USBC Hall of Famers share Open Championships tradition and success
March 04, 2017
LAS VEGAS - United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Lennie Boresch Jr. and his teammates account for 20 titles in more than 180 years of USBC Open Championships competition, and they've proven once again they're far from done finding success on the tournament lanes.
In the years since claiming the 2009 Regular Team and Team All-Events titles, Boresch and company also have been focused on mentoring the next generation of Open Championships participants, a group that includes his 24-year-old son, Jacob.
A few years of struggles and learning curves completely turned around for the two-team group this weekend as they secured the top spot in every event at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
Their dominance of the leaderboards at the 2017 Open Championships started Friday night, with Boresch and his Classic Lanes Raisins teammates from Milwaukee sending a quick reminder to their young companion team about who the accomplished veterans were, raising the bar in Regular Team with a 3,158 total.
Jacob and Classic Lanes Kids, also from Milwaukee, settled into second place with 3,037, while previous leader, Apparel EFX of Red Rock, Arizona, now is third with 2,950.
Jacob Boresch shined in the process, though, rolling a 760 series, the highest individual set of the 2017 event, which kicked off Feb. 18.
That momentum continued into doubles and singles Saturday as the Boresch tandem climbed to the top of the Regular Doubles standings with a 1,289 total. Jacob led the way with a 657 set, while Lennie, a three-time Open Championships titlist and member of the 2012 USBC Hall of Fame class, added 632. Bryanna and Randy Coté of Red Rock, Arizona, previously held the lead with 1,242.
"I grew up watching these guys bowl and even got to see old tapes of them competing on TV," said Jacob Boresch, who made his fifth Open Championships appearance. "They have a ton of knowledge, and our group respects them more than anyone. Their guidance can't be beat, and being able to find success together is really special. Being able to take the lead in doubles with my dad is incredible, too."
Jacob's success didn't end there, as he added a 705 singles series to claim the top spot in Regular All-Events with a 2,122 total, which has been a top 10 score the last two years. Bryanna Coté previously held the lead with 1,953.
The singles lead Saturday went to another of the group's decorated champions, as six-time titlist and USBC Hall of Famer Gary Daroszewski of Milwaukee, put together games of 213, 268 and 255 for a 736 series. It was the third-highest singles set of his 38-year Open Championships career and moved him past Randy Coté, who previously held the top spot with 715.
For more than a decade, Daroszewski, 58, has suffered from neuropathy, a condition that affects the nerves in his legs and feet, and he often has questioned his place in the talented group. He also has overcome a back injury and a recent sprained wrist, the latter of which helped him stay slow and focused at the Open Championships this year.
"You'd wonder based on our performances the last few years if the torch already had been passed to the young guys, but to come out and find success again this year was a lot of fun," Daroszewski said. "A lot of things went right for us, and we matched up well, and that's all you can do. We had a great time and put up some good scores, so we're happy about that."
Taking the lead in every event also brought up conversation about Team All-Events, a title Daroszewski has claimed four times.
Classic Lanes Raisins set the bar there, too, posting a 9,360 total. Daroszewski led the way with a 1,992 all-events effort and was followed by Lennie Boresch Jr. (1,979), three-time champion Ryan Lever (1,878) and a pair of four-time Open Championships winners Dale Traber (1,769) and Gus Yannaras (1,742).
Daroszewski, Boresch, Traber and Yannaras all have been inducted into the USBC Hall of Famer in the Outstanding USBC Performance category.
Classic Lanes Kids, with a combined 20 years of tournament experience, turned in a Team All-Events total of 9,295. Jacob Boresch was joined by Bryan Thompson (1,939), Kyle Anderson (1,840), David Schwartz (1,741) and Ryan Keith (1,653).
Followed singles, Lennie Boresch Jr. glowed when talking about his son's success on the biggest stage in bowling.
"I'm very proud of him, and it was a lot of fun to watch," said Boresch, who made his 36th tournament appearance. "I was hoping we could take the lead together. Just to do it once with your kid is special. They're a great group and definitely capable of competing at a high level. It helps keep us motivated for sure. It's still intense, and I love it."
The 2017 Open Championships will continue through July 16. During the 149-day run, more than 10,000 five-player teams will visit the South Point Bowling Plaza.
