RENO, Nev. - Richard Rathjen Jr. of Naples, Fla., has rolled perfect games before, but he was surprisingly overcome by emotions when he accomplished the feat at the USBC Open Championships on Sunday.

The 34-year-old right-hander has been consistent across the board throughout his tournament career, but he's been hoping for the one big game or set that would define his time on the championship lanes.

Rathjen made this year one to remember as he closed out his 19th Open Championships appearance with 12 consecutive strikes for the 50th 300 game of the year and career-bests in singles and all-events.

"This is a feeling I've never felt before," said Rathjen, who made his tournament debut at the 1993 event in Tulsa, Okla., and hasn't missed a year since. "I can't believe I was so emotional. I've shot several 300s, so it's not like I haven't been there before. I've just never been there at this tournament or in an environment like this."

Rathjen entered the year with nearly identical averages in team, doubles and singles for a career mark of 198.4, and his 2011 tournament campaign at the National Bowling Stadium started out similar with a 641 series in team and 636 in doubles.

He started singles with games of 201 and 219 before things really fell into place. He and his doubles partner, David Stouffer of Lehigh Acres, Fla., matched each other strike for strike through seven frames in the finale before a 7 pin ended Stouffer's run. He finished with a 279 game and stepped aside so Rathjen could finish things off.

"It was pretty cool when we were both striking like that," said Rathjen, who bowls regularly at Woodside Lanes in Naples. "Around the sixth frame, I started thinking that maybe we both could do it, but he got an unlucky break and left a 7 pin."

Rathjen's main goal at the Open Championships is to improve on his previous performances, and he works hard at his game throughout the rest of the year. He and his teammates seek out local events that are contested on more challenging conditions, including recent tournaments that featured the 2011 Open Championships oil pattern.

"We try to bowl on as many difficult or Sport patterns as we can because that's what prepares you for events like this," Rathjen said. "I'm probably throwing the ball better now than I ever have, and I just want to keep improving."

Rathjen finished with a 720 singles total and 1,997 all-events score. His best singles effort entering this year was 715 at the 1995 tournament, also at the Stadium, while his best all-events total came at the 1999 event in Syracuse, N.Y. Stouffer finished singles with a 715 series.

Click here to watch video highlights from the 2011 Open Championships.
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.