RENO, Nev. - Two bowlers added their names to the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships record books with perfect games at the National Bowling Stadium on Friday.

Kevin Bittner of Saginaw, Mich., and Daniel Healy of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, became the 14th and 15th competitors to string 12 consecutive strikes at the 2013 event. Both 300s came during team competition.

Bittner made his USBC Open Championships debut at the NBS in 2001 but hasn't been back on the championship lanes until now. The 52-year-old right-hander made the most of the opportunity as he sandwiched 12 consecutive strikes between games of 207 and 212 for a 719 series, which helped Reinert Binder 1 of Frankenmuth, Mich., to a 2,763 team total Friday afternoon. Lodge Lanes Too of Orlando, Fla., leads Regular Team with a record score of 3,538.

Bittner has had more than 30 perfect games during his bowling career, but none were as tough as being in the spotlight on the biggest stage in bowling. He also had to get away from his comfort zone to find the right look on the 41-foot Sport Bowling-certified oil pattern.

"This one was a lot tougher, since there's not as much room for error," said Bittner, who bowls at State Lanes in Saginaw and Candlelite Bowl in Bridgeport, Mich. "It's a lot harder than a normal house shot. I usually throw the ball from around 20 to 7 at home. Out here, I threw it straight up 11 or 12. It's a little more difficult for me to throw it straight than to hook it like I'm used to. I don't know how to put it into words. It was quite amazing. I was just hoping everything was going to go my way."

Bittner usually attends the Petersen Classic at the beginning of May every year, which makes it difficult for him to find the time to make it to the Open Championships, too. With the urging of his teammates this year, he made his return visit to the NBS and claimed his place in tournament history.

"I go to Chicago the first week of May every year to bowl the Petersen, so getting time away for two weeks is pretty tough," Bittner said. "The guys I bowled with wanted me to come with them, so it was more or less peer pressure this year. It's a great feeling, though. Not very many people get the chance to do it, and it's not easy to do, so it was a lot of fun."

Healy, a 20-year-old right-hander, also found perfection in his second game, adding 220 and 232 for a 752 series. He helped Vincennes University of Vincennes, Ind., to a 3,006 series.

"I kept telling myself to ignore everything and just make a good shot," said Healy, who made his second Open Championships appearance. "Whether they fall down or not, just hit the pocket and see what happens. This is right up there at the top, if not the top, as of right now. I hope there is plenty of this to come, and I can expand on what I started."

Healy, who graduated from Vincennes earlier this month, was named a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American after claiming the 2013 NJCAA Bowling Championships all-events title in March. He'll continue his education this fall at Mount Mercy University, where his father, Glenn, is the head coach of the bowling program.

With his place set in Open Championships history, Healy was excited to spend the moment with his father as well as take to the championship lanes with his head coach at Vincennes, Gary Sparks.

"It was pretty cool to have my dad watching," Healy said. "Being able to have him see the 300 was absolutely awesome, and to have the opportunity to bowl with Gary on this stage was pretty awesome, too."

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