St. Paul bowler makes 50th consecutive appearance at Open Championships
April 17, 2025
BATON ROUGE, La. – Getting to 50 years at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships not only is an impressive accomplishment within the bowling scene, but it can also double as a major milestone within a competitor’s personal life.
For Craig Miller of St. Paul, Minnesota, participating for 50 years at the tournament has been an exciting experience and gives a new appreciation for life itself.
“You know, this whole thing can happen just so fast, and getting to 50 years here at the tournament felt like it occurred in the blink of an eye,” said Miller, who made his first appearance at the 1975 event in Dayton, Ohio, and celebrated 50 consecutive trips to the event this week at the Raising Cane’s River Center. “This tournament has always been a challenge mixed with a fun vacation thrown in, and I am so glad I have been able to experience this at some point with hundreds of my friends over the years.”
The 72-year-old marched to the lanes Tuesday alongside his son, Nicholas Miller, and received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to celebrate his years of commitment to the tournament.
Miller is not one who particularly enjoys the spotlight on him, but he felt the moment truly sink in as a reality when it was time to march out.
“I am not one to bask in the spotlight with all of the attention, but as you’re walking out past all of the other bowlers clapping and congratulating you, you really start to feel the sense of accomplishment,” Miller said. “For years, you have to be lucky just to get here – by staying healthy, avoiding accidents and just anything else life throws at you. So, I am really grateful to be here in this moment.”
Out of all the years and great memories with his friends on trips to the USBC Open Championships, Miller vividly recalls his highest set at the tournament.
“I can remember when I shot my best all-events set of 1,855 in Salt Lake City (1996), and it was all because I did something out of the box,” said Miller, who had sets of 649 in doubles, 631 in singles and 575 in team that year. “I had this bowling ball that just wasn’t working for me because it didn’t hook enough, but I decided to bring it with to nationals just to have a backup plan. It turns out it was the best ball decision I made, and it worked perfectly that year.”
If Miller can continue his current path in life of health and luck, as he calls it, he plans on continuing to participate at the tournament moving forward.
“I may not bowl like I used to, but I still come out and have fun,” Miller said. “Continuing to bowl with my friends and son really keeps my drive going at the tournament, and I plan on continuing to bowl for as long as I can.”
In his 50th appearance, Miller rolled sets of 430 in team, 511 in doubles and 435 in singles for a 1,376 all-events score, raising his pinfall total at the tournament to 82,079 for a lifetime average of 182.3
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.
For Craig Miller of St. Paul, Minnesota, participating for 50 years at the tournament has been an exciting experience and gives a new appreciation for life itself.
“You know, this whole thing can happen just so fast, and getting to 50 years here at the tournament felt like it occurred in the blink of an eye,” said Miller, who made his first appearance at the 1975 event in Dayton, Ohio, and celebrated 50 consecutive trips to the event this week at the Raising Cane’s River Center. “This tournament has always been a challenge mixed with a fun vacation thrown in, and I am so glad I have been able to experience this at some point with hundreds of my friends over the years.”
The 72-year-old marched to the lanes Tuesday alongside his son, Nicholas Miller, and received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to celebrate his years of commitment to the tournament.
Miller is not one who particularly enjoys the spotlight on him, but he felt the moment truly sink in as a reality when it was time to march out.
“I am not one to bask in the spotlight with all of the attention, but as you’re walking out past all of the other bowlers clapping and congratulating you, you really start to feel the sense of accomplishment,” Miller said. “For years, you have to be lucky just to get here – by staying healthy, avoiding accidents and just anything else life throws at you. So, I am really grateful to be here in this moment.”
Out of all the years and great memories with his friends on trips to the USBC Open Championships, Miller vividly recalls his highest set at the tournament.
“I can remember when I shot my best all-events set of 1,855 in Salt Lake City (1996), and it was all because I did something out of the box,” said Miller, who had sets of 649 in doubles, 631 in singles and 575 in team that year. “I had this bowling ball that just wasn’t working for me because it didn’t hook enough, but I decided to bring it with to nationals just to have a backup plan. It turns out it was the best ball decision I made, and it worked perfectly that year.”
If Miller can continue his current path in life of health and luck, as he calls it, he plans on continuing to participate at the tournament moving forward.
“I may not bowl like I used to, but I still come out and have fun,” Miller said. “Continuing to bowl with my friends and son really keeps my drive going at the tournament, and I plan on continuing to bowl for as long as I can.”
In his 50th appearance, Miller rolled sets of 430 in team, 511 in doubles and 435 in singles for a 1,376 all-events score, raising his pinfall total at the tournament to 82,079 for a lifetime average of 182.3
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.