Alaska bowler rolls 300 in debut at 2022 USBC Open Championships
June 25, 2022
LAS VEGAS - Devyn Williams of Eagle River, Alaska, may have been the new member to the two-team group he joined at the 2022 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, but he made a perfect first impression as he connected for a 300 game Friday at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
The 28-year-old right-hander, who also was making his tournament debut at the USBC Open Championships, kicked off his singles set with 12 consecutive strikes to record the 38th 300 at the 2022 event.
He added games of 197 and 258 to finish singles with a 755 series, and he added 653 in doubles and 624 in team for a 2,032 all-events total in the Regular Division.
Williams made the trip to South Point at the urging of his friend, Jayson Robarge, who had a spot open up in his group made up of former and current collegiate bowlers from Lindenwood University, including Professional Bowlers Association Tour standouts Brad Miller and Kyle Sherman.
"Jayson asked if I wanted to go, so that's how I ended up with this group ... I was the honorary non-Lindenwood bowler of the group," Williams joked. "I've always been a people person, though, so I meshed in well with everybody."
Prior to making his debut at the Open Championships, Williams and Robarge, who hails from Anchorage, drilled some new equipment and stayed sharp with several practice sessions on tougher oil patterns.
On the lanes at the Bowling Plaza on Friday, Williams credited a ball change and some assistance from Sherman, who was bowling on the same pair, in making his run at a big day.
"The big change was going to something a little cleaner through the heads that rolled a little more instead of snapped," Williams said. "It was a lot cleaner for me to open up the lane a little more with Kyle throwing urethane in the beginning. I had bowled and crossed with Kyle a couple times, and he was able to help me out and kind of line me up there toward the end."
Williams felt he executed well in his final frame as he connected for 300, but he was proud of sticking to the goal he had made for his six games of doubles and singles.
"I thought all three were pretty good, but there wasn't really a whole lot going through my head in that 10th frame," Williams said. "The thing I told myself all day was to commit. I wanted to commit to every shot and make sure I threw every shot as well as I could."
Although his second game showed 197 on the scoreboard at South Point, he noted a 7-10 split in the middle of the game and a 4-9 split in the 10th had cost him a chance at a bigger number in singles, but he still was happy with how he followed the excitement of posting 300 at the Open Championships.
The perfect performance was his first since his days as a USBC Youth member, and he appreciates what Friday's showing means at the tournament.
"It means a lot," Williams said. "I'm still kind of processing that I'm going to be announced every time I come here. I want to thank Jayson for drilling all my stuff and convincing me to go. It was a great tournament, and I had a really great time."
Scott Patke of Lansing, Michigan, leads Regular Singles with 835, and three-time champion Brian Waliczek of Frankenmuth, Michigan, leads Regular All-Events with 2,241.
The Regular Division features bowlers with entering averages of 176 and above.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
The 28-year-old right-hander, who also was making his tournament debut at the USBC Open Championships, kicked off his singles set with 12 consecutive strikes to record the 38th 300 at the 2022 event.
He added games of 197 and 258 to finish singles with a 755 series, and he added 653 in doubles and 624 in team for a 2,032 all-events total in the Regular Division.
Williams made the trip to South Point at the urging of his friend, Jayson Robarge, who had a spot open up in his group made up of former and current collegiate bowlers from Lindenwood University, including Professional Bowlers Association Tour standouts Brad Miller and Kyle Sherman.
"Jayson asked if I wanted to go, so that's how I ended up with this group ... I was the honorary non-Lindenwood bowler of the group," Williams joked. "I've always been a people person, though, so I meshed in well with everybody."
Prior to making his debut at the Open Championships, Williams and Robarge, who hails from Anchorage, drilled some new equipment and stayed sharp with several practice sessions on tougher oil patterns.
On the lanes at the Bowling Plaza on Friday, Williams credited a ball change and some assistance from Sherman, who was bowling on the same pair, in making his run at a big day.
"The big change was going to something a little cleaner through the heads that rolled a little more instead of snapped," Williams said. "It was a lot cleaner for me to open up the lane a little more with Kyle throwing urethane in the beginning. I had bowled and crossed with Kyle a couple times, and he was able to help me out and kind of line me up there toward the end."
Williams felt he executed well in his final frame as he connected for 300, but he was proud of sticking to the goal he had made for his six games of doubles and singles.
"I thought all three were pretty good, but there wasn't really a whole lot going through my head in that 10th frame," Williams said. "The thing I told myself all day was to commit. I wanted to commit to every shot and make sure I threw every shot as well as I could."
Although his second game showed 197 on the scoreboard at South Point, he noted a 7-10 split in the middle of the game and a 4-9 split in the 10th had cost him a chance at a bigger number in singles, but he still was happy with how he followed the excitement of posting 300 at the Open Championships.
The perfect performance was his first since his days as a USBC Youth member, and he appreciates what Friday's showing means at the tournament.
"It means a lot," Williams said. "I'm still kind of processing that I'm going to be announced every time I come here. I want to thank Jayson for drilling all my stuff and convincing me to go. It was a great tournament, and I had a really great time."
Scott Patke of Lansing, Michigan, leads Regular Singles with 835, and three-time champion Brian Waliczek of Frankenmuth, Michigan, leads Regular All-Events with 2,241.
The Regular Division features bowlers with entering averages of 176 and above.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.