Florida bowler just misses Regular Singles lead at 2016 USBC Open
June 08, 2016
RENO, Nev. - Matt Gilman of Pembroke Pines, Florida, experienced a roller coaster of emotions during his trip to The Biggest Little City in the World this week, and the ride ended with an indescribable feeling after he finished his 2016 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships campaign one pin shy of the lead in Regular Singles.
The 34-year-old right-hander struggled through doubles Wednesday at the National Bowling Stadium, but he is experienced enough to see that as the day progressed, his look on the lanes was getting better.
Gilman rallied in singles with a 31-strike performance that included 18 consecutive strikes on the way to opening games of 290 and 279, which left him needing a 246 finish to match Robert J. Bures of Painesville, Ohio, who leads Regular Singles with 815.
After starting the finale with three more strikes, Gilman left, and missed, a 10 pin to make the task a little tougher. He added three additional strikes before another 10 pin ended the string, which would force him to strike on his last four shots to gain a share of the lead.
He coolly delivered on this next three attempts before a 10 pin left him with a 245 game and an 814 set. It was the second 800 series of the 2016 tournament at the NBS, but it was a bittersweet ending for the former Junior Team USA member.
"For our group, the main goal is a team eagle, but to even have a chance to lead, or win singles, was a phenomenal feeling and one I hope to have again someday," said Gilman, who made his 10th USBC Open Championships appearance. "I was thinking a little too far ahead to the next frame and just had a mental lapse on that spare. My teammates were there to give me words of encouragement and let me know I was still in it, but this is going to be a tough one to look back on."
Gilman rolled a 517 series in doubles but worked with his experienced teammates to keep up with the transition and make the right moves during singles, which turned out to be only a few boards for Gilman. The group included two-time Open Championships titlist Mitch Jabczenski, Jon Trzcinski, who rolled an 802 series at the 2014 event at the NBS and Ron Dixon, who tossed an 815 series at the Stadium in 2011.
The leader of the four-team Lodge Lanes contingent is four-time titlist and USBC Hall of Famer John Gaines, whose 814 series at the Stadium in 1998 was enough to earn the Regular Singles title and help his team to a second consecutive Team All-Events crown.
Gaines' current teammate, Team USA member John Janawicz, also has found success at the NBS, shooting 858 and 2,224 to claim the Regular Singles and Regular All-Events titles in 2004. He also delivered three clutch strikes to lock up the 2013 Regular Team win.
"It means absolutely everything to me knowing these guys have the confidence in me to allow me to be a part of their group," said Gilman, who added a 575 in team for a 1,906 all-events total. "We worked well together today and communicated to stay ahead of the moves, and they did all they could to help keep my mind clear in singles. Then, it was about focusing on my pre-shot routine and trying to calm down, so I could keep doing what I'd been doing throughout singles."
Gilman's week, and his first look at the 39-foot doubles and singles lane condition, started at the Bowlers Journal Championships presented by USBC, being held at the NBS adjacent to the Open Championships lanes.
His 651 set at the Bowlers Journal Championships included the second perfect game of the event this year and gave the Lodge Lanes group a chance to finalize equipment preparation and strategize before heading over to the main event.
The opportunity also worked out for Gaines and former Junior Team USA member Matthew Farber, who made a run at the top spot in Regular Doubles before Gilman's singles excitement.
Gaines and Farber started strong and had a shot at the lead with a few frames to go, but they eventually settled into eighth place with a 1,332 total. Greg Thomas of Irmo, South Carolina, and Christopher Hill of Franklin, Wisconsin, lead with 1,401.
The performance was an emotional one for Gaines, who is on the mend after missing the 2015 Open Championships due to a knee injury. Also, his wife, Kendra, is leading Diamond Doubles at the 2016 USBC Women's Championships with Team USA member Shannon O'Keefe, so the idea of the dual win was in the back of his mind.
