Big finish helps pair into lead at 2016 USBC Open Championships
May 21, 2016
RENO, Nev. - Greg Thomas of Irmo, South Carolina, and Chris Hill of Franklin, Wisconsin, moved into the lead in Regular Doubles at the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships with a 1,401 total Saturday at the National Bowling Stadium.
The two communicated well throughout their doubles event and surged into the top spot with a 562 final game, which included a 296 performance from Hill and 266 from Thomas. Thomas led the overall effort with a 720 series, and Hill added 681.
The lead in Regular Doubles previously belonged to Jason Bowles of Euclid, Ohio, and Matthew Zitnik of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, who shared the spot with 2012 team champions Andy Mills and Nick Heilman of La Crosse, Wisconsin, with 1,341.
Hill's run at the fifth perfect game of the 2016 USBC Open Championships, and first in doubles, ended with a 2-4-5-8 on his final offering. At the time, he thought the miscue had cost them a chance at the lead.
"Greg told me we needed them all from the eighth frame, but I didn't do the math or figure out exactly where we were, so I didn't know if leaving the bucket on the fill ball actually hurt us," said Hill, who made his ninth Open Championships appearance. "For me, it's all about the team events. I wanted to give Greg as many pins as I could. I wasn't too worried about the individual achievement, I just didn't want to cost us the lead."
Thomas got out to a hot start Saturday at the NBS with a 254 game, and he was able to help his teammates navigate the 39-foot doubles and singles lane condition as they battled through the transition, hoping to stay on track.
"I had the best ball reaction early on and could see what was going on, so I tried to help everyone else out, too," said Thomas, a 47-year-old right-hander who made his 35th visit to the Open Championships. "It's constantly changing and constantly moving, but we were able to stay ahead of it enough during doubles. Chris bowled a great last game, and I'm glad we were able to get there."
Hill added a 592 series in singles and 587 in team for a 1,860 all-events total. Thomas added 604 in singles and 526 in team for 1,850.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
The two communicated well throughout their doubles event and surged into the top spot with a 562 final game, which included a 296 performance from Hill and 266 from Thomas. Thomas led the overall effort with a 720 series, and Hill added 681.
The lead in Regular Doubles previously belonged to Jason Bowles of Euclid, Ohio, and Matthew Zitnik of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, who shared the spot with 2012 team champions Andy Mills and Nick Heilman of La Crosse, Wisconsin, with 1,341.
Hill's run at the fifth perfect game of the 2016 USBC Open Championships, and first in doubles, ended with a 2-4-5-8 on his final offering. At the time, he thought the miscue had cost them a chance at the lead.
"Greg told me we needed them all from the eighth frame, but I didn't do the math or figure out exactly where we were, so I didn't know if leaving the bucket on the fill ball actually hurt us," said Hill, who made his ninth Open Championships appearance. "For me, it's all about the team events. I wanted to give Greg as many pins as I could. I wasn't too worried about the individual achievement, I just didn't want to cost us the lead."
Thomas got out to a hot start Saturday at the NBS with a 254 game, and he was able to help his teammates navigate the 39-foot doubles and singles lane condition as they battled through the transition, hoping to stay on track.
"I had the best ball reaction early on and could see what was going on, so I tried to help everyone else out, too," said Thomas, a 47-year-old right-hander who made his 35th visit to the Open Championships. "It's constantly changing and constantly moving, but we were able to stay ahead of it enough during doubles. Chris bowled a great last game, and I'm glad we were able to get there."
Hill added a 592 series in singles and 587 in team for a 1,860 all-events total. Thomas added 604 in singles and 526 in team for 1,850.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.