Lodge Lanes leaves its mark at 2016 USBC Mixed
April 27, 2016
LAS VEGAS - The name Lodge Lanes is synonymous with success at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships and now has made its mark at the USBC Mixed as Lodge Lanes Mixed of Tonganoxie, Kansas, soared into the lead in Division 1 Team this week.
Lodge Lanes Mixed started and finished strong at the South Point Bowling Plaza, firing games of 931, 741 and 922 for a 2,594 total, surpassing Bowling Dynamics of Cave Creek, Arizona, which previously held the lead with 2,453.
John Janawicz, a three-time USBC Open Championships titlist, led the way for Lodge Lanes Mixed with a 711 series, and he was joined by Professional Women's Bowling Association spokesperson Kelly Kulick (704), Jeff Ussery (610) and Melissa Peters (569).
After the strong start, the team got caught in transition in Game 2, but rebounded on the strength of a 279 from Kulick in the finale to put up the highest team series in The Mixed's two-year history.
"I've bowled two different events here, and both times, the lanes were really tight," Ussery said. "They hooked significantly more than we thought they would, so it forced us farther left from the beginning. The lanes transitioned a lot more than we hoped, and, in the second game, we just didn't adjust well to it. We got back on it in the third game and got all we could."
USBC Hall of Famer Bob Goike began the tradition of success associated with Lodge Lanes, located in Belleville, Michigan, when he captured the 1984 Regular All-Events title with a then-record total of 2,142.
The success continued when Goike teamed with fellow hall of famer John Gaines, Chris Barnes, Patrick Healey Jr. and Brad Kiszewski in 1996, and the quintet went on to capture the 1997 Team All-Events title in Huntsville, Alabama.
The team successfully defended its title the following year at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada, while Gaines won Regular Singles and Barnes recorded a victory in Regular All-Events.
Lodge Lanes' run at an unprecedented third consecutive Team All-Events victory fell one pin short at the 1999 event in Syracuse, New York, but new team member Tommy Jones captured the Regular All-Events title.
Gaines revitalized the namesake with a new group in recent years, and Lodge Lanes Too added to the legacy by capturing the Regular Team title at the 2013 Open Championships, also at the NBS, with a then-record score of 3,538. That team featured Janawicz, Vernon Peterson, Mitch Jabczenski and Scott Newell. Ussery was able to be part of that experience as well as a member of the companion team.
"It's really fantastic to be able to bowl under the Lodge Lanes name," Ussery said. "It's always great to end up on the leaderboard at a USBC event. John Gaines always says if you don't get your picture taken, it's not a successful trip. This was certainly a very successful one. It would be really nice to add another trophy to that cabinet in Michigan and represent the heritage of that team."
Lodge Lanes Mixed also left its mark on the doubles and singles leaderboard at The Mixed. The doubles and singles portion of the event is being held at the South Point Bowling Center.
Janawicz and Peters lead Division 1 Doubles with 1,335, and Ussery and Kulick sit in second place with 1,323. Kulick also is second in Division 1 Singles with 726. David Cirigliano of Phoenix leads with 731.
The Mixed, which debuted last year at the NBS, runs alongside the Women's Championships. The tournament features the same divisional structure as the Women's Championships, giving bowlers of all skill levels to opportunity to compete and earn prize money in a fun and laid-back environment.
Teams in Division 1 have combined entering averages of 725 and above. Division 1 Doubles features pairs with combined entering averages of 380 and above. Division 1 Singles includes bowlers with entering averages of 190 and above.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
Lodge Lanes Mixed started and finished strong at the South Point Bowling Plaza, firing games of 931, 741 and 922 for a 2,594 total, surpassing Bowling Dynamics of Cave Creek, Arizona, which previously held the lead with 2,453.
John Janawicz, a three-time USBC Open Championships titlist, led the way for Lodge Lanes Mixed with a 711 series, and he was joined by Professional Women's Bowling Association spokesperson Kelly Kulick (704), Jeff Ussery (610) and Melissa Peters (569).
After the strong start, the team got caught in transition in Game 2, but rebounded on the strength of a 279 from Kulick in the finale to put up the highest team series in The Mixed's two-year history.
"I've bowled two different events here, and both times, the lanes were really tight," Ussery said. "They hooked significantly more than we thought they would, so it forced us farther left from the beginning. The lanes transitioned a lot more than we hoped, and, in the second game, we just didn't adjust well to it. We got back on it in the third game and got all we could."
USBC Hall of Famer Bob Goike began the tradition of success associated with Lodge Lanes, located in Belleville, Michigan, when he captured the 1984 Regular All-Events title with a then-record total of 2,142.
The success continued when Goike teamed with fellow hall of famer John Gaines, Chris Barnes, Patrick Healey Jr. and Brad Kiszewski in 1996, and the quintet went on to capture the 1997 Team All-Events title in Huntsville, Alabama.
The team successfully defended its title the following year at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada, while Gaines won Regular Singles and Barnes recorded a victory in Regular All-Events.
Lodge Lanes' run at an unprecedented third consecutive Team All-Events victory fell one pin short at the 1999 event in Syracuse, New York, but new team member Tommy Jones captured the Regular All-Events title.
Gaines revitalized the namesake with a new group in recent years, and Lodge Lanes Too added to the legacy by capturing the Regular Team title at the 2013 Open Championships, also at the NBS, with a then-record score of 3,538. That team featured Janawicz, Vernon Peterson, Mitch Jabczenski and Scott Newell. Ussery was able to be part of that experience as well as a member of the companion team.
"It's really fantastic to be able to bowl under the Lodge Lanes name," Ussery said. "It's always great to end up on the leaderboard at a USBC event. John Gaines always says if you don't get your picture taken, it's not a successful trip. This was certainly a very successful one. It would be really nice to add another trophy to that cabinet in Michigan and represent the heritage of that team."
Lodge Lanes Mixed also left its mark on the doubles and singles leaderboard at The Mixed. The doubles and singles portion of the event is being held at the South Point Bowling Center.
Janawicz and Peters lead Division 1 Doubles with 1,335, and Ussery and Kulick sit in second place with 1,323. Kulick also is second in Division 1 Singles with 726. David Cirigliano of Phoenix leads with 731.
The Mixed, which debuted last year at the NBS, runs alongside the Women's Championships. The tournament features the same divisional structure as the Women's Championships, giving bowlers of all skill levels to opportunity to compete and earn prize money in a fun and laid-back environment.
Teams in Division 1 have combined entering averages of 725 and above. Division 1 Doubles features pairs with combined entering averages of 380 and above. Division 1 Singles includes bowlers with entering averages of 190 and above.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.