Three strong performances highlight busy day at Open Championships
April 14, 2023
Pictured above (from left to right), the members of DiLaura Brothers 1 of Clinton Township, Michigan: Jay Lang, John Buffa, Ryan VanHecke, John Kelley and Ronnie Sparks Jr.
RENO, Nev. – There was some fantastic bowling on Friday night at the National Bowling Stadium, and it caused a bunch of commotion within the standings and brought about the first honor score of the 2023 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
During the 2 p.m. team event, the returning 2022 Team All-Events champions - DiLaura Brothers 1 of Clinton Township, Michigan - took to the lanes to begin their title defense.
The team consisting of Jay Lang, John Buffa, Ryan VanHecke, John Kelley and Ronnie Sparks Jr. started off strong, firing a 1,264 in Game 1 that included a 290 from Sparks.
The pace slowed a bit during Game 2, but the group still managed a solid 1,047, which meant that they would need 1,112 or higher the last game in order to take over the Regular Team lead.
Although the strikes weren’t coming quite as rapidly in Game 3 as they were during Game 1, the DiLaura 1 squad kept grinding and entered the 10th frame of the final game with the lead still in sight.
Nevertheless, they would fall just short, closing with a score of 1,064 to finish at 3,374 and settle into third place in the Regular Team standings.
Despite missing out on the lead in the team event, the solid starts puts the group in a great position to make another run at the top spot in Team All-Events.
They’ll need to average a little over 1,085 per game during the six games of singles and doubles on Saturday in order to take the top spot from Chili Garlic Edamame of Las Vegas, which currently holds the Team All-Events lead at 9,884.
As remarkable as DiLaura 1’s performance was on Friday, it wasn’t the only noteworthy performance of the day at the Open Championships.
Pictured above (from left to right), new Regular Doubles leaders Jeffrey Mastny and Perry Crowell IV
Hours later, during the 6 p.m. doubles and singles squad, Perry Crowell IV of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, and Jeffrey Mastny of Arlington, Nebraska, put together games of 417, 469 and 476 to get to the top of the leaderboard in Regular Doubles with a total of 1,362.
Crowell and Mastny are no strangers to the top of the leaderboard as the pair placed third in Regular Doubles at the 2021 Open Championships in Las Vegas; nevertheless, the duo felt a weight lifted off their shoulders after walking out of the NBS with the lead this year.
“The constant thinking and decision making after every shot was exhausting, but it’s such a relief to be leaving here with the lead,” Mastny said when asked his feelings about grabbing the top spot.
Shawn Naumann of Orlando, Florida, and PJ Haggerty of Roseville, California, were the previous leaders in Regular Doubles at 1,360.
“Doubles and singles are extremely hard this year, so to get to this number, while I don’t think 1,362 is enough, is a big accomplishment based on the pattern that’s out there,” said Crowell, a 2019 Team USA member and former standout at Midland University.
Neither bowler had any idea what the number they needed to get to was heading into the final game; nevertheless, it didn’t take them long to realize that taking the lead may be a possibility.
“Once our crowd of friends behind us started to get loud with each strike, it clicked that we were still in the hunt for the lead,” Crowell said.
Now that Crowell and Mastny have the lead, they both expressed what it would mean to them if their 1,362 can hang on through the end of July to win the coveted Eagle.
“Winning an Eagle would mean everything to me as it truly is the pinnacle in bowling for bowlers like me. All the years of hard work and with coming so close before to finally knock the door down would be amazing,” Mastny said.
Winning an event at the Open Championships would be very special to Crowell as well.
“I have been in the presence of Eagles for the last few years now, especially with my best friends on the DiLaura Brothers team, and I want one of my own,” Crowell said. “I believe that I shouldn’t touch an Eagle until it’s my own, and if that day comes, it would be a dream come true.”
Pictured above: Blake Earnest, who became the first bowler to shoot 300 at the 2023 Open Championships
Many bowlers also dream about how it would feel to record a 300 on the championship lanes, and not long after Mastny and Crowell took over the Regular Doubles lead, a bowler on the same pair of lanes made that dream come true.
That bowler was Blake Earnest of Wood River, Nebraska, who was able to connect for 12 strikes in a row during the opening game of singles to record the first 300 of the 2023 Open Championships.
According to Earnest, the key was staying locked in on each individual shot as opposed to watching the strikes add up on the scoreboard.
“I was laser focused and didn’t even realize I was in the 10th frame when I stepped up to bowl,” Earnest said. “I was a little nervous when going for the 11th and 12th, but I’m just happy I was able to finish it out.”
Earnest, a former collegiate standout at Hastings College, credited his teammates on the pair for setting up the lanes perfectly.
“The righties on our pair really helped blend out the pattern, giving me the smooth reaction I was looking for. With that ball reaction, I was able to take advantage and knock them all down 12 times,” Earnest said.
Shooting a 300 had been on Earnest’s bucket list since bowling the OC for the first time four years ago. Now that he’s done it, it’s an accomplishment he will relish for years to come.
“To be able to have my name mentioned in the company of 300 shooters every time I shoe up for nationals is a dream come true,” Earnest said.
