Scores on the rise at 2017 Bowlers Journal Championships
March 22, 2017
By Matt Cannizzaro and Aaron Smith
USBC Communications
LAS VEGAS - Winter is over, and the temperature isn't the only thing heating up in Las Vegas.
Scores at the Bowlers Journal Championships presented by USBC are on the rise as well, as competitors logged the first two honor scores of the 2017 event this week at the South Point Bowling Center.
Casey Shephard of Portage, Michigan, flirted with perfection Sunday on the way to an 827 series, while former Junior Team USA member Kyle Sherman of O'Fallon, Missouri, was able to finish off the first 300 of the event Wednesday afternoon.
As a temporary Las Vegas resident, Shephard was available and willing to lace up his bowling shoes when his best friend Andrew Klingler of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was in town to compete in the 2017 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
With Klingler's bowling and travel schedule and Shephard's work schedule, the two took advantage of the 10 p.m. squad at the Bowlers Journal Championship, which is being held in conjunction with the USBC Open Championships for the 71st year, and found their way to the top of the standings in Open Doubles.
Shephard's decision to drill a new bowling ball right before the squad worked to both his advantage and disadvantage.
The 23-year-old right-hander wasn't sure how the ball was going to roll, so he decided only to enter doubles, despite having the opportunity to enter singles at the same time and use the three-game series for both events at once.
His decision was reinforced when he didn't have a good look in practice, but a change in hand position just before competition started changed everything for the better.
Shephard went on to shoot games of 269, 299 and 259 for an 827 series, the first 800 at the Bowlers Journal Championships since 2014, and that catapulted him and Klingler into the lead with a 1,483 doubles total. Klingler, a left-hander, contributed games of 180, 234 and 242 for a 656 series.
Matthew Anderson of Las Vegas and Eric Hatchett of Henderson, Nevada, previously held the lead with 1,368.
"When I bowl with Drew, I'm just bowling with my best friend and having a good time," said Shephard, who made his second appearance at the Bowlers Journal Championships. "When he didn't start off as well, I was hoping he didn't feel bad or feel any extra pressure. I knew I had a great look, and if he could just get something going, we'd have a great chance."
Even as the strikes piled up Sunday at the South Point Bowling Center, Shephard said he didn't feel any added pressure either. He attributes his calm demeanor on the lanes to past teammates and coaches who have helped him get into the right mindset when he competes and advised him to keep his emotions under control, while also focusing on just the shot he's about to throw.
"I don't really get nervous when I bowl, and that's partially because I've done it all my life, and because I've bowled with some great teammates who have influenced me quite a bit," said Shephard, who left a 9 pin to end his bid for the first perfect game of the 2017 Bowlers Journal Championships. "I was ecstatic with the whole night. When I was still on pace for 868 through six frames the last game, I thought it was awesome. I mean, it's the Bowlers Journal Championships."
Another key to success for Shephard and Klingler was their familiarity with each other's games, since they often practice or bowl in tournaments together at home in Michigan, a relationship that encompasses seven or eight years.
And, even though they bowl on opposite sides of the lane, they communicate well and know what suggestions to make when things aren't going as well.
Following the big night, Shephard was the talk of the bowling community, both for his big set and for the fact that he did not take advantage of the Dual Entry option at the Bowlers Journal and enter singles at the same time.
However, it wasn't the first time he tried his skills at the Bowlers Journal Championships in 2017, and not the first time he'd only entered one or the other, citing confidence in a particular piece of equipment or general comfort on the lanes as deciding factors in not using that set for both events.
Competitors at the 2017 Bowlers Journal Championships are able to compete eight times in each event they are eligible.
"It does feel awesome to be leading doubles, but it's also bittersweet because I wasn't entered in singles as well," said Shephard, who had back-to-back top 10 finishes at the Junior Gold Championships in 2012 and 2013. "I've never been in a position like this before, where I have to wait out the lead, but it's exciting. For now, I'll just try to improve on my number, and hopefully do it in singles, too. No matter what, I am confident the waiting game will be torture."
Sherman, also a 23-year-old right-hander, made his own run at the top of the standings, settling into second place in the Open Singles standings and taking over the lead in the Dual Entry standings after adding bookends of 227 and 236 around his perfect game for a 763 series. Matthew O'Grady of Rahway, New Jersey, leads Open Singles with 770, while Zack Hattori of Henderson, Nevada, led Dual Entry with 744.
A recent collegiate standout at Lindenwood University, Sherman paired with collegiate teammate Ronnie Fujita of El Sobrante, California, to move into second place in Open Doubles with a 1,389 total. Fujita, also a former Junior Team USA member, added games of 190, 213 and 223 for a 626 series.
"The game plan was to stay as far right as possible," said Sherman, who will make his third Open Championships appearance Thursday. "It seemed like there was a little bit of friction out there. I threw urethane, and it looked good in practice, so I stuck with it and hit some good pairs along the way."
Sherman relied on that same friction on his final shot to also secure part of the tournament's High Game Jackpot, which offers a prize-fund-style payout to the event's top performers.
"It got way right, and I thought it was a washout off my hand," Sherman said. "I knew there was friction but didn't think there was that much. I was fortunate enough that someone was looking over me, and it came back. It's pretty exciting to roll one at this event."
The information gathered from competing on the same lane condition used for doubles and singles at the Open Championships hopefully will play a role for Sherman and his teammates, a group of current and former collegiate players, as they try to leave their marks on the top of the standings at the Open Championships, being held nearby at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
"Even though it was at a different center, which will always have different lane characteristics, this is absolutely useful," Sherman said. "There are so many different angles to play a pattern, so to be able to narrow it down and find a good place to start is a huge advantage."
