Big day for Kansas bowlers at 2025 USBC Open Championships
March 12, 2025
PHOTO (from left): Trevor Baumgartner and Dylan Burns
BATON ROUGE, La. – The pair of Dylan Burns and Trevor Baumgartner enjoy bowling doubles together, and the chemistry they’ve developed on the lanes is starting to show regularly at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
At the 2024 event in Las Vegas, the duo moved into third place in Regular Doubles during their appearance in early April and eventually finished tied for 17th place (1,430). On Wednesday at the 2025 event, they posted nearly identical sets on the way to the lead with a 1,408 score.
Burns had games of 246, 237 and 222 for a 705 series at the Raising Cane’s River Center, while Baumgartner rolled scores of 223, 234 and 246 for 703. USBC and Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Mika Koivuniemi and Christopher Sand previously held the lead with 1,369.
Burns – a 33-year-old right-hander from Wichita, Kansas – also finished his 10th appearance at the USBC Open Championships with the lead in Regular All-Events. He added 735 in team and 697 in singles to cruise to the top of the standings by nearly 140 pins with 2,137. Sam Carter of Ben Lomond, California, had held the lead with 2,003.
Baumgartner – a 31-year-old left-hander from Topeka, Kansas – nearly joined his teammate with a second trip to the top of the leaderboard. The southpaw had a chance to take over the top spot in Regular Singles with a double in his final frame but left a 6 pin on his first delivery.
He's now tied for second with 732 after games of 258, 256 and 218. Austin Jahnke of Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, leads Regular Singles with 741.
The pair has been bowling doubles together for approximately 10 years, including three years at the Open Championships. They both felt like they had a chance to put up a number early during doubles and knew they were a quick conversation away from getting back on track if needed.
“I would say our camaraderie is a big strength for us,” said Baumgartner, who made his ninth tournament appearance and posted 1,979 for all-events. “We’re also best friends and know each other so well. We know our tendencies. He knows my game like the back of his hand, and I know his like the back of mine. We never really have to hit the panic button around each other because we trust our games.”
“It’s also a comfort thing, too,” Burns added. “If I throw a bad shot, he won’t be worried about what I’ll do on the next one. There’s definitely team chemistry. We can have a full-blown conversation whether we’re taking the lead in doubles or bowling very mediocre.”
The chemistry certainly could have been tested Tuesday at the River Center after the group’s team event. As part of Topeka 1, Baumgartner and Burns – along with Anthony Lockwood, Jared Freed and Johnny Clark – had the lead in Regular Team within grasp after starting with 1,048 and 1,053.
The team struggled in the final game, however, coming in at a final tally of 2,912. Storm Products Inc. 1 of Alva, Florida, leads at the 2025 event with 3,080.
Instead of sitting back and thinking about what could have been, they looked ahead to another opportunity in doubles and singles Wednesday.
“That was one you kind of had to forget and move on,” Burns said. “We tried to take the positives from the first two games. I think we did a pretty good job of breaking down the pair for the first game and a half, but we ended up all falling behind it and never really caught up. It hit us hard, unfortunately, but there’s always tomorrow.”
Baumgartner noted last year’s doubles run as an inspiring factor, too.
“The moves weren’t completely all the way there, and we didn’t move quick enough,” Baumgartner said. “I think what helped us move on was last year’s run. We made a run in doubles, and maybe we can do it again. You just have to move on, even though that was rough.”
The team’s overall performance Wednesday also helped the group take over second place in Team All-Events with 9,434. Storm Products Inc. 1 also leads the 45-game marathon with 9,537.
Freed added 1,951, Clark posted 1,699 and Lockwood had 1,668.
Burns has had some slow starts throughout his career in team at the Open Championships, but he’s also turned that trend around over his last two appearances.
He fired 721 last year in Las Vegas on his way to a 2,140 total and top-30 finish in all-events, and he used games of 248, 259 and 228 to settle into things this week at the River Center.
Burns finished his 2025 appearance averaging more than 237 across his nine games, with just one game below 222 (207).
“I’ve had some ups and downs as far as team events go,” said Burns, who finished ninth in Regular Singles (777) and 13th in Regular All-Events (2,077) at the 2019 event. “There have been some team events where most of my team has been lined up, but I struggled, so it’s something I wanted to focus on. I couldn’t figure out how to create the best ball reaction in team, but it’s been nice to get comfortable right away. I don’t believe I was ever uncomfortable in the team event or today. Getting out of the blocks like that is kind of big for me, rather than being behind the pace and trying to climb my way out of a hole.”
As the pair heads back home to Kansas in search of the next doubles tournament they can find, they also get to start the waiting game to see how their scores will hold up against the field.
“It’ll probably take a couple hours to sink in that we just took over the lead at one of the biggest events you can bowl,” Baumgartner said. “Since we’ve been bowling together, we’ve always talked about how getting an Eagle would be a dream come true. Getting one in doubles would be amazing.”
“It’s another steppingstone to let us know that we can do it,” Burns said. “There are so many good bowlers yet to come, but I think it’s a good bar to set. I’ve never been on top of the leaderboard like that before, either, so it’s very cool.”
