 1,287 total.
That score held on for the rest of the event, allowing the father-and-son team to claim the title in Reno, Nevada.
This week – nearly 18 years later – Jesse made his 16th tournament appearance and was able to power his way to the top of the leaderboard once again, taking the lead in Classified All-Events on Thursday at the Raising Cane’s River Center with a 1,645 total.
The 54-year-old right-hander started his team event Wednesday with 257 on the way to a 628 series, and he added 509 in singles and 508 in doubles to sneak into the top spot by seven pins. Arjay Dizon of Vacaville, California, previously led with 1,638.
Needing a mark in his final frame to have the chance to take the lead, Smyle left the 2-5 combination. He got his ball to the left of 2 pin on the spare attempt to have it connect with the 5 and delivered a strike on his fill ball to secure the lead.
Smyle has been putting in a lot of time to learn more about his game and equipment in recent years, and he also credits switching to Motiv for his bowling balls as a driving force.
“It’s been a lot of hard work, and I changed all of my equipment to Motiv a year ago,” Smyle said. “I talked to the Motiv guys here, and they helped me get lined up and gave me some ideas. I think Motiv matches up with me because of my higher ball speed.
“I’ve done a lot of homework, too. I’ve been trying to study lane conditions, RGs and differentials, transition and more to all help with my game.”
He admitted to not being happy with his recent performances at the USBC Open Championships, and the extra time he’s been putting on the lanes – even this week in Baton Rouge – is paying off.
“I haven’t liked the results,” said Smyle, who also helped coordinate eight teams this year in Baton Rouge. “The last three years, we’ve come to town early to bowl the Bowlers Journal (Championships) and BTM (Bowling This Month), since we don’t have the opportunity to bowl on Sport shots at home.
“We bowled one time at All Star Lanes for the BTM, and it was tough. I bowled the Bowlers Journal seven times, and I only had one series over 500. That shot was extremely difficult, so I told myself coming into today that I’d be happy if I shot 500. I had two of them – barely. We bowl those just to get more experience on Sport shots and get reps. In the last three years, I’ve bowled a lot of games on Sport patterns to try and get better for this event.”
Smyle was unaware of the leading score in all-events as he made his way toward the top number, but he now starts a familiar wait to see how his score stacks up against the competition in 2025.
Although his father didn’t join him in Baton Rouge this year, Smyle knew he would be proud to hear the good news.
Frank and Jesse Smyle at the 2007 USBC Open Championships in Reno, Nevada.
“In 2007, we bowled the 11:30 shift at night and all my aunts and uncles were there,” Smyle said. “My wife was in town, too, but she was at the hotel with our kids. I got rolling and had a perfect game going before throwing a gutter ball on the first shot in the 10th. I spared it and got an eight count. I finished with 698, which is the highest series I’ve ever had. I felt really good about where we were at, but even if we didn’t win it, it was fun. I checked every week and followed it until the end.
“I’m very happy with my performance and the work I’ve put in to get here. My dad gave up bowling a few years back, but he’ll be the first one I call when I walk out of here. It’ll be great to tell him I’m in the lead again.”
Classified All-Events features bowlers with entering averages of 155 and below.
The Open Championships is celebrating its third trip to Baton Rouge in 2025 and scheduled to feature more than 58,000 bowlers and 11,600 five-player teams competing across 150 consecutive days at the River Center.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
That score held on for the rest of the event, allowing the father-and-son team to claim the title in Reno, Nevada.
This week – nearly 18 years later – Jesse made his 16th tournament appearance and was able to power his way to the top of the leaderboard once again, taking the lead in Classified All-Events on Thursday at the Raising Cane’s River Center with a 1,645 total.
The 54-year-old right-hander started his team event Wednesday with 257 on the way to a 628 series, and he added 509 in singles and 508 in doubles to sneak into the top spot by seven pins. Arjay Dizon of Vacaville, California, previously led with 1,638.
Needing a mark in his final frame to have the chance to take the lead, Smyle left the 2-5 combination. He got his ball to the left of 2 pin on the spare attempt to have it connect with the 5 and delivered a strike on his fill ball to secure the lead.
Smyle has been putting in a lot of time to learn more about his game and equipment in recent years, and he also credits switching to Motiv for his bowling balls as a driving force.
“It’s been a lot of hard work, and I changed all of my equipment to Motiv a year ago,” Smyle said. “I talked to the Motiv guys here, and they helped me get lined up and gave me some ideas. I think Motiv matches up with me because of my higher ball speed.
“I’ve done a lot of homework, too. I’ve been trying to study lane conditions, RGs and differentials, transition and more to all help with my game.”
He admitted to not being happy with his recent performances at the USBC Open Championships, and the extra time he’s been putting on the lanes – even this week in Baton Rouge – is paying off.
“I haven’t liked the results,” said Smyle, who also helped coordinate eight teams this year in Baton Rouge. “The last three years, we’ve come to town early to bowl the Bowlers Journal (Championships) and BTM (Bowling This Month), since we don’t have the opportunity to bowl on Sport shots at home.
“We bowled one time at All Star Lanes for the BTM, and it was tough. I bowled the Bowlers Journal seven times, and I only had one series over 500. That shot was extremely difficult, so I told myself coming into today that I’d be happy if I shot 500. I had two of them – barely. We bowl those just to get more experience on Sport shots and get reps. In the last three years, I’ve bowled a lot of games on Sport patterns to try and get better for this event.”
Smyle was unaware of the leading score in all-events as he made his way toward the top number, but he now starts a familiar wait to see how his score stacks up against the competition in 2025.
Although his father didn’t join him in Baton Rouge this year, Smyle knew he would be proud to hear the good news.
Frank and Jesse Smyle at the 2007 USBC Open Championships in Reno, Nevada.
“In 2007, we bowled the 11:30 shift at night and all my aunts and uncles were there,” Smyle said. “My wife was in town, too, but she was at the hotel with our kids. I got rolling and had a perfect game going before throwing a gutter ball on the first shot in the 10th. I spared it and got an eight count. I finished with 698, which is the highest series I’ve ever had. I felt really good about where we were at, but even if we didn’t win it, it was fun. I checked every week and followed it until the end.
“I’m very happy with my performance and the work I’ve put in to get here. My dad gave up bowling a few years back, but he’ll be the first one I call when I walk out of here. It’ll be great to tell him I’m in the lead again.”
Classified All-Events features bowlers with entering averages of 155 and below.
The Open Championships is celebrating its third trip to Baton Rouge in 2025 and scheduled to feature more than 58,000 bowlers and 11,600 five-player teams competing across 150 consecutive days at the River Center.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.