Waliczek returns for title defense at 2023 USBC Open Championships
June 06, 2023
RENO, Nev. – Brian Waliczek of Frankenmuth, Michigan, returned to the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships in 2023 with hopes of putting together a strong performance at the National Bowling Stadium and making a run at defending the Regular All-Events title he won last year in Las Vegas.
Bowling with the powerhouse Team NABR group in 2022 at the South Point Bowling Plaza, Waliczek posted a 745 set in team and followed with 750 in doubles and 746 in singles to win the title with a nine-game total of 2,241. The team also finished as the runner-up in Team All-Events (10,538) and in ninth in Regular Team (3,398), while Waliczek paired with Christopher Lamb of Rochester, New York, to tie for seventh place in Regular Doubles (1,471).
The victory was the fourth for Waliczek at the USBC Open Championships, and he’s positioned himself as a yearly contender for an Eagle alongside his talented two-team group.
“Being later in my career, if there’s anything I look forward to each year, it is participating in the Open Championships,” Waliczek said. “When you come back to the Open Championships as a returning champion, it’s even more exciting and gets the adrenaline flowing just a bit more.”
The 45-year-old right-hander recently made his 24th tournament appearance, and although he was unable to match his Eagle-winning performance from 2022, he left Reno with another solid year in the books at the tournament.
After receiving his championship watch prior to his team event, he fired a 687 series to help Team NABR to a 3,298 total and put himself in position to make a run at the all-events lead again in 2023, which had belonged to Derek Eoff of DeForest, Wisconsin, at the time with 2,165. Nick Kruml of St. Peters, Missouri, now leads with 2,242.
The next day, Waliczek rolled sets of 631 in doubles and 675 in singles to get to 1,993 for the year, which currently places him in the top 60 at the 2023 event.
While he was unable to defend the title, Waliczek still was on cloud nine coming back to see his banner, adding another title to his resume and most important of all, being able to celebrate with his teammates.
“An all-events win is truly a team effort, and I have to give props to my guys for helping me win last year’s title,” said Waliczek, who also won Regular Team at the 2015 and 2017 events and Team All-Events in 2017 with Team NABR. “We have a group chat that we are actively engaged in all year long preparing for this event, and getting to bowl with this stellar group of bowlers every year, knowing we have a chance to put up some numbers together because of our work before and during the tournament, is really special to me.
“Having my teammates march out with me down Center Aisle also was great, and I wanted to show that without them, I might not have this title.”
The members of Team NABR include USBC Hall of Famer and four-time champion Mike Rose Jr., three-time winners Adam Barta and Scott Pohl and 2013 Regular Team champion Vernon Peterson.
Their crossing team – Lightning Strikes Pro Shop – also placed in the top 10 of Team All-Events last year with a 10,116 total and features Lamb, Kevin Donovan, Troy McClure, Kyle Keegan and Robert Wiley.
Even though Waliczek had experienced the excitement of returning to the Open Championships to defend a title in his previous wins, there were still some nerves to go along with his honorary march down Center Aisle this year at the NBS.
“There were a few times I would nervously be checking my phone back in the squad room before the team event, and I had to tell myself to just put it away and truly take in the moment and enjoy it because you never know if this is going to be your last time experiencing this,” Waliczek said.
Regular All-Events features bowlers with entering averages of 176 and above.
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
Bowling with the powerhouse Team NABR group in 2022 at the South Point Bowling Plaza, Waliczek posted a 745 set in team and followed with 750 in doubles and 746 in singles to win the title with a nine-game total of 2,241. The team also finished as the runner-up in Team All-Events (10,538) and in ninth in Regular Team (3,398), while Waliczek paired with Christopher Lamb of Rochester, New York, to tie for seventh place in Regular Doubles (1,471).
The victory was the fourth for Waliczek at the USBC Open Championships, and he’s positioned himself as a yearly contender for an Eagle alongside his talented two-team group.
“Being later in my career, if there’s anything I look forward to each year, it is participating in the Open Championships,” Waliczek said. “When you come back to the Open Championships as a returning champion, it’s even more exciting and gets the adrenaline flowing just a bit more.”
The 45-year-old right-hander recently made his 24th tournament appearance, and although he was unable to match his Eagle-winning performance from 2022, he left Reno with another solid year in the books at the tournament.
After receiving his championship watch prior to his team event, he fired a 687 series to help Team NABR to a 3,298 total and put himself in position to make a run at the all-events lead again in 2023, which had belonged to Derek Eoff of DeForest, Wisconsin, at the time with 2,165. Nick Kruml of St. Peters, Missouri, now leads with 2,242.
The next day, Waliczek rolled sets of 631 in doubles and 675 in singles to get to 1,993 for the year, which currently places him in the top 60 at the 2023 event.
While he was unable to defend the title, Waliczek still was on cloud nine coming back to see his banner, adding another title to his resume and most important of all, being able to celebrate with his teammates.
“An all-events win is truly a team effort, and I have to give props to my guys for helping me win last year’s title,” said Waliczek, who also won Regular Team at the 2015 and 2017 events and Team All-Events in 2017 with Team NABR. “We have a group chat that we are actively engaged in all year long preparing for this event, and getting to bowl with this stellar group of bowlers every year, knowing we have a chance to put up some numbers together because of our work before and during the tournament, is really special to me.
“Having my teammates march out with me down Center Aisle also was great, and I wanted to show that without them, I might not have this title.”
The members of Team NABR include USBC Hall of Famer and four-time champion Mike Rose Jr., three-time winners Adam Barta and Scott Pohl and 2013 Regular Team champion Vernon Peterson.
Their crossing team – Lightning Strikes Pro Shop – also placed in the top 10 of Team All-Events last year with a 10,116 total and features Lamb, Kevin Donovan, Troy McClure, Kyle Keegan and Robert Wiley.
Even though Waliczek had experienced the excitement of returning to the Open Championships to defend a title in his previous wins, there were still some nerves to go along with his honorary march down Center Aisle this year at the NBS.
“There were a few times I would nervously be checking my phone back in the squad room before the team event, and I had to tell myself to just put it away and truly take in the moment and enjoy it because you never know if this is going to be your last time experiencing this,” Waliczek said.
Regular All-Events features bowlers with entering averages of 176 and above.
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.