Earnest followed up the 300 with games of 200 and 239, giving him a 739 total that moved him into third place in the Regular Singles standings.
The Regular Division features bowlers with entering averages of 176 and above.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
RENO, Nev. – There was some fantastic bowling on Friday night at the National Bowling Stadium, and it caused a bunch of commotion within the standings and brought about the first honor score of the 2023 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
During the 2 p.m. team event, the returning 2022 Team All-Events champions - DiLaura Brothers 1 of Clinton Township, Michigan - took to the lanes to begin their title defense.
The team consisting of Jay Lang, John Buffa, Ryan VanHecke, John Kelley and Ronnie Sparks Jr. started off strong, firing a 1,264 in Game 1 that included a 290 from Sparks.
The pace slowed a bit during Game 2, but the group still managed a solid 1,047, which meant that they would need 1,112 or higher the last game in order to take over the Regular Team lead.
Although the strikes weren’t coming quite as rapidly in Game 3 as they were during Game 1, the DiLaura 1 squad kept grinding and entered the 10th frame of the final game with the lead still in sight.
Nevertheless, they would fall just short, closing with a score of 1,064 to finish at 3,374 and settle into third place in the Regular Team standings.
Despite missing out on the lead in the team event, the solid starts puts the group in a great position to make another run at the top spot in Team All-Events.
They’ll need to average a little over 1,085 per game during the six games of singles and doubles on Saturday in order to take the top spot from Chili Garlic Edamame of Las Vegas, which currently holds the Team All-Events lead at 9,884.
As remarkable as DiLaura 1’s performance was on Friday, it wasn’t the only noteworthy performance of the day at the Open Championships.
Pictured above (from left to right), new Regular Doubles leaders Jeffrey Mastny and Perry Crowell IV
Hours later, during the 6 p.m. doubles and singles squad, Perry Crowell IV of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, and Jeffrey Mastny of Arlington, Nebraska, put together games of 417, 469 and 476 to get to the top of the leaderboard in Regular Doubles with a total of 1,362.
Crowell and Mastny are no strangers to the top of the leaderboard as the pair placed third in Regular Doubles at the 2021 Open Championships in Las Vegas; nevertheless, the duo felt a weight lifted off their shoulders after walking out of the NBS with the lead this year.
“The constant thinking and decision making after every shot was exhausting, but it’s such a relief to be leaving here with the lead,” Mastny said when asked his feelings about grabbing the top spot.
Shawn Naumann of Orlando, Florida, and PJ Haggerty of Roseville, California, were the previous leaders in Regular Doubles at 1,360.
“Doubles and singles are extremely hard this year, so to get to this number, while I don’t think 1,362 is enough, is a big accomplishment based on the pattern that’s out there,” said Crowell, a 2019 Team USA member and former standout at Midland University.
Neither bowler had any idea what the number they needed to get to was heading into the final game; nevertheless, it didn’t take them long to realize that taking the lead may be a possibility.
“Once our crowd of friends behind us started to get loud with each strike, it clicked that we were still in the hunt for the lead,” Crowell said.
Now that Crowell and Mastny have the lead, they both expressed what it would mean to them if their 1,362 can hang on through the end of July to win the coveted Eagle.
“Winning an Eagle would mean everything to me as it truly is the pinnacle in bowling for bowlers like me. All the years of hard work and with coming so close before to finally knock the door down would be amazing,” Mastny said.
Winning an event at the Open Championships would be very special to Crowell as well.
“I have been in the presence of Eagles for the last few years now, especially with my best friends on the DiLaura Brothers team, and I want one of my own,” Crowell said. “I believe that I shouldn’t touch an Eagle until it’s my own, and if that day comes, it would be a dream come true.”
Pictured above: Blake Earnest, who became the first bowler to shoot 300 at the 2023 Open Championships
Many bowlers also dream about how it would feel to record a 300 on the championship lanes, and not long after Mastny and Crowell took over the Regular Doubles lead, a bowler on the same pair of lanes made that dream come true.
That bowler was Blake Earnest of Wood River, Nebraska, who was able to connect for 12 strikes in a row during the opening game of singles to record the first 300 of the 2023 Open Championships.
According to Earnest, the key was staying locked in on each individual shot as opposed to watching the strikes add up on the scoreboard.
“I was laser focused and didn’t even realize I was in the 10th frame when I stepped up to bowl,” Earnest said. “I was a little nervous when going for the 11th and 12th, but I’m just happy I was able to finish it out.”
Earnest, a former collegiate standout at Hastings College, credited his teammates on the pair for setting up the lanes perfectly.
“The righties on our pair really helped blend out the pattern, giving me the smooth reaction I was looking for. With that ball reaction, I was able to take advantage and knock them all down 12 times,” Earnest said.
Shooting a 300 had been on Earnest’s bucket list since bowling the OC for the first time four years ago. Now that he’s done it, it’s an accomplishment he will relish for years to come.
“To be able to have my name mentioned in the company of 300 shooters every time I shoe up for nationals is a dream come true,” Earnest said.
Earnest followed up the 300 with games of 200 and 239, giving him a 739 total that moved him into third place in the Regular Singles standings.
The Regular Division features bowlers with entering averages of 176 and above.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.