LAS VEGAS - Jon Sipich of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, doesn't bowl as much as he once did. The responsibilities of work and family just don't leave him with enough free time for it.

As such, the 35-year-old right-hander didn't come to the 2022 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships with any lofty expectations regarding score.

However, even if he would have let his imagination run wild, Sipich would've been hard-pressed to imagine getting off to the start he did as he rolled 243, 299 and 258 to shoot 800 during team at the South Point Bowling Plaza on Thursday.

"I haven't bowled an honor score in years, so to shoot 299 and 800 is pretty hard to comprehend," Sipich said. "I really don't get to bowl that much these days, so to have this score, I just can't believe it. Maybe this will force me to get out there and bowl more."

Despite coming in with less preparation and practice than most competitors, Sipich certainly didn't show any signs of rust.

He struck 10 times in Game 1, with an open in the fourth frame and an eight-count spare in the eighth serving as the only blemishes during his opening 243.

Sipich only heated up from there, starting Game 2 with 11 consecutive strikes before a stubborn 7 pin failed to fall, ending his bid for 300.

"I thought the first and second balls of the 10th frame were pretty good, but there were a lot of nerves on that third one," Sipich said. "I didn't really get it off my hand very well, but it was the right direction, which gave it a chance. The 300 would have been nice, but 299 is just one pin away."

Many bowlers suffer a bit of a letdown after making a run at 300, especially when that run falls just short. That was not the case with Sipich, however, and he credits his position as his team's leadoff bowler with helping him to avoid that trap.

"Because I was the first bowler, I had time to reset while my teammates all bowled their 10th frames," Sipich said. "I was able to calm down, talk to people and get myself back into the right mindset of new frame, new game."

Sipich continued his solid execution during Game 3, but a spare-double-spare start left him with very little leeway if he hoped to secure the 800. In fact, after striking in the fifth frame, Sipich had to throw at least the next five strikes in order to keep the 800 alive.

"I didn't even know I had a shot at 800 until the 10th frame," Sipich said. "When I walked back after the 11th shot, I saw a media guy standing there with a camera, which made me realize I had to be right around 800. It's nice to not have the score up on the board adding up; I think that helped me not think about it."

The media staff was watching Sipich with good reason. After he delivered a strike on the first ball of the 10th frame, he needed at least nine pins on the next ball to keep his bid for 800 going.

Sipich's 11th ball crept just high, leaving him with a 4 pin. At that point, the stage was a set - a spare would mean 800, while flagging the single pin would leave Sipich with 799 and his second near miss of the day.

But the spare attempt was devoid of any drama as Sipich calmly knocked it down to finish with 258, which gave him 800 on the nose. It marked the eighth 800 of the 2022 event, and second in team competition.

"I wasn't doing the numbers in my head, but after seeing the media guy, I kind of knew I probably needed the spare," Sipich said. "At the end of the day, 800 is a nice number to have."

Sipich's 800 led the way for The Bowlers ER Pro Shop Trauma of Des Plaines, Illinois, which shot 3,227 to move into the top 90 in Regular Team. Storm Products Inc. 1 of Alva, Florida, leads Regular Team with 3,486.

Not only did the 800 shatter Sipich's previous career-high team series of 684, which he bowled during the 2017 event at South Point, but also it put him in prime position to make a run at breaking his previous best all-events mark of 2,024 and possibly to take a shot at reaching the top of the leaderboard in Regular All-Events.

Brian Waliczek of Frankenmuth, Michigan, leads Regular All-Events with 2,241.

Sipich wasn't looking that far ahead just after his set Thursday, however; he hoped to put together another solid start.

"Doubles has typically been my weakest event because the shot tends to be a little bit longer, tighter and tougher to break down," said Sipich, who made his 12th tournament appearance. "Hopefully I can start quick and help my doubles partner out. If that happens, it should give me a chance at posting a good all-events score."

When he returned to the Bowling Plaza on Friday for doubles and singles, he posted sets of 679 and 621 to get to 2,100 for all-events, which placed him in the top 60.

Looking ahead, Sipich won't be leaving things entirely up to chance, he'll have a newfound good luck charm up his sleeve.

Actually, it won't be up his sleeve; it will be on his feet. He donned a pair of custom socks with his son's and daughter's picture on them during his team event, a recent gift from his wife.

"Today was the first time I've worn these socks, and look what happened," said Sipich on Thursday. "I'll have to have them with me again tomorrow; it has to be the socks."

The Regular Division features bowlers with entering averages of 176 and above.

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