The Bowlers Journal Championships and Open Championships both will run daily until mid-July.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.
USBC Communications
LAS VEGAS - Winter is over, and the temperature isn't the only thing heating up in Las Vegas.
Scores at the Bowlers Journal Championships presented by USBC are on the rise as well, as competitors logged the first two honor scores of the 2017 event this week at the South Point Bowling Center.
Casey Shephard of Portage, Michigan, flirted with perfection Sunday on the way to an 827 series, while former Junior Team USA member Kyle Sherman of O'Fallon, Missouri, was able to finish off the first 300 of the event Wednesday afternoon.
As a temporary Las Vegas resident, Shephard was available and willing to lace up his bowling shoes when his best friend Andrew Klingler of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was in town to compete in the 2017 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
With Klingler's bowling and travel schedule and Shephard's work schedule, the two took advantage of the 10 p.m. squad at the Bowlers Journal Championship, which is being held in conjunction with the USBC Open Championships for the 71st year, and found their way to the top of the standings in Open Doubles.
Shephard's decision to drill a new bowling ball right before the squad worked to both his advantage and disadvantage.
The 23-year-old right-hander wasn't sure how the ball was going to roll, so he decided only to enter doubles, despite having the opportunity to enter singles at the same time and use the three-game series for both events at once.
His decision was reinforced when he didn't have a good look in practice, but a change in hand position just before competition started changed everything for the better.
Shephard went on to shoot games of 269, 299 and 259 for an 827 series, the first 800 at the Bowlers Journal Championships since 2014, and that catapulted him and Klingler into the lead with a 1,483 doubles total. Klingler, a left-hander, contributed games of 180, 234 and 242 for a 656 series.
Matthew Anderson of Las Vegas and Eric Hatchett of Henderson, Nevada, previously held the lead with 1,368.
"When I bowl with Drew, I'm just bowling with my best friend and having a good time," said Shephard, who made his second appearance at the Bowlers Journal Championships. "When he didn't start off as well, I was hoping he didn't feel bad or feel any extra pressure. I knew I had a great look, and if he could just get something going, we'd have a great chance."
Even as the strikes piled up Sunday at the South Point Bowling Center, Shephard said he didn't feel any added pressure either. He attributes his calm demeanor on the lanes to past teammates and coaches who have helped him get into the right mindset when he competes and advised him to keep his emotions under control, while also focusing on just the shot he's about to throw.
"I don't really get nervous when I bowl, and that's partially because I've done it all my life, and because I've bowled with some great teammates who have influenced me quite a bit," said Shephard, who left a 9 pin to end his bid for the first perfect game of the 2017 Bowlers Journal Championships. "I was ecstatic with the whole night. When I was still on pace for 868 through six frames the last game, I thought it was awesome. I mean, it's the Bowlers Journal Championships."
Another key to success for Shephard and Klingler was their familiarity with each other's games, since they often practice or bowl in tournaments together at home in Michigan, a relationship that encompasses seven or eight years.
And, even though they bowl on opposite sides of the lane, they communicate well and know what suggestions to make when things aren't going as well.
Following the big night, Shephard was the talk of the bowling community, both for his big set and for the fact that he did not take advantage of the Dual Entry option at the Bowlers Journal and enter singles at the same time.
However, it wasn't the first time he tried his skills at the Bowlers Journal Championships in 2017, and not the first time he'd only entered one or the other, citing confidence in a particular piece of equipment or general comfort on the lanes as deciding factors in not using that set for both events.
Competitors at the 2017 Bowlers Journal Championships are able to compete eight times in each event they are eligible.
"It does feel awesome to be leading doubles, but it's also bittersweet because I wasn't entered in singles as well," said Shephard, who had back-to-back top 10 finishes at the Junior Gold Championships in 2012 and 2013. "I've never been in a position like this before, where I have to wait out the lead, but it's exciting. For now, I'll just try to improve on my number, and hopefully do it in singles, too. No matter what, I am confident the waiting game will be torture."
Sherman, also a 23-year-old right-hander, made his own run at the top of the standings, settling into second place in the Open Singles standings and taking over the lead in the Dual Entry standings after adding bookends of 227 and 236 around his perfect game for a 763 series. Matthew O'Grady of Rahway, New Jersey, leads Open Singles with 770, while Zack Hattori of Henderson, Nevada, led Dual Entry with 744.A recent collegiate standout at Lindenwood University, Sherman paired with collegiate teammate Ronnie Fujita of El Sobrante, California, to move into second place in Open Doubles with a 1,389 total. Fujita, also a former Junior Team USA member, added games of 190, 213 and 223 for a 626 series.
"The game plan was to stay as far right as possible," said Sherman, who will make his third Open Championships appearance Thursday. "It seemed like there was a little bit of friction out there. I threw urethane, and it looked good in practice, so I stuck with it and hit some good pairs along the way."
Sherman relied on that same friction on his final shot to also secure part of the tournament's High Game Jackpot, which offers a prize-fund-style payout to the event's top performers.
"It got way right, and I thought it was a washout off my hand," Sherman said. "I knew there was friction but didn't think there was that much. I was fortunate enough that someone was looking over me, and it came back. It's pretty exciting to roll one at this event."
The information gathered from competing on the same lane condition used for doubles and singles at the Open Championships hopefully will play a role for Sherman and his teammates, a group of current and former collegiate players, as they try to leave their marks on the top of the standings at the Open Championships, being held nearby at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
"Even though it was at a different center, which will always have different lane characteristics, this is absolutely useful," Sherman said. "There are so many different angles to play a pattern, so to be able to narrow it down and find a good place to start is a huge advantage."
The Bowlers Journal Championships and Open Championships both will run daily until mid-July.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.