Tennessee bowler rolls 300 to help team to top 10 at 2023 Open Championships
July 08, 2023
RENO, Nev. – Aaron Ruiz of Nashville, Tennessee, is all about lending a helping hand to his teammates at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, and he aided the talented quintet into the top 10 of Regular Team at the 2023 event with a 300 game and 789 series Friday at the National Bowling Stadium.
The 26-year-old right-hander started with 232 before connecting for 12 strikes in Game 2. He added 257 in his final game to help Dude, Where’s My Shoes? of Muskegon, Michigan, into seventh place with a 3,391 total.
The team had games of 1,112, 1,181 and 1,098 at the NBS, and Ruiz was joined in the performance by Mike Dole (719 series), Gregory Young (673), Kamron Doyle (635) and Riley Smith (575).
Ruiz and the team continued to strike Saturday during doubles and singles to also take over fourth place in Team All-Events with a 9,745 total. Ruiz took over 10th place in Regular All-Events with 2,100 to lead the charge and was followed by Young (1,960), Dole (1,935), Doyle (1,922) and Smith (1,828).
Cincinnati’s Riding Kenny’s Coattails leads Regular Team with 3,578, while K and J Finishing 1 of Carpentersville, Illinois, holds the top spot in Team All-Events with 10,394. Nick Kruml of St. Peters, Missouri, who also is part of K and J Finishing 1, leads Regular All-Events with 2,242.
In just three years at the USBC Open Championships, Ruiz has started to build an impressive resume at the event.
In his tournament debut in 2021, Ruiz joined Young in recording a fourth-place finish in Regular Doubles. In 2022, they finished tied for fifth, with Young rolling a perfect game of his own.
On Friday, a move early in Game 2 allowed Ruiz to find the right look to put together a big game, and he was able to capitalize on the moment.
“I’m going to say it was the second frame of the second game,” said Ruiz, who added 712 in singles and 599 in doubles this week in Reno. “I went a couple left based off what my teammates told me. Once I threw it, I aced the shot and it smoked the hole. After that, I just had to throw it well.”
As he stepped up in the 10th working on nine strikes, Ruiz left little doubt on his first delivery, even though he didn’t feel it was his best shot. His second shot featured a messenger coming across the deck to connect with the 10 pin.
His final shot didn’t go as planned, but it held long enough to hit high in the pocket and trip out the 4 pin for the 13th 300 game of the 2023 Open Championships.
“I actually didn’t like the first one that much,” Ruiz said. “I liked the second one more than the first one, and luckily, it did smoke the 10 pin with the messenger. The third one, I’m not going to lie, was pretty bad. But, we got away with it.”
Ruiz has gotten more comfortable with his group of teammates over the past few editions of the Open Championships, and he’s been focused on giving them all he can offer on the lanes.
“I’ve bowled with this team now for three years,” Ruiz said. “I was very nervous the first year, and decently nervous the second year. Now, that I’ve gotten to know everybody, it’s not as nerve-wracking.
“To have 789 for the team event, I’m proud of myself. But, I’m more proud for doing that for my team so we could make the top 10.”
Ruiz appreciates the challenge the Open Championships brings each year, and now he’s able to add another note and potentially a couple more top 10s to the early success he’s found at the tournament.
“It’s really not like any other tournament,” Ruiz said. “I travel a lot of miles to get here, so when you show up, you have to bowl well. You don’t get multiple chances. You have to throw it well the whole time. My teammates are so good, so I keep telling myself I need to throw it well for them.
“To get a 300 here is pretty dang sweet. I only started bowling this tournament three years ago, but I hoped to have a chance at a 300 or 800. Now that I have a 300, it’s a very good feeling. I’m going to walk away with my head held high today and hope to continue to bowl well.”
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
The 26-year-old right-hander started with 232 before connecting for 12 strikes in Game 2. He added 257 in his final game to help Dude, Where’s My Shoes? of Muskegon, Michigan, into seventh place with a 3,391 total.
The team had games of 1,112, 1,181 and 1,098 at the NBS, and Ruiz was joined in the performance by Mike Dole (719 series), Gregory Young (673), Kamron Doyle (635) and Riley Smith (575).
Ruiz and the team continued to strike Saturday during doubles and singles to also take over fourth place in Team All-Events with a 9,745 total. Ruiz took over 10th place in Regular All-Events with 2,100 to lead the charge and was followed by Young (1,960), Dole (1,935), Doyle (1,922) and Smith (1,828).
Cincinnati’s Riding Kenny’s Coattails leads Regular Team with 3,578, while K and J Finishing 1 of Carpentersville, Illinois, holds the top spot in Team All-Events with 10,394. Nick Kruml of St. Peters, Missouri, who also is part of K and J Finishing 1, leads Regular All-Events with 2,242.
In just three years at the USBC Open Championships, Ruiz has started to build an impressive resume at the event.
In his tournament debut in 2021, Ruiz joined Young in recording a fourth-place finish in Regular Doubles. In 2022, they finished tied for fifth, with Young rolling a perfect game of his own.
On Friday, a move early in Game 2 allowed Ruiz to find the right look to put together a big game, and he was able to capitalize on the moment.
“I’m going to say it was the second frame of the second game,” said Ruiz, who added 712 in singles and 599 in doubles this week in Reno. “I went a couple left based off what my teammates told me. Once I threw it, I aced the shot and it smoked the hole. After that, I just had to throw it well.”
As he stepped up in the 10th working on nine strikes, Ruiz left little doubt on his first delivery, even though he didn’t feel it was his best shot. His second shot featured a messenger coming across the deck to connect with the 10 pin.
His final shot didn’t go as planned, but it held long enough to hit high in the pocket and trip out the 4 pin for the 13th 300 game of the 2023 Open Championships.
“I actually didn’t like the first one that much,” Ruiz said. “I liked the second one more than the first one, and luckily, it did smoke the 10 pin with the messenger. The third one, I’m not going to lie, was pretty bad. But, we got away with it.”
Ruiz has gotten more comfortable with his group of teammates over the past few editions of the Open Championships, and he’s been focused on giving them all he can offer on the lanes.
“I’ve bowled with this team now for three years,” Ruiz said. “I was very nervous the first year, and decently nervous the second year. Now, that I’ve gotten to know everybody, it’s not as nerve-wracking.
“To have 789 for the team event, I’m proud of myself. But, I’m more proud for doing that for my team so we could make the top 10.”
Ruiz appreciates the challenge the Open Championships brings each year, and now he’s able to add another note and potentially a couple more top 10s to the early success he’s found at the tournament.
“It’s really not like any other tournament,” Ruiz said. “I travel a lot of miles to get here, so when you show up, you have to bowl well. You don’t get multiple chances. You have to throw it well the whole time. My teammates are so good, so I keep telling myself I need to throw it well for them.
“To get a 300 here is pretty dang sweet. I only started bowling this tournament three years ago, but I hoped to have a chance at a 300 or 800. Now that I have a 300, it’s a very good feeling. I’m going to walk away with my head held high today and hope to continue to bowl well.”
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.