RENO, Nev. - Casey Murphy of Nixa, Mo., likes to prepare for the USBC Open Championships by competing at the nearby Storm Bowlers Journal Championships presented by USBC.

The 32-year-old right-hander enjoys the challenging lane condition because it gives him a chance to get his armswing loose and make sure his skills are as sharp as possible. This year, the extra effort helped him to a $10,000 payday as the event's Open Singles champion.

"It feels great," said Murphy, who rolled games of 267, 277, 187 and 259 for a 990 total. "I've worked really hard on my game, and winning this lets me know the hard work is paying off. It's really hard to put into words."

Murphy lives just north of Joplin, Mo., where a devastating tornado touched down a little more than a month ago. Murphy and his teammates were just happy to get to Reno without issue.

"It really puts everything into perspective," said Murphy, a software engineer for ANPAC, who bowls league at Enterprise Park Lanes. "We heard some of the death toll numbers while we were bowling. We were lucky to get to Reno. The Bowlers Journal really turned my week into a positive."

Fresh off another solid performance at the Open Championships, 2007 Regular Team champion Bryon Smith of Roseburg, Ore., took his skills across town to the Grand Sierra Resort and claimed the Classic Singles title at the 2011 Bowlers Journal Championships with a 951 set.

He posted games of 264, 193, 236 and 258 to win the $1,600 top prize, and the effort also helped the 2003 USBC Masters winner to a share of the top spot on the Dual Entry prize list along with Brett Wolfe of Tempe, Ariz., the 2002 Masters champion, who rolled a 951 set on the way to a third-place finish in Open Singles. They each received $550 for topping the Dual Entry standings.

The Dual Entry feature includes bowlers who chose to use their four-game totals for doubles and singles at the same time.

In the 205 & Under Singles, Rick Bertrand of Sacramento, Calif., tossed games of 242, 237, 186 and 187 for an 852 total and earned $2,000 for the victory, while Christopher Hopper of Los Angeles outdistanced his 180 & Under "Pins Over Average" Singles competitors with a +218 total. His efforts earned him $700.

In Senior Singles, Rick Vittone of Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada, claimed the top prize with games of 241, 216, 233 and 225 for a 915 total. Vittone, who won the 2011 Metro Detroit USBC Senior Masters crown, earned $5,000 for his Bowlers Journal victory.

The Senior Doubles title and $2,000 first-place prize went to Rick Thomas of Willowbrook, Ill., and Dennis Campbell of Alsip, Ill., who posted a 1,783 total. Campbell led the way with games of 243, 243, 201 and 240 for a 927 set, while Thomas contributed 211, 208, 210 and 227 for 856.

In the tournament's Open Doubles battle, Paul Stolp of Edison, N.J., and Sean Riccardi of Piscataway, N.J., emerged victorious with a 1,842 effort. Stolp led the duo with games of 257, 277, 228 and 185 for a 947 total, while Riccardi added 247, 193, 221 and 234 for an 895 total and $7,500 prize check.

Riccardi rolled a 300 game at the 2009 Open Championships, which helped him to top-10 finishes in Regular Singles and Regular All-Events, but he's happy to share this success with his friend.

"This feels really good," Riccardi said. "We thought 1,800 was a good score, but we didn't think it would hold up. We saw some big names come through and not beat us, so we thought we had a really good chance after all. It's pretty cool. I'm happy to help Paul get a title. He's wanted one for a while, and he bowled really well. "

In February, Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, won the 2011 Masters at the National Bowling Stadium, and he returned to Reno three months later to grab the Bowlers Journal Mixed Doubles title with Urbandale's Angela Chirpich.

Hess' Masters title earned him $50,000 and a two-year exemption on the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour, while he and Chirpich took home $1,000 for their win.

Hess led the pair with games of 245, 189, 244 and 189 for an 876 set, and Chirpich added 199, 167, 194 and 265 for 825 and a 1,692 total.

The Bowlers Journal Championships was held alongside the Open Championships for the 65th year.

Presenting sponsors for the 2011 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, Humana, official registration sponsor, 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.