The Regular Division is for teams with combined averages of 1,046 and higher or individual bowlers with entering averages of 210 and above.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.
In the years since claiming the 2009 Regular Team and Team All-Events titles, Boresch and company also have been focused on mentoring the next generation of Open Championships participants, a group that includes his 24-year-old son, Jacob.
A few years of struggles and learning curves completely turned around for the two-team group this weekend as they secured the top spot in every event at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
Their dominance of the leaderboards at the 2017 Open Championships started Friday night, with Boresch and his Classic Lanes Raisins teammates from Milwaukee sending a quick reminder to their young companion team about who the accomplished veterans were, raising the bar in Regular Team with a 3,158 total.
Jacob and Classic Lanes Kids, also from Milwaukee, settled into second place with 3,037, while previous leader, Apparel EFX of Red Rock, Arizona, now is third with 2,950.
Jacob Boresch shined in the process, though, rolling a 760 series, the highest individual set of the 2017 event, which kicked off Feb. 18.
That momentum continued into doubles and singles Saturday as the Boresch tandem climbed to the top of the Regular Doubles standings with a 1,289 total. Jacob led the way with a 657 set, while Lennie, a three-time Open Championships titlist and member of the 2012 USBC Hall of Fame class, added 632. Bryanna and Randy Coté of Red Rock, Arizona, previously held the lead with 1,242.
"I grew up watching these guys bowl and even got to see old tapes of them competing on TV," said Jacob Boresch, who made his fifth Open Championships appearance. "They have a ton of knowledge, and our group respects them more than anyone. Their guidance can't be beat, and being able to find success together is really special. Being able to take the lead in doubles with my dad is incredible, too."
Jacob's success didn't end there, as he added a 705 singles series to claim the top spot in Regular All-Events with a 2,122 total, which has been a top 10 score the last two years. Bryanna Coté previously held the lead with 1,953.
The singles lead Saturday went to another of the group's decorated champions, as six-time titlist and USBC Hall of Famer Gary Daroszewski of Milwaukee, put together games of 213, 268 and 255 for a 736 series. It was the third-highest singles set of his 38-year Open Championships career and moved him past Randy Coté, who previously held the top spot with 715.For more than a decade, Daroszewski, 58, has suffered from neuropathy, a condition that affects the nerves in his legs and feet, and he often has questioned his place in the talented group. He also has overcome a back injury and a recent sprained wrist, the latter of which helped him stay slow and focused at the Open Championships this year.
"You'd wonder based on our performances the last few years if the torch already had been passed to the young guys, but to come out and find success again this year was a lot of fun," Daroszewski said. "A lot of things went right for us, and we matched up well, and that's all you can do. We had a great time and put up some good scores, so we're happy about that."
Taking the lead in every event also brought up conversation about Team All-Events, a title Daroszewski has claimed four times.
Classic Lanes Raisins set the bar there, too, posting a 9,360 total. Daroszewski led the way with a 1,992 all-events effort and was followed by Lennie Boresch Jr. (1,979), three-time champion Ryan Lever (1,878) and a pair of four-time Open Championships winners Dale Traber (1,769) and Gus Yannaras (1,742).
Daroszewski, Boresch, Traber and Yannaras all have been inducted into the USBC Hall of Famer in the Outstanding USBC Performance category.
Classic Lanes Kids, with a combined 20 years of tournament experience, turned in a Team All-Events total of 9,295. Jacob Boresch was joined by Bryan Thompson (1,939), Kyle Anderson (1,840), David Schwartz (1,741) and Ryan Keith (1,653).
Followed singles, Lennie Boresch Jr. glowed when talking about his son's success on the biggest stage in bowling.
"I'm very proud of him, and it was a lot of fun to watch," said Boresch, who made his 36th tournament appearance. "I was hoping we could take the lead together. Just to do it once with your kid is special. They're a great group and definitely capable of competing at a high level. It helps keep us motivated for sure. It's still intense, and I love it."
The 2017 Open Championships will continue through July 16. During the 149-day run, more than 10,000 five-player teams will visit the South Point Bowling Plaza.
The Regular Division is for teams with combined averages of 1,046 and higher or individual bowlers with entering averages of 210 and above.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.