Big games rolling in at 2022 USBC Open Championships
June 30, 2022
(pictured above: Josh Koprowitz of Raymond, Illinois)
By Nick Bonsanto and Aaron Smith
USBC Communications
LAS VEGAS - The first 23 days of June at the 2022 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships only featured one perfect game at the South Point Bowling Plaza, but the trend quickly changed during the last week of the month.
As the hours and the minutes began to slip away toward the start of July and the final month of the 2022 event, the strikes started to add up as six competitors were able to roll 300 games to wrap the month, including four competitors accomplishing the feat in a 36-hour stretch Tuesday and Wednesday.
Josh Koprowitz of Raymond, Illinois, was the first to connect in the frenzy of strikes Tuesday, capping his singles set with 12 consecutive strikes.
Later that night, Kip Roberts of Glen Allen, Virginia, was able to join in the fun, rolling 300 in his second game of singles.
Las Vegas' Andrew Guba II wrapped his singles set Wednesday with 12 consecutive strikes, and on the next squad, Kevin Thibeault of Whitman, Massachusetts, recorded 300 in the middle of his doubles set on the way to an 820 series.
Koprowitz became the 40th competitor at the 2022 USBC Open Championships to roll 300, but his day started off a little slower during doubles and the first two games of singles.
The 29-year-old right-hander had finished doubles with a 539 series and started singles with 192 and 160 before a ball change helped him find the right look.
"As the second game ended in singles, I noticed my ball was reading early," said Koprowitz, who made his seventh consecutive tournament appearance. "I switched to something with the pin up and a little polish on it and was able to stay in the same spot and let the ball do the work. I had to change something because nothing else was working."
He noted he caught a couple hits along the way, which included a Brooklyn strike on his 11th delivery, but he was able to cash it in on his final shot.
"I definitely had my heart racing," Koprowitz said. "I tried to stay cool and collected, and the first one felt great and was perfect off my hand. I was a little more anxious on the 11th ball and crossed over, but after that, I settled down and got the 12th one pretty good off my hand."
After his final strike landed him in the tournament's record book, he was met on the approach with a giant hug from his father, Jon, and quickly after by his sister, Natalie Ullian, and wife, Hailey. His mother, Colleen, also was in the stands watching at South Point.
The Open Championships has served as a family gathering alongside some of their closest friends each year, making the moment hit home.
"It's a big family event," said Koprowitz, who finished singles with 652 and added 579 in team for a 1,770 all-events total. "We come out here to have fun, and if we bowl well, we bowl well. It's kind of a family tradition. I only had two (300s) prior to this, so for the third one to be out here and share with everyone is pretty awesome."
Roberts is used to throwing big strikes as a 15-time Professional Bowlers Association regional champion and two-time PBA50 regional winner, but the 51-year-old right-hander found himself feeling just a little nervous as he rolled his first 300 at the Open Championships.
"This one felt like my first 300 all over again," Roberts said. "It was the most nervous I've ever felt throwing a 300."
Roberts, who was making his 31st Open Championships appearance, is like many others who feel competing at this event means more than most tournaments.
"Yes, it does mean more here," Roberts said. "I started coming here with my dad in 1988. This tournament is a big deal."
Roberts finished singles with a 702 series on games of 197, 300 and 205, and he added scores of 686 in team and 615 in doubles for a 2,003 all-events total.
He had averaged more than 205 through his first 30 appearances at the Open Championships, but throwing a 300 at the event has been something that eluded him.
"You only get nine chances to throw a 300 here each year," Roberts said. "A lot of things have to come together on a traditionally difficult shot, and you need just a little luck along the way."
Roberts has won many tournaments in his bowling career, but he still is looking for his first victory at the Open Championships. He hopes to end that soon and is confident in the talented group he competes with at the tournament.
"I bowl with a good group, and I think we will have a good shot in the team event one year soon," Roberts said. "So many things will have to fall in place, but I like my team. It's a good group. The Open Championships is on my calendar every year, and I'll be stopping by and making my plans for Reno (in 2023) before I leave."
