Brian Waliczek takes Regular All-Events lead at 2022 Open Championships

LAS VEGAS - The members of Team NABR of Fairport, New York, have made a habit of rewriting the leaderboard at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships in recent years, and the group did not disappoint at the 2022 edition of the event.

After moving into fifth place in Regular Team on Saturday at the South Point Bowling Plaza with a 3,398 total, the team entered their final frames of singles Sunday with the chance to set a record score in Team All-Events and capture the lead in Regular Singles and Regular All-Events.

Three-time titlist Brian Waliczek of Frankenmuth, Michigan, was able to roll three strikes in his 10th frame to take over the top spot in Regular All-Events with a 2,241 total.

The quintet settled into second in Team All-Events with a 10,538 total, and three-time champion Adam Barta of Girard, Ohio, now is second in Regular Singles with a 790 series.

Brett Cunningham of Clay, New York, previously led Regular All-Events with 2,220.

Storm Products Inc. 1 of Alva, Florida, leads Regular Team with 3,486, and DiLaura Brothers 1 of Clinton Township, Michigan, leads Team All-Events with a record score of 10,585.

Two-time winner Jeff Nimke of Appleton, Wisconsin, took over the lead in Regular Singles on Saturday with a 796 series.

Waliczek, a 44-year-old right-hander, needed the first strike in his final frame of singles for the chance to take the outright lead in Regular All-Events. He finished his final game with 256 for a 746 series. He added sets of 750 in doubles and 745 in team to average 249 for his nine games over the weekend at the Bowling Plaza.

Team NABR at the 2022 USBC Open Championships"Our team works well together on trying to play the lanes correctly," said Waliczek, who helped Team NABR to wins in Regular Team (2015 and 2017) and Team All-Events (2017). "We were able to keep our transitions at a minimum and stay in our zones."

Barta had the chance to roll the first 800 series in singles at the 2022 event entering his final frame, but he left a 3-6 combination on his first delivery.

He converted the spare and tossed a strike on his fill ball to secure second place, finishing with games of 256, 267 and 267.

Barta also moved into seventh in Regular All-Events, adding 714 in doubles and 684 in team for a 2,188 total.

Waliczek and Barta were joined in the run at Team All-Events by four-time Eagle winner Mike Rose Jr. (2,154), three-time champion Scott Pohl (2,059) and 2013 Regular Team titlist Vernon Peterson (1,896).

The chemistry, camaraderie and teamwork put forth for the Open Championships each year by these five players is well known, but they also will be the first to credit the work put in by their crossing team, Lightning Strikes Pro Shop of Rochester, New York.

Led by Troy McClure's 2,114 all-events tally, Lightning Strikes Pro Shop also eclipsed the 10,000 mark in Team All-Events, moving into fifth place with 10,116.

McClure was joined by Kevin Donovan (2,093), Kyle Keegan (2,033), Christopher Lamb (1,950) and Robert Wiley (1,926).

"They crushed it this year, and it was awesome," said Waliczek, who also took over fourth place in Regular Doubles with Lamb (1,471 total). "They've been working so hard, and it was fun to see both squads crush it."

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