Texans take doubles lead at 2015 Open Championships
April 29, 2015
EL PASO, Texas - Hours after defending champions Clark and Carl Poelzer of Arden Hills, Minnesota, relinquished control of the Regular Doubles event at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, Mark Sleeper Jr. of Kaufman, Texas, and Anthony Simonsen of Princeton, Texas, were glad to take the reins.
The new leaders used a big middle game to put themselves in position for a run at this year's leaders, and they cruised into the lead Wednesday night with a 1,409 total on games of 451, 498 and 460 at the El Paso Convention Center.
Sleeper, a 31-year-old right-hander, led the way with games of 247, 262 and 235 for a 744 series, while Simonsen, an 18-year-old two-hander who attacks the lanes from the right side, added 204, 236 and 225 for a 665 set. Jeremy Sonnenfeld, a 2001 Team All-Events champion, and Tom Woodworth of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, held the lead since March 16 with 1,372.
"I have goosebumps right now thinking about it," Sleeper said. "I don't even care about the money, it's about the trophy. I'm really good friends with the guys who won team last year, and they got their eagles presented to them at league. It was a pretty special moment. I wanted to feel that feeling, and to have a chance at that feeling is awesome."
Sleeper found his way into the spotlight on bowling's biggest stage for the second consecutive year. He rolled one of 35 perfect games at the 2014 tournament at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada, on the way to a 57th-place finish in Regular Singles.
"I've always heard everybody else getting their name called," said Sleeper, who added 635 in team and 578 in singles to finish his 12th visit to the Open Championships with a 1,957 all-events total. "I never thought anyone would be talking about my name, so it was pretty cool to be known as a celebrity."
Simonsen enjoyed a stellar youth career in the Dallas-Fort Worth area before moving up to the adult ranks and joining the Professional Bowlers Association, where he claimed two regional titles and PBA Southwest Region Rookie of the Year honors for the 2014 season.
The two-hander's success at the Open Championships started immediately, as his tournament debut in 2013 began with a 268 game on the way to a 728 series. In his three appearances on the championship lanes, Simonsen has averaged more than 221. Ironically, his doubles average in his first two tournaments was nearly 30 pins less than team and singles.
This time around, he knew Sleeper had a good look, so he played a supportive role and kept an eye on the scoreboard. Simonsen also had a little extra motivation, which helped him strike on four of his last five shots.
"I definitely knew what we needed," Simonsen said. "Mark had a really good look, and I was hoping he could keep it going, and I could just keep hanging on behind him. My mom passed away about a month ago, so to be able to do something for her, and in her honor, definitely is an awesome feeling."
Simonsen added 680 in singles and 566 in team for a 1,911 all-events total. Former Team USA member Rob Gotchall of Clarksville, Tennessee, leads Regular All-Events with 2,181.
After the lead was secure, someone did raise the question about the age of the tournament's youngest champion, an honor that belongs to 16-year-old Ronnie Knapp of New London, Ohio, who claimed a Booster Team title in 1963.
"Being able to win an eagle at any age is something that most people dream of," Simonsen said. "To have the opportunity at 18 is a surreal feeling. I'm at a loss for words."
Earlier on Wednesday, the Poelzers returned to the Open Championships to put their Regular Doubles title on the line live on BOWL.com's BowlTV, but they came up short in their title defense.
The father-son duo posted a 1,465 total to claim the 2014 doubles crown, but this year, they managed just 1,170 at the El Paso Convention Center. Clark led the way with 586 series Wednesday, and his son, Carl, finished with 584.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
The new leaders used a big middle game to put themselves in position for a run at this year's leaders, and they cruised into the lead Wednesday night with a 1,409 total on games of 451, 498 and 460 at the El Paso Convention Center.
Sleeper, a 31-year-old right-hander, led the way with games of 247, 262 and 235 for a 744 series, while Simonsen, an 18-year-old two-hander who attacks the lanes from the right side, added 204, 236 and 225 for a 665 set. Jeremy Sonnenfeld, a 2001 Team All-Events champion, and Tom Woodworth of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, held the lead since March 16 with 1,372.
"I have goosebumps right now thinking about it," Sleeper said. "I don't even care about the money, it's about the trophy. I'm really good friends with the guys who won team last year, and they got their eagles presented to them at league. It was a pretty special moment. I wanted to feel that feeling, and to have a chance at that feeling is awesome."
Sleeper found his way into the spotlight on bowling's biggest stage for the second consecutive year. He rolled one of 35 perfect games at the 2014 tournament at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada, on the way to a 57th-place finish in Regular Singles.
"I've always heard everybody else getting their name called," said Sleeper, who added 635 in team and 578 in singles to finish his 12th visit to the Open Championships with a 1,957 all-events total. "I never thought anyone would be talking about my name, so it was pretty cool to be known as a celebrity."
Simonsen enjoyed a stellar youth career in the Dallas-Fort Worth area before moving up to the adult ranks and joining the Professional Bowlers Association, where he claimed two regional titles and PBA Southwest Region Rookie of the Year honors for the 2014 season.
The two-hander's success at the Open Championships started immediately, as his tournament debut in 2013 began with a 268 game on the way to a 728 series. In his three appearances on the championship lanes, Simonsen has averaged more than 221. Ironically, his doubles average in his first two tournaments was nearly 30 pins less than team and singles.
This time around, he knew Sleeper had a good look, so he played a supportive role and kept an eye on the scoreboard. Simonsen also had a little extra motivation, which helped him strike on four of his last five shots.
"I definitely knew what we needed," Simonsen said. "Mark had a really good look, and I was hoping he could keep it going, and I could just keep hanging on behind him. My mom passed away about a month ago, so to be able to do something for her, and in her honor, definitely is an awesome feeling."
Simonsen added 680 in singles and 566 in team for a 1,911 all-events total. Former Team USA member Rob Gotchall of Clarksville, Tennessee, leads Regular All-Events with 2,181.
After the lead was secure, someone did raise the question about the age of the tournament's youngest champion, an honor that belongs to 16-year-old Ronnie Knapp of New London, Ohio, who claimed a Booster Team title in 1963.
"Being able to win an eagle at any age is something that most people dream of," Simonsen said. "To have the opportunity at 18 is a surreal feeling. I'm at a loss for words."
Earlier on Wednesday, the Poelzers returned to the Open Championships to put their Regular Doubles title on the line live on BOWL.com's BowlTV, but they came up short in their title defense.
The father-son duo posted a 1,465 total to claim the 2014 doubles crown, but this year, they managed just 1,170 at the El Paso Convention Center. Clark led the way with 586 series Wednesday, and his son, Carl, finished with 584.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.