RENO, Nev. - Keith Aderholt of Millstadt, Ill., tossed 12 consecutive strikes on the way to a career-best performance at the USBC Open Championships, while Jonathan Gary of Newport News, Va., rolled an emotional 300 game of his own at the National Bowling Stadium a few hours later.

When Aderholt took a promotion and moved from Alabama to Illinois three years ago, the first thing he did was find a bowling center so he could stay competitive. He stumbled upon Bel-Air Bowl in Belleville, Ill., and met several people who quickly became his friends.

Those same friends led him back to the Open Championships after a two-year hiatus. This year marked his third-consecutive tournament appearance and sixth overall. The group is made up of several Belleville natives, including Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association champion Mike Mineman. 

Aderholt started his singles event Sunday night with a 246 game before rolling the 41st 300 of the 2011 event. The 46-year-old right-hander finished with 237 for a 783 series and career-high 2,204 all-events total, which included a 723 series in team and 698 in doubles and is seventh overall. Matt Weggen of Muscatine, Iowa, leads Regular Singles and Regular All-Events with 826 and 2,268, respectively.

"I'm still pretty pumped," said Aderholt, a maintenance supervisor at Solutia Inc. "The guys I bowl with are great, and I was chosen to bowl with a really good team. I moved to Illinois about three years ago. They asked me to come with them, and it feels really good to shoot 300 with those guys."

Aderholt never imagined shooting 300 at the Open Championships, but now has his sights set on other goals, including winning an eagle.

"I never thought I'd shoot 300 at the Open Championships," said Aderholt, whose previous-best all-events score was 1,846 in 2010. "The conditions are a lot tougher here, so it's a dream come true. But, the biggest goal for our team is to win the team event and win an eagle. The team event is more important than any single person."

For Gary, achieving perfection at the Stadium meant a little more because the NBS was a special location for him and his father, who died in 1999. 

When Gary was just 17 years old, the two hopped in the car and drove cross country from Virginia to Reno, so he could make his Open Championships debut at the 1998 event. 

He came close to shooting 300 that year when he started a game with eight consecutive strikes, but his spot in the record books would have to wait.

The 31-year-old right-hander made his recent run at perfection during his final game of doubles Monday morning and found success by lofting the ball over the left gutter. 

"I got as nervous as could be and felt like I was bowling my first 300 all over again," said Gary, who made his 14th Open Championships appearance. "I shot 300 at our state tournament lofting the ball like that, so I was comfortable. I just wanted to pry it off my hand in the 10th frame. I got the last shot a little too wide, but it made the turn. I guess my dad helped me out on that one."

After losing his father, Gary struggled on the tournament lanes for a few years, but was able to get back on track with help from his friends and teammates. He still competes with people he's known for much of his life and used to keep score for when he was younger.

He finished doubles with a 685 series and added 628 in singles and 585 in team for a 1,898 all-events total.

"I can't even describe how I feel right now," said Gary, who bowls at Sparetimes in Hampton, Va. "I've been bowling since I was 5 years old, and to shoot 300 at Nationals couldn't be any sweeter, especially since it happened in Reno, which will always be a special place for me."

There have been four years in Open Championships history with more 300 games. The record for a single tournament is 64, set at the 2002 event in Billings, Mont. There were 51 in 1993, 48 in 1991 and 44 in 1989. 

Click here to watch video highlights from the 2011 Open Championships.

Presenting sponsors for the 2011 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, Humana, official registration sponsor, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.