Best friends crack top five at USBC Open Championships
June 26, 2010
RENO, Nev. - Isaac Vidaurri and Frank Goff Jr. are best friends from the small town of Kingsville, Texas, and when they return home from the 2010 USBC Open Championships, they might be local celebrities.
The two teamed up for a 1,193 total and moved into third place in Classified Doubles at the National Bowling Stadium on Friday. Daphene and Mark Thompson of Snyder, Texas, lead with 1,207.
Goff, a 49-year-old right-hander, got off to a slow start with a 164 game, but added 231 and 252 to lead the pair with a 647 series. Vidaurri contributed games of 186, 200 and 160 for 546.
"We want to make a name for ourselves, but we are from a small town, so we're also here to represent Kingsville," said Vidaurri, a 46-year-old right-hander. "We were excited to do what we did, and even though we didn't get the lead, we're happy to be in third place."
Ultimately, the teammates' main goal was to improve on their performance from their last trip to Reno (2007) when they finished tied for 16th place in Classified Doubles with a 1,181 total. When they left Reno that year, Vidaurri and Goff were in second place after missing the lead by five pins.
"I was looking forward to coming back because we got so close the last time we were here," Goff said. "We came here with a goal, and we got so close again. This event is really exciting, and we can't wait to come back next year and try again."
Vidaurri and Goff live just a mile apart, and they do almost everything together, including bowling league at the eight-lane bowling center at the Kingsville Naval Air Station.
The two motivate each other on the lanes, and their trip to the Open Championships each year is like a mini vacation, with a strong emphasis on bowling. They debuted together on the tournament lanes at the 2006 event in Corpus Christi, Texas, which was a quick 45-mile drive from Kingsville.
"We enjoy bowling, but never tried going to Nationals before," Goff said. "Since it was only an hour away, there was no reason not to go. We were excited that we did well for our first year, and the experience was good overall, so we decided we'd keep going back and trying to improve."
Vidaurri added 583 in singles and 559 in team this week and finished with a career-best 1,688 all-events total. His previous high was 1,577 in 2006. Goff had 508 in singles and 504 in team for 1,659. His best effort was 1,735, also in 2006. The United Kingdom's Ken Iredale leads Classified All-Events this year with 1,810.
To be eligible for the Classified Division, bowlers must have an entering average of 180 or less for singles and all-events, 360 for doubles and 900 or less for team.
The 2010 Open Championships kicked off its 136-day run on Feb. 20 and will conclude July 5. By the time it's over, 14,189 five-player teams will have made their way to Reno.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, 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.
The two teamed up for a 1,193 total and moved into third place in Classified Doubles at the National Bowling Stadium on Friday. Daphene and Mark Thompson of Snyder, Texas, lead with 1,207.
Goff, a 49-year-old right-hander, got off to a slow start with a 164 game, but added 231 and 252 to lead the pair with a 647 series. Vidaurri contributed games of 186, 200 and 160 for 546.
"We want to make a name for ourselves, but we are from a small town, so we're also here to represent Kingsville," said Vidaurri, a 46-year-old right-hander. "We were excited to do what we did, and even though we didn't get the lead, we're happy to be in third place."
Ultimately, the teammates' main goal was to improve on their performance from their last trip to Reno (2007) when they finished tied for 16th place in Classified Doubles with a 1,181 total. When they left Reno that year, Vidaurri and Goff were in second place after missing the lead by five pins.
"I was looking forward to coming back because we got so close the last time we were here," Goff said. "We came here with a goal, and we got so close again. This event is really exciting, and we can't wait to come back next year and try again."
Vidaurri and Goff live just a mile apart, and they do almost everything together, including bowling league at the eight-lane bowling center at the Kingsville Naval Air Station.
The two motivate each other on the lanes, and their trip to the Open Championships each year is like a mini vacation, with a strong emphasis on bowling. They debuted together on the tournament lanes at the 2006 event in Corpus Christi, Texas, which was a quick 45-mile drive from Kingsville.
"We enjoy bowling, but never tried going to Nationals before," Goff said. "Since it was only an hour away, there was no reason not to go. We were excited that we did well for our first year, and the experience was good overall, so we decided we'd keep going back and trying to improve."
Vidaurri added 583 in singles and 559 in team this week and finished with a career-best 1,688 all-events total. His previous high was 1,577 in 2006. Goff had 508 in singles and 504 in team for 1,659. His best effort was 1,735, also in 2006. The United Kingdom's Ken Iredale leads Classified All-Events this year with 1,810.
To be eligible for the Classified Division, bowlers must have an entering average of 180 or less for singles and all-events, 360 for doubles and 900 or less for team.
The 2010 Open Championships kicked off its 136-day run on Feb. 20 and will conclude July 5. By the time it's over, 14,189 five-player teams will have made their way to Reno.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, 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.