USBC Hall of Famer celebrates 65 years at USBC Open Championships
United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Les Zikes of Palatine, Illinois, added another milestone to his resume March 20 as he became the 11th player in history to celebrate 65 years of participation at the USBC Open Championships.
The 82-year-old right-hander was joined by his wife, Mary Cay, and son, Lyle, as he was introduced and honored at the South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas. He received a plaque, chevron and custom ring in recognition of his dedication to the the event.
A six-time Open Championships titlist, he has served as an ambassador for the sport for more than half a century, earning the respect and admiration of fellow competitors.
Zikes finished his 65th appearance with scores of 570 in singles, 562 in doubles and 546 for a 1,678 all-events total, placing him seventh overall in career pinfall with 112,564, a 197.48 average.
Michigan left-hander takes singles lead at South Point Bowling Plaza
Tony Buck of Rockford, Michigan, has been a consistent performer at the USBC Open Championships for more than two decades, but he’s never posted a number for other bowlers to chase.
That changed March 19 at the South Point Bowling Plaza as the 47-year-old left-hander rolled games of 267, 224 and 277 to take the lead in Regular Singles with a 768 series. USBC Hall of Famer Gary Daroszewski of Milwaukee previously held the lead with 736.
Buck, who made his 21st Open Championships appearance, added 568 in doubles and 529 in team for a 1,865 all-events total.
The lead in Classified Singles also changed hands March 19 as 69-year-old first-timer Michael Tengan of Hilo, Hawaii, tossed games of 215, 199 and 193 for a 607 series. Efrain Rodriguez of New York previously held the lead with 590.
Tengan got more comfortable and progressively better with each event, adding 458 in doubles and 428 in team for a 1,493 all-events total in his debut.
North Dakota team raises bar in Regular Division
Kruse’s Pro Shop of Fargo, North Dakota, recorded a near-perfect final frame March 16 to take the lead in Regular Team at the 2017 USBC Open Championships.
The group started strong at the South Point Bowling Plaza, rolling games of 1,021 and 1,116.
In the finale, four of the five team members delivered doubles in the 10th frame to finish with a 1,061 game and 3,198 total. Classic Lanes Raisins of Milwaukee previously held the lead with 3,158.
Eric Parvey led the effort for Kruse’s Pro Shop with a 671 series, and he was joined by Douglas Wagner Jr. (657), Bradley Nordick (641), Zack Wilhelmi (619) and Casey Stavenger (610).
A look ahead
On March 23 at 8 p.m. Eastern, USBC Hall of Famer Gordy Baer of Tinley Park, Illinois, will celebrate 55 years of USBC Open Championships participation. He’ll be honored prior to his team event at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
The first defending champion of the year also will hit the lanes this week in Las Vegas as Robert J. Bures of Painesville, Ohio, the 2016 Regular Singles champion, puts his title on the line March 28 at 4 p.m. EDT.
Bures, whose father, Robert A. Bures, is a 1980 Regular Doubles champion, rolled games of 279, 278 and 258 to claim the 2016 singles crown with an 815 series.
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The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 2,500 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
2017 USBC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
South Point Bowling Plaza, Las Vegas
(Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfall)
REGULAR DIVISION
Team
(Combined averages of 1,046 and above)
1, Kruse’s Pro Shop (Zack Wilhelmi, Casey Stavenger, Bradley Nordick, Douglas Wagner Jr., Eric Parvey), Fargo, N.D., 3,198. 2, Supreme Deck, Grand Haven, Mich., 3,174. 3, Classic Lanes Raisins, Milwaukee, 3,158. 4, Ballard’s Bowling Academy 2, Fort Worth, Texas, 3,059. 5, Vick Vick Boom 1, Mount Joy, S.C., 3,042. 6, Classic Lanes Kids, Milwaukee, 3,037. 7, Ballard’s Bowling Academy 1, Fort Worth, Texas, 3,036. 8, Bowlifi Perfect Angle Pro Shop, Pekin, Ill., 2,968. 9, Apparel EFX, Red Rock, Ariz., 2,950. 10, Terry Henrick’s Chrysler, Archbold, Ohio, 2,935.