Guba, a 21-year-old right-hander, had started his singles set with games of 222 and 213 before finishing his night Wednesday with 300 for a 735 series.
He talked about his final shots, saying, "The 12th shot was the most nervous I've ever been. I was mainly thinking to go back to my pre-shot routine and the basics."
Guba currently is a junior at nearby University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where he is a member of their bowling team and no stranger to succeeding on the lanes.
In his young career, he was the Nevada State High School singles champion in 2019 for Spring Valley High School, and he placed second at the 2018 Teen Masters, which also was held at South Point.
This past season, he was named to the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association honorable mention All-America team while bowling for UNLV.
With all this success, Guba described where this 300 ranks on his list.
"This is the No. 1 300 that I've ever thrown," said Guba, who made his second Open Championships appearance. "Even more than the one I threw at Team USA Trials in 2020."
Guba finished his 2022 appearance with an all-events total of 2,053, adding 691 in doubles and 627 in team.
He recently returned to bowling after a three-month layoff due to an injury to his foot.
"I had a three-month layoff because I dropped a bowling ball on my foot," Guba said. "It's doing a lot better. I got my nail removed. I've only been back now for 30 days."
Thibeault's perfect game was the 43rd of the 2022 event, and he rolled 31 strikes on his way to games of 258, 300 and 262. It was the seventh 800 series of the 2022 event, and he's now the 40th competitor in tournament history with both a 300 game and 800 series at the Open Championships.
A full recap of his performance will be available soon at BOWL.com/OpenChamp.
Anthony Simonsen of Las Vegas was the first to connect for 300 in June, firing his perfect game during team June 18. Devyn Williams of Eagle River, Alaska, rolled 300 during his singles event June 24, and Miranda Hull of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, tossed 12 consecutive strikes in singles June 27.
Scott Patke of Lansing, Michigan, leads Regular Singles at the 2022 event with an 835 series. Brian Waliczek of Frankenmuth, Michigan, tops the Regular All-Events standings with a 2,241 total.
The Regular Division features bowlers with entering averages of 176 and above.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
By Nick Bonsanto and Aaron Smith
USBC Communications
LAS VEGAS - The first 23 days of June at the 2022 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships only featured one perfect game at the South Point Bowling Plaza, but the trend quickly changed during the last week of the month.
As the hours and the minutes began to slip away toward the start of July and the final month of the 2022 event, the strikes started to add up as six competitors were able to roll 300 games to wrap the month, including four competitors accomplishing the feat in a 36-hour stretch Tuesday and Wednesday.
Josh Koprowitz of Raymond, Illinois, was the first to connect in the frenzy of strikes Tuesday, capping his singles set with 12 consecutive strikes.
Later that night, Kip Roberts of Glen Allen, Virginia, was able to join in the fun, rolling 300 in his second game of singles.
Las Vegas' Andrew Guba II wrapped his singles set Wednesday with 12 consecutive strikes, and on the next squad, Kevin Thibeault of Whitman, Massachusetts, recorded 300 in the middle of his doubles set on the way to an 820 series.
Koprowitz became the 40th competitor at the 2022 USBC Open Championships to roll 300, but his day started off a little slower during doubles and the first two games of singles.
The 29-year-old right-hander had finished doubles with a 539 series and started singles with 192 and 160 before a ball change helped him find the right look.
"As the second game ended in singles, I noticed my ball was reading early," said Koprowitz, who made his seventh consecutive tournament appearance. "I switched to something with the pin up and a little polish on it and was able to stay in the same spot and let the ball do the work. I had to change something because nothing else was working."
He noted he caught a couple hits along the way, which included a Brooklyn strike on his 11th delivery, but he was able to cash it in on his final shot.
"I definitely had my heart racing," Koprowitz said. "I tried to stay cool and collected, and the first one felt great and was perfect off my hand. I was a little more anxious on the 11th ball and crossed over, but after that, I settled down and got the 12th one pretty good off my hand."
