Tie for top spot in Open Singles at 2024 Bowlers Journal Championships
April 09, 2024
Pictured above: Blake Earnest
LAS VEGAS – Things are starting to heat up at the 2024 Bowlers Journal Championships, with a pair of bowlers reaching 801 to share the lead in Open Singles at the South Point Bowling Center.
The competitors – Sam Cantrell of Fair Oaks, California, and Blake Earnest of Bellevue, Nebraska – not only bowled on the same squad, but they also competed next to each other at the 64-lane facility.
Cantrell, a 28-year-old right-hander, was the first to finish the block. After games of 245 and 267, he started Game 3 with 10 strikes before a 10 pin stood on his 11th delivery. He converted the spare for 289.
Earnest, a 26-year-old right-hander, stepped up moments later needing all three in his final frame to shoot 279 to match Cantrell. After starting with 279 and 243, he rolled three more strikes to get to his 801.
“We were literally a frame apart from each other the entire time,” Cantrell said. “I knew that if I doubled, I would have shut him out, but I didn’t quite do that. I finished first, and then 30 seconds later he finished his set.”
Earnest originally was going to practice at the Bowling Center but saw spots were available in the squad, so he took the chance to get a couple of competition games in.
“I just kind of fell into the Bowlers Journal,” Earnest said. “I was going to practice a little bit, but I saw a spot open up and took it. I’d rather compete versus practice.
“I had good ball reaction, and that helped the confidence a lot. I ran the front nine the first game and made a good shot in the 10th for 279 to start. It was kind of nice to have Sam’s number to chase as well. Having him next to me probably helped me get to the number. I didn’t know what it was going in, so that definitely was more of a benefit for me.”
Earnest’s trip to Las Vegas also included helping Trip 4 Pro Shop of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, to the top spot in Regular Team and Team All-Events at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, and he moved into the top 10 of Regular All-Events with a 2,062 total (713 in singles, 695 in team and 654 in doubles).
He found the spotlight at last year’s event, too, firing the first 300 of the 2023 USBC Open Championships in Reno, Nevada, during his first game of singles competition.
Earnest credits the work he’s done on the mental side to his recent run of success on the national stage, and now will see if he can hang onto the top spot with Cantrell to add another milestone to his growing resume.
“For the last year and a half to two years, I’ve worked more on mental game than my physical game,” Earnest said. “I always felt like I could throw it good enough, but the mentality is what separates the good players.
“It definitely was one of the objectives coming in – you can’t win unless you lead it. There will be a lot of scoreboard watching for the next four months. I definitely think the number is gettable, so my hopes aren’t too high, but in the end, if it is what it is, then that’s pretty cool.”
Cantrell, who took the early lead in Regular Singles and Regular All-Events at the 2022 Open Championships on the way to top 30 finishes in each discipline, noted some of the things he saw after completing his appearance at the 2024 Open Championships at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
“I took what I learned yesterday and, to an extent, I brought it down to doubles and singles,” Cantrell said. “I had sort of an idea on how the lanes would play, but it’s a different bowling center, different topography, different lane panels. I could definitely tell that the two centers play very differently, but I still felt confident and just wanted to be steady and not get ahead of myself.”
He finished his 2024 appearance at the Open Championships with sets of 651 in singles, 628 in doubles and 619 in team for an all-events total of 1,898.
The Bowlers Journal Championships is celebrating its 77th year alongside the Open Championships. The side event features the same oil pattern as doubles and singles competition at the Open Championships.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
LAS VEGAS – Things are starting to heat up at the 2024 Bowlers Journal Championships, with a pair of bowlers reaching 801 to share the lead in Open Singles at the South Point Bowling Center.
The competitors – Sam Cantrell of Fair Oaks, California, and Blake Earnest of Bellevue, Nebraska – not only bowled on the same squad, but they also competed next to each other at the 64-lane facility.
Cantrell, a 28-year-old right-hander, was the first to finish the block. After games of 245 and 267, he started Game 3 with 10 strikes before a 10 pin stood on his 11th delivery. He converted the spare for 289.Earnest, a 26-year-old right-hander, stepped up moments later needing all three in his final frame to shoot 279 to match Cantrell. After starting with 279 and 243, he rolled three more strikes to get to his 801.
“We were literally a frame apart from each other the entire time,” Cantrell said. “I knew that if I doubled, I would have shut him out, but I didn’t quite do that. I finished first, and then 30 seconds later he finished his set.”
Earnest originally was going to practice at the Bowling Center but saw spots were available in the squad, so he took the chance to get a couple of competition games in.
“I just kind of fell into the Bowlers Journal,” Earnest said. “I was going to practice a little bit, but I saw a spot open up and took it. I’d rather compete versus practice.
“I had good ball reaction, and that helped the confidence a lot. I ran the front nine the first game and made a good shot in the 10th for 279 to start. It was kind of nice to have Sam’s number to chase as well. Having him next to me probably helped me get to the number. I didn’t know what it was going in, so that definitely was more of a benefit for me.”
Earnest’s trip to Las Vegas also included helping Trip 4 Pro Shop of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, to the top spot in Regular Team and Team All-Events at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, and he moved into the top 10 of Regular All-Events with a 2,062 total (713 in singles, 695 in team and 654 in doubles).
He found the spotlight at last year’s event, too, firing the first 300 of the 2023 USBC Open Championships in Reno, Nevada, during his first game of singles competition.
Earnest credits the work he’s done on the mental side to his recent run of success on the national stage, and now will see if he can hang onto the top spot with Cantrell to add another milestone to his growing resume.
“For the last year and a half to two years, I’ve worked more on mental game than my physical game,” Earnest said. “I always felt like I could throw it good enough, but the mentality is what separates the good players.
“It definitely was one of the objectives coming in – you can’t win unless you lead it. There will be a lot of scoreboard watching for the next four months. I definitely think the number is gettable, so my hopes aren’t too high, but in the end, if it is what it is, then that’s pretty cool.”
Cantrell, who took the early lead in Regular Singles and Regular All-Events at the 2022 Open Championships on the way to top 30 finishes in each discipline, noted some of the things he saw after completing his appearance at the 2024 Open Championships at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
“I took what I learned yesterday and, to an extent, I brought it down to doubles and singles,” Cantrell said. “I had sort of an idea on how the lanes would play, but it’s a different bowling center, different topography, different lane panels. I could definitely tell that the two centers play very differently, but I still felt confident and just wanted to be steady and not get ahead of myself.”
He finished his 2024 appearance at the Open Championships with sets of 651 in singles, 628 in doubles and 619 in team for an all-events total of 1,898.
The Bowlers Journal Championships is celebrating its 77th year alongside the Open Championships. The side event features the same oil pattern as doubles and singles competition at the Open Championships.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.