Doubles
(Combined averages of 419 and above)
1, Clint Dacy, Fort Worth, Texas/Chris Hibbitts II, Keller, Texas, 1,320. 2, Jacob Boresch/Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,289. 3, David Gerhart, Mount Joy, S.C./Daniel Vick, Pittsford, N.Y., 1,286. 4, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas/Steve Smith, San Diego, 1,273. 5, William Barnes, Leander, Texas/Geoffrey Young, Keller, Texas, 1,267. 6, Kyle Anderson, Lockport, Ill./Bryan Thompson, Chicago, 1,264. 7, Phillip Hudak, Lexington, S.C./Jerry Watts Jr., Effingham, S.C., 1,263. 8, Douglas Cunningham, Sioux City, Iowa/Curt Blankenburg, Lawton, Iowa, 1,259. 9, Douglas Wagner, Moorhead, Minn./Bradley Nordick, Fargo, N.D., 1,258. 10, Brian Korcak, Clearwater, Fla./Robert Smolka, Pinellas Park, Fla., 1,249.
Singles
(Averages of 210 and above)
1, Tony Buck, Rockford, Mich., 768. 2, Gary Daroszewski, Milwaukee, 736. 3, Neal Miskell, Indian Head, Md., 732. 4, Geoffrey Young, Keller, Texas, 726. 5(tie), Dan Chambers, Bloomington, Minn., William Uthoff, St. Charles, Mo., and Randy Cot‚, Red Rock, Ariz., 715. 8, Jacob Boresch, Kenosha, Wis., 705. 9, Ryan Lever, Muskego, Wis., 700. 10, Derek Nyenhuis, Wyoming, Mich., 696.
All-Events
(Averages of 210 and above)
1, Jacob Boresch, Kenosha, Wis., 2,122. 2, Geoffrey Young, Keller, Texas, 2,028. 3, Daniel Vick, Pittsford, N.Y., 2,012. 4, Gary Daroszewski, Milwaukee, 1,992. 5, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,979. 6(tie), Charles Brown, Grandville, Mich., and Chris Hibbitts II, Keller, Texas, 1,960. 8, Bryanna Cot‚, Red Rock, Ariz., 1,953. 9, Bryan Thompson, Chicago, 1,939. 10(tie), John May, Effingham, S.C., and Paul Campbell, Zephyrhills, Fla., 1,937.
STANDARD DIVISION
Team
(Combined averages of 901-1,045)
1, Wildcat Lanes 1(Jessi Jensen, Brad Jones, Darin Jensen, Randy Bargholz, Jayme Bargholz), Wayne, Neb., 2,688. 2, Hilltop Lanes No. 2, Scribner, Neb., 2,686. 3, Oak Forest Bowl, Midlothian, Ill., 2,672. 4, New Berlin Ale, New Berlin, Wis., 2,666. 5, Strike Chasers 1, Fremont, Calif., 2,644. 6(tie), Burr Oak Bowl, Midlothian, Ill., and Waterman Backhoe, Hawarden, Iowa, 2,641. 8, Kim’s Septic Service, New Rockford, N.D., 2,637. 9, Eldora Bowl, Eldora, Iowa, 2,632. 10(tie), Blue Dog Blazers, Webster, S.D., and Team No Diggity, Fullerton, Calif., 2,625.
Doubles
(Combined averages of 361-418)
1, Jeff Kusnerick/Duane Kruger, Streator, Ill., 1,174. 2, Mele Sally Chow/Randy Chow, Pearl City, Hawaii, 1,167. 3, Annette Hirsch/Tyson Hirsch, Burley, Idaho, 1,164. 4, Jordan Longnecker/Jon Zaruba, Streator, Ill., 1,161. 5, Dan Johnson, Gwinner, N.D./Jim Kutter, Lidgerwood, N.D., 1,151. 6, Randy Moore, Pawleys Island, S.C./Kelly Griffin, Waldorf, Md., 1,150. 7, John Hurt/Ronald Mueller, Maplewood, Minn., 1,137. 8, Paul Christensen, Osakis, Minn./Chad Meyer, Alexandria, Minn., 1,135. 9, Brian Kelhower/Randy Egenes, Hawarden, Iowa, 1,134. 10, John Schipper/Stephen Schipper, Botkins, Ohio, 1,131.
