RENO, Nev. - Chris Schuch of Oak Lawn, Ill., knew something special was in the air at the National Bowling Stadium on Friday as he recorded the 25th perfect game of the 2013 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.

The 27-year-old, who uses a two-handed approach to attack the lanes from the right side, kicked off his team event with a 224 game before lining up 12 consecutive strikes. He finished with 213 for a 737 series and helped Lawn Lanes 3 of Homer Glen, Ill., to a 3,063 team total. Lodge Lanes Too of Orlando, Fla., leads Regular Team with a record score of 3,538.

After leaving a few single pins in his opening game, Schuch told a teammate something special might be on the horizon, and then the strikes started to mount.

"I left a couple of 10 pins and a 4 pin," said Schuch, who made his fourth USBC Open Championships appearance. "I told my friend in the fourth frame I was feeling something special. I don't know how I did it, but I kept striking. It was awesome. There's no better feeling than shooting 300 here. It's unreal."

Schuch was a part of a 10-team group at the NBS on Friday and was mobbed by friends and fellow bowlers after all 10 pins fell on his final delivery. A little advice from his companion team's anchor proved to go along way as he stepped up in the final frame.

"I have amazing teammates," said Schuch, who bowls regularly at Orland Bowl in Orland Park, Ill. "Billy (Guszczo) told me to calm down and just throw good shots. From there, I just tried to hit the head pin and carry. This couldn't have happened with a better group of guys."

Schuch has been using the two-handed style his entire bowling career, and now, it has led him into the Open Championships record books.

"I've been doing that my whole life," Schuch said. "I started bowling like that when I was 8 years old and my grandma bought me my first bowling ball, and I've stuck with it. This is something nobody will ever take away from me."

Three pairs away, another member of the group nearly matched Schuch's effort the following game, as Matthew Kuba of Burbank, Ill., closed his own team set with a 298 game.

The 21-year-old right-hander made his Open Championships debut this year and started his day with games of 153 and 221 before his run at perfection ended with the 6 and 10 pins still standing for the second 298 of this year's tournament for a 672 effort. He led Team Supanich of Burbank, Ill., to a 3,062 total.

"Coming in, it was a little overwhelming, since it was my first tournament," said Kuba, who bowls collegiately at Calumet College in Whiting, Ind. "My whole family was bowling as well, so there was a little more pressure. I really struggled early and was playing the wrong part of the lane. My uncle was helping me a bit, and I moved right and never moved again. On the last one, I'm not going to lie, I got a little nervous and just got it too far out. It came back and left the 6-10."

Presenting sponsors for the 2013 USBC Open Championships include Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno.