Cali team just misses top spot at 2010 OC

RENO, Nev. - Team Six of Fresno, Calif., gave its best effort at the USBC Open Championships, but came up just short of the Classified Team lead Sunday night.

The team moved into third place after games of 871, 956 and 862 for a 2,689 total, 41 pins shy of Huikkos Bowling Center 3 of Buffalo, Minn., which leads with 2,730. EWI/NPS/Denny's of Mentor, Ohio, is second with 2,699.

"I am very pleased with our score," said David Dick, who made his second Open Championships appearance and is the team captain. "I would have liked to match my first two games (213 and 193) and bowled better in the third game. It's hard to be disappointed with third place, especially on these conditions, which are unlike anything you bowl on in league."

Team Six made its first trip to the Open Championships last year in Las Vegas and finished with a 2,374 total. The bowlers used that experience to help them on the lanes at the National Bowling Stadium this year.

"Last year, we even had some trouble with the approaches," said Dick, who bowls league at Cedar Lanes in Fresno, Calif. "I think the experience gained from last year helped us because we were able to bowl on tougher conditions. We watched a little bowling yesterday to gauge how teams were bowling."

The members of Team Six first decided to bowl together about four years ago in a league. By the end of the season, every other team had decided on an actual team name, while Team Six continued to use its given name and ended up winning the league. They have kept the team name ever since.

"At our bowling center, they just assign team names on sequence," said Dick, a HVAC Contractor for Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning. "By the end of the league, every one had a legitimate team name. We left our name the same, and we were made fun of all the time. We ended up winning the league, and when we went to sign up the next year, we signed up as Team Six."

Team Six was led by Jim Dick, who rolled a 644 series Sunday. He was followed by David Dick (558), Justin Carter (551), John Robles (470) and Eran Robles (466).

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.