Singles
(Averages of 181-209)
1, Larry Riggs, Sidney, Mont., 648. 2, George Sampior, South San Francisco, Calif., 645. 3, Greg Jones, Jackson, Ohio, 635. 4, Michael Holt, Somerset, N.J., 634. 5, Mark Klostermeier, Toledo, Ohio, 631. 6, Bobby Craig, Salinas, Calif., 630. 7, Bradley Coffey, Waukesha, Wis., 628. 8(tie), Kevin Carr, Carrington, N.D., and Brian Kelhower, Hawarden, Iowa, 627. 10, Ture Peterson, St. Petersburg, Fla., 618.
All-Events
(Averages of 181-209)
1, Tommy Purvy, San Diego, 1,769. 2, Scott Gray, East Meadow, N.Y., 1,756. 3, Ruben Flores, Salinas, Calif., 1,754. 4, Brian Harrison, Mount Vernon, N.Y., 1,750. 5, Kevin Carr, Carrington, N.D., 1,742. 6, Michael Kvislen, Finley, N.D., 1,739. 7, Cody Dyer, Carl Junction, Mo., 1,737. 8, Curt Brown, Sidney, Mont., 1,731. 9(tie), Monica Caldwell, Tucson, Ariz., and William Wenecki, 1,730.
CLASSIFIED DIVISION
Team
(Combined averages of 900 and below)
1, Dusty’s Floor Covering (Douglas Fugleberg, Corey Hanson, Ricky Crane, Jody Bueng, Lynn Christianson), Twin Valley, Minn., 2,487. 2, Decorah Auto Center, Calmar, Iowa, 2,437. 3, Crooked Creek 1 Bar & Grill, Bowman, N.D., 2,413. 4, County Line Storage, Osceola, Wis., 2,325. 5, Screaming Nuts, Pearland, Texas, 2,323. 6, Fore Bowlers, Mesquite, Nev., 2,309. 7, Aerointeriors, Billings, Mont., 2,291. 8, Bowl Dawgs, Starkville, Miss., 2,285. 9, Wagner’s Heating, Hardin, Mont., 2,284. 10, Custom Timpani, Ellendale, N.D., 2,283.
Doubles
(Combined averages of 360 and below)
1, Charles Lindeman, Belt, Mont./John Lindeman, Fort Benton, Mont., 1,058. 2, Sarah Eastland, Lawrence, Kan./Justin Milburn, De Soto, Kan., 1,055. 3, Dawn Holmes/Dennis Holmes, Las Vegas, 1,037. 4, Josh Stickland, Sisseton, S.D./Noah Nissen, Lidgerwood, N.D., 1,035. 5, Mike Ignacio, Seaside, Calif./Anthony Souza, Watsonville, Calif., 1,034. 6, Stanley Keeney, Casey, Ill./Denise Elsberry, Paris, Ill., 1,032. 7, Robert Todino/Kelly Lundgren, Green River, Wyo., 1,031. 7, Jeremy Gleason, Lidgerwood, N.D./Kipp Bredvik, New Effington, S.D., 1,028. 9, Marlin Rude, Zumbrota, Minn./Tiffany Kiffmeyer, Kenyon, Minn., 1,027. 10, Dale Captain, Menahga, Minn./Joshua Luebben, Alexandria, Minn., 1,019.
Singles
(Averages of 180 and below)
1, Michael Tengan, Hilo, Hawaii, 607. 2, Efrain Rodriguez, New York, N.Y., 590. 3, James Lee, North Platte, Neb., 589. 4, Gregory Lancaster, Port Orchard, Wash., 587. 5, Taylor Lewis, Cambridge, Neb., 577. 6, John Jungeblut, Higginsville, Mo., 574. 7, Norris Kjos, Carrington, N.D., 573. 8, Eric Hoffman, Ada, Mich., 570. 9, Clay Books, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., 568. 10, Mark Urness, Hannaford, N.D., 567.
All-Events
(Averages of 180 and below)
1, Efrain Rodriguez, New York, N.Y., 1,636. 2, Bim Marston, Hardin, Mont., 1,623. 3, Jeffrey Wallace, Riply, Ohio, 1,587. 4, Daniel Hybner, Rudyard, Mont., 1,586. 5, Kipp Bredvik, New Effington, S.D., 1,564. 6, Norris Kjos, New Rockford, N.D., 1,558. 7(tie), Lynn Christianson, Twin Valley, Minn., and Robert Maroon, Carrollton, Ill., 1,556. 9(tie), Kyle Glynn, Ellendale, N.D., and Jace Hansen, Peever, S.D., 1,555.