After his final strike landed him in the tournament's record book, he was met on the approach with a giant hug from his father, Jon, and quickly after by his sister, Natalie Ullian, and wife, Hailey. His mother, Colleen, also was in the stands watching at South Point.
The Open Championships has served as a family gathering alongside some of their closest friends each year, making the moment hit home.
"It's a big family event," said Koprowitz, who finished singles with 652 and added 579 in team for a 1,770 all-events total. "We come out here to have fun, and if we bowl well, we bowl well. It's kind of a family tradition. I only had two (300s) prior to this, so for the third one to be out here and share with everyone is pretty awesome."
Roberts is used to throwing big strikes as a 15-time Professional Bowlers Association regional champion and two-time PBA50 regional winner, but the 51-year-old right-hander found himself feeling just a little nervous as he rolled his first 300 at the Open Championships."This one felt like my first 300 all over again," Roberts said. "It was the most nervous I've ever felt throwing a 300."
Roberts, who was making his 31st Open Championships appearance, is like many others who feel competing at this event means more than most tournaments.
"Yes, it does mean more here," Roberts said. "I started coming here with my dad in 1988. This tournament is a big deal."
Roberts finished singles with a 702 series on games of 197, 300 and 205, and he added scores of 686 in team and 615 in doubles for a 2,003 all-events total.
He had averaged more than 205 through his first 30 appearances at the Open Championships, but throwing a 300 at the event has been something that eluded him.
"You only get nine chances to throw a 300 here each year," Roberts said. "A lot of things have to come together on a traditionally difficult shot, and you need just a little luck along the way."
Roberts has won many tournaments in his bowling career, but he still is looking for his first victory at the Open Championships. He hopes to end that soon and is confident in the talented group he competes with at the tournament.
"I bowl with a good group, and I think we will have a good shot in the team event one year soon," Roberts said. "So many things will have to fall in place, but I like my team. It's a good group. The Open Championships is on my calendar every year, and I'll be stopping by and making my plans for Reno (in 2023) before I leave."
Guba, a 21-year-old right-hander, had started his singles set with games of 222 and 213 before finishing his night Wednesday with 300 for a 735 series. He talked about his final shots, saying, "The 12th shot was the most nervous I've ever been. I was mainly thinking to go back to my pre-shot routine and the basics."
Guba currently is a junior at nearby University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where he is a member of their bowling team and no stranger to succeeding on the lanes.
In his young career, he was the Nevada State High School singles champion in 2019 for Spring Valley High School, and he placed second at the 2018 Teen Masters, which also was held at South Point.
This past season, he was named to the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association honorable mention All-America team while bowling for UNLV.
With all this success, Guba described where this 300 ranks on his list.
"This is the No. 1 300 that I've ever thrown," said Guba, who made his second Open Championships appearance. "Even more than the one I threw at Team USA Trials in 2020."
Guba finished his 2022 appearance with an all-events total of 2,053, adding 691 in doubles and 627 in team.
He recently returned to bowling after a three-month layoff due to an injury to his foot.
"I had a three-month layoff because I dropped a bowling ball on my foot," Guba said. "It's doing a lot better. I got my nail removed. I've only been back now for 30 days."
Thibeault's perfect game was the 43rd of the 2022 event, and he rolled 31 strikes on his way to games of 258, 300 and 262. It was the seventh 800 series of the 2022 event, and he's now the 40th competitor in tournament history with both a 300 game and 800 series at the Open Championships.A full recap of his performance will be available soon at BOWL.com/OpenChamp.
Anthony Simonsen of Las Vegas was the first to connect for 300 in June, firing his perfect game during team June 18. Devyn Williams of Eagle River, Alaska, rolled 300 during his singles event June 24, and Miranda Hull of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, tossed 12 consecutive strikes in singles June 27.
Scott Patke of Lansing, Michigan, leads Regular Singles at the 2022 event with an 835 series. Brian Waliczek of Frankenmuth, Michigan, tops the Regular All-Events standings with a 2,241 total.
The Regular Division features bowlers with entering averages of 176 and above.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.