"I still have expectations when I come here, and being in that position is the reason I still compete," said Gaines, who was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame in 2014. "I didn't really start to think about it until the end of the second game because Game 1 is Game 1, and it can go anywhere from there. In the last game, I knew we had a good look and a realistic chance. It definitely was a missed opportunity, and you don't get many chances like that at this tournament."
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The 34-year-old right-hander struggled through doubles Wednesday at the National Bowling Stadium, but he is experienced enough to see that as the day progressed, his look on the lanes was getting better.
Gilman rallied in singles with a 31-strike performance that included 18 consecutive strikes on the way to opening games of 290 and 279, which left him needing a 246 finish to match Robert J. Bures of Painesville, Ohio, who leads Regular Singles with 815.
After starting the finale with three more strikes, Gilman left, and missed, a 10 pin to make the task a little tougher. He added three additional strikes before another 10 pin ended the string, which would force him to strike on his last four shots to gain a share of the lead.
He coolly delivered on this next three attempts before a 10 pin left him with a 245 game and an 814 set. It was the second 800 series of the 2016 tournament at the NBS, but it was a bittersweet ending for the former Junior Team USA member.
"For our group, the main goal is a team eagle, but to even have a chance to lead, or win singles, was a phenomenal feeling and one I hope to have again someday," said Gilman, who made his 10th USBC Open Championships appearance. "I was thinking a little too far ahead to the next frame and just had a mental lapse on that spare. My teammates were there to give me words of encouragement and let me know I was still in it, but this is going to be a tough one to look back on."
Gilman rolled a 517 series in doubles but worked with his experienced teammates to keep up with the transition and make the right moves during singles, which turned out to be only a few boards for Gilman. The group included two-time Open Championships titlist Mitch Jabczenski, Jon Trzcinski, who rolled an 802 series at the 2014 event at the NBS and Ron Dixon, who tossed an 815 series at the Stadium in 2011.
The leader of the four-team Lodge Lanes contingent is four-time titlist and USBC Hall of Famer John Gaines, whose 814 series at the Stadium in 1998 was enough to earn the Regular Singles title and help his team to a second consecutive Team All-Events crown.
Gaines' current teammate, Team USA member John Janawicz, also has found success at the NBS, shooting 858 and 2,224 to claim the Regular Singles and Regular All-Events titles in 2004. He also delivered three clutch strikes to lock up the 2013 Regular Team win.
"It means absolutely everything to me knowing these guys have the confidence in me to allow me to be a part of their group," said Gilman, who added a 575 in team for a 1,906 all-events total. "We worked well together today and communicated to stay ahead of the moves, and they did all they could to help keep my mind clear in singles. Then, it was about focusing on my pre-shot routine and trying to calm down, so I could keep doing what I'd been doing throughout singles."
Gilman's week, and his first look at the 39-foot doubles and singles lane condition, started at the Bowlers Journal Championships presented by USBC, being held at the NBS adjacent to the Open Championships lanes.
His 651 set at the Bowlers Journal Championships included the second perfect game of the event this year and gave the Lodge Lanes group a chance to finalize equipment preparation and strategize before heading over to the main event.
The opportunity also worked out for Gaines and former Junior Team USA member Matthew Farber, who made a run at the top spot in Regular Doubles before Gilman's singles excitement.
Gaines and Farber started strong and had a shot at the lead with a few frames to go, but they eventually settled into eighth place with a 1,332 total. Greg Thomas of Irmo, South Carolina, and Christopher Hill of Franklin, Wisconsin, lead with 1,401.
The performance was an emotional one for Gaines, who is on the mend after missing the 2015 Open Championships due to a knee injury. Also, his wife, Kendra, is leading Diamond Doubles at the 2016 USBC Women's Championships with Team USA member Shannon O'Keefe, so the idea of the dual win was in the back of his mind.
"I still have expectations when I come here, and being in that position is the reason I still compete," said Gaines, who was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame in 2014. "I didn't really start to think about it until the end of the second game because Game 1 is Game 1, and it can go anywhere from there. In the last game, I knew we had a good look and a realistic chance. It definitely was a missed opportunity, and you don't get many chances like that at this tournament."
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.