Teamwork pays off for Iowa team at 2015 USBC Open
March 18, 2015
By Matt Cannizzaro and Mel Lindemann
USBC Communications
EL PASO, Texas - The members of Rails Bar and Grill of Eagle Grove, Iowa, know a thing or two about teamwork after five years together on the biggest stage in bowling, and their cohesiveness helped them find success Wednesday at the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
The quintet has logged many miles and many games together, and their comfort level allows them to relax on the lanes, which definitely took off some of the pressure as they made their way into the top spot in Classified Team at the El Paso Convention Center.
The group posted games of 921, 897 and 779 for a 2,597 total, passing Lani Ohana of Kaneohe, Hawaii, which previously held the lead with 2,532.
Darrell Pedersen set the pace for Rails Bar and Grill with a 567 series and was followed by team captain Michael Thielen (542), Dale Helgevold (519), Brandon Meyer (505) and 2006 Classified Team champion Eric Douglass (464).
The team's game plan for the annual trip to the USBC Open Championships is simple - when one bowler stumbles, the rest of the team is there to hold him up.
And while some teams at the tournament come from all corners to compete together, only seeing each other once a year, the Rails Bar and Grill bowlers also bowl in a league together in Eagle Grove's Eagle Bowl, so they are very familiar with each other's games and personalities.
"I think, all in all, we just had a good time," Thielen said. "We were relaxed, and we had fun tonight even though in the last game we all fell apart and left a lot of pins out there. We really should have been 150 pins or so higher than we were, but we all had a good time."
Thielen returned to the lanes at the El Paso Convention Center on Thursday to continue his dominance of the Classified Division, also grabbing the lead in doubles, singles and all-events.
He posted sets of 610 in singles and 560 in doubles, teaming with Pedersen for a 1,105 total.
Sharon Nelson of Mesa, Arizona, and Missy Price of Harrisburg, South Dakota, previously held the top spot in Classified Doubles with 1,100, while Mark Bearman of Webster, South Dakota, was the leader in Classified Singles with 601 and Joseph Whittaker of Provo, Utah, led the way in Classified All-Events with 1,660. Pedersen now is second in all-events with 1,689.
Teams in the Classified Division must have a combined average of 900 or less. Classified Doubles is for pairs with combined averages of 360 or less and individuals in the Classified Division must have entering averages of 180 or less.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
USBC Communications
EL PASO, Texas - The members of Rails Bar and Grill of Eagle Grove, Iowa, know a thing or two about teamwork after five years together on the biggest stage in bowling, and their cohesiveness helped them find success Wednesday at the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
The quintet has logged many miles and many games together, and their comfort level allows them to relax on the lanes, which definitely took off some of the pressure as they made their way into the top spot in Classified Team at the El Paso Convention Center.
The group posted games of 921, 897 and 779 for a 2,597 total, passing Lani Ohana of Kaneohe, Hawaii, which previously held the lead with 2,532.
Darrell Pedersen set the pace for Rails Bar and Grill with a 567 series and was followed by team captain Michael Thielen (542), Dale Helgevold (519), Brandon Meyer (505) and 2006 Classified Team champion Eric Douglass (464).
The team's game plan for the annual trip to the USBC Open Championships is simple - when one bowler stumbles, the rest of the team is there to hold him up.
And while some teams at the tournament come from all corners to compete together, only seeing each other once a year, the Rails Bar and Grill bowlers also bowl in a league together in Eagle Grove's Eagle Bowl, so they are very familiar with each other's games and personalities.
"I think, all in all, we just had a good time," Thielen said. "We were relaxed, and we had fun tonight even though in the last game we all fell apart and left a lot of pins out there. We really should have been 150 pins or so higher than we were, but we all had a good time."
Thielen returned to the lanes at the El Paso Convention Center on Thursday to continue his dominance of the Classified Division, also grabbing the lead in doubles, singles and all-events.
He posted sets of 610 in singles and 560 in doubles, teaming with Pedersen for a 1,105 total.
Sharon Nelson of Mesa, Arizona, and Missy Price of Harrisburg, South Dakota, previously held the top spot in Classified Doubles with 1,100, while Mark Bearman of Webster, South Dakota, was the leader in Classified Singles with 601 and Joseph Whittaker of Provo, Utah, led the way in Classified All-Events with 1,660. Pedersen now is second in all-events with 1,689.
Teams in the Classified Division must have a combined average of 900 or less. Classified Doubles is for pairs with combined averages of 360 or less and individuals in the Classified Division must have entering averages of 180 or less.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.