The Open Championships is celebrating its third trip to Baton Rouge in 2025 and scheduled to feature more than 58,000 bowlers and 11,600 five-player teams competing across 150 consecutive days at the River Center.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
BATON ROUGE, La. – The pair of Dylan Burns and Trevor Baumgartner enjoy bowling doubles together, and the chemistry they’ve developed on the lanes is starting to show regularly at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
At the 2024 event in Las Vegas, the duo moved into third place in Regular Doubles during their appearance in early April and eventually finished tied for 17th place (1,430). On Wednesday at the 2025 event, they posted nearly identical sets on the way to the lead with a 1,408 score.
Burns had games of 246, 237 and 222 for a 705 series at the Raising Cane’s River Center, while Baumgartner rolled scores of 223, 234 and 246 for 703. USBC and Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Mika Koivuniemi and Christopher Sand previously held the lead with 1,369.
Burns – a 33-year-old right-hander from Wichita, Kansas – also finished his 10th appearance at the USBC Open Championships with the lead in Regular All-Events. He added 735 in team and 697 in singles to cruise to the top of the standings by nearly 140 pins with 2,137. Sam Carter of Ben Lomond, California, had held the lead with 2,003.
Baumgartner – a 31-year-old left-hander from Topeka, Kansas – nearly joined his teammate with a second trip to the top of the leaderboard. The southpaw had a chance to take over the top spot in Regular Singles with a double in his final frame but left a 6 pin on his first delivery.
He's now tied for second with 732 after games of 258, 256 and 218. Austin Jahnke of Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, leads Regular Singles with 741.
The pair has been bowling doubles together for approximately 10 years, including three years at the Open Championships. They both felt like they had a chance to put up a number early during doubles and knew they were a quick conversation away from getting back on track if needed.
“I would say our camaraderie is a big strength for us,” said Baumgartner, who made his ninth tournament appearance and posted 1,979 for all-events. “We’re also best friends and know each other so well. We know our tendencies. He knows my game like the back of his hand, and I know his like the back of mine. We never really have to hit the panic button around each other because we trust our games.”
“It’s also a comfort thing, too,” Burns added. “If I throw a bad shot, he won’t be worried about what I’ll do on the next one. There’s definitely team chemistry. We can have a full-blown conversation whether we’re taking the lead in doubles or bowling very mediocre.”
The chemistry certainly could have been tested Tuesday at the River Center after the group’s team event. As part of Topeka 1, Baumgartner and Burns – along with Anthony Lockwood, Jared Freed and Johnny Clark – had the lead in Regular Team within grasp after starting with 1,048 and 1,053.
The team struggled in the final game, however, coming in at a final tally of 2,912. Storm Products Inc. 1 of Alva, Florida, leads at the 2025 event with 3,080.
Instead of sitting back and thinking about what could have been, they looked ahead to another opportunity in doubles and singles Wednesday.
“That was one you kind of had to forget and move on,” Burns said. “We tried to take the positives from the first two games. I think we did a pretty good job of breaking down the pair for the first game and a half, but we ended up all falling behind it and never really caught up. It hit us hard, unfortunately, but there’s always tomorrow.”
Baumgartner noted last year’s doubles run as an inspiring factor, too.
“The moves weren’t completely all the way there, and we didn’t move quick enough,” Baumgartner said. “I think what helped us move on was last year’s run. We made a run in doubles, and maybe we can do it again. You just have to move on, even though that was rough.”
The team’s overall performance Wednesday also helped the group take over second place in Team All-Events with 9,434. Storm Products Inc. 1 also leads the 45-game marathon with 9,537.
Freed added 1,951, Clark posted 1,699 and Lockwood had 1,668.
Burns has had some slow starts throughout his career in team at the Open Championships, but he’s also turned that trend around over his last two appearances.
He fired 721 last year in Las Vegas on his way to a 2,140 total and top-30 finish in all-events, and he used games of 248, 259 and 228 to settle into things this week at the River Center.
Burns finished his 2025 appearance averaging more than 237 across his nine games, with just one game below 222 (207).
“I’ve had some ups and downs as far as team events go,” said Burns, who finished ninth in Regular Singles (777) and 13th in Regular All-Events (2,077) at the 2019 event. “There have been some team events where most of my team has been lined up, but I struggled, so it’s something I wanted to focus on. I couldn’t figure out how to create the best ball reaction in team, but it’s been nice to get comfortable right away. I don’t believe I was ever uncomfortable in the team event or today. Getting out of the blocks like that is kind of big for me, rather than being behind the pace and trying to climb my way out of a hole.”
As the pair heads back home to Kansas in search of the next doubles tournament they can find, they also get to start the waiting game to see how their scores will hold up against the field.
“It’ll probably take a couple hours to sink in that we just took over the lead at one of the biggest events you can bowl,” Baumgartner said. “Since we’ve been bowling together, we’ve always talked about how getting an Eagle would be a dream come true. Getting one in doubles would be amazing.”
“It’s another steppingstone to let us know that we can do it,” Burns said. “There are so many good bowlers yet to come, but I think it’s a good bar to set. I’ve never been on top of the leaderboard like that before, either, so it’s very cool.”
The Open Championships is celebrating its third trip to Baton Rouge in 2025 and scheduled to feature more than 58,000 bowlers and 11,600 five-player teams competing across 150 consecutive days at the River Center.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.