Iowa bowler shoots 300 game at USBC Open Championships
April 27, 2010
RENO, Nev. - Some people may argue that father knows best, but it was a little brotherly advice that helped Duane Kilts of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, roll the 10th perfect game of the 2010 USBC Open Championships.
Kilts didn't get off to the start he hoped for at the National Bowling Stadium this year, but after his brother, David, suggested a small adjustment, everything clicked.
"I wasn't lined up to start and didn't have a good ball reaction, so my brother told me to move farther in to where he was, and it worked," said Kilts, who shot 583 in team and started doubles with a 196 game. "He's a good coach and knows my game pretty well."
The 30-year-old right-hander finished doubles with games of 246 and 247 for a 689 series, and he and David combined for a 1,310 total Tuesday.
Kilts suffered a few bad breaks on the way to a 200 start in singles, and another small move resulted in 12 consecutive strikes. He finished with a 245 game and 745 series, which is just outside of the top 10 in Regular Singles. Terrence Syring of Bay City, Mich., leads with 833.
"The singles lanes seemed similar, but I had a couple of bad breaks the first game," said Kilts, who bowls regularly at Westdale Bowl and owns the Iowa State all-events record with 2,357. "Then, I moved a little bit right based on what my brother was doing, and it was money from there. I couldn't miss."
Despite the grandeur of the National Bowling Stadium, Kilts was calmer than he'd thought he'd be if he ever found himself on the verge of perfection at the Open Championships.
"I always thought I would be nervous and very sensitive to the things around me, but I was in a little bit of a zone," said Kilts, who made his 12th tournament appearance. "I was pretty focused and not as nervous as I expected. It was the most excitement I've had in bowling in a while."
For the Kilts brothers, a lot of the Open Championships experience is about being with family and having a small vacation each year.
On the lanes, Duane simply focuses on beating his performance from the previous tournament. This time, he finished with a career-best, 2,017, all-events total, more than 300 pins better than the 1,696 he posted last year in Las Vegas.
David Kilts shot 712 in singles, 621 in doubles and 600 in team for 1,933.
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.
Kilts didn't get off to the start he hoped for at the National Bowling Stadium this year, but after his brother, David, suggested a small adjustment, everything clicked.
"I wasn't lined up to start and didn't have a good ball reaction, so my brother told me to move farther in to where he was, and it worked," said Kilts, who shot 583 in team and started doubles with a 196 game. "He's a good coach and knows my game pretty well."
The 30-year-old right-hander finished doubles with games of 246 and 247 for a 689 series, and he and David combined for a 1,310 total Tuesday.
Kilts suffered a few bad breaks on the way to a 200 start in singles, and another small move resulted in 12 consecutive strikes. He finished with a 245 game and 745 series, which is just outside of the top 10 in Regular Singles. Terrence Syring of Bay City, Mich., leads with 833.
"The singles lanes seemed similar, but I had a couple of bad breaks the first game," said Kilts, who bowls regularly at Westdale Bowl and owns the Iowa State all-events record with 2,357. "Then, I moved a little bit right based on what my brother was doing, and it was money from there. I couldn't miss."
Despite the grandeur of the National Bowling Stadium, Kilts was calmer than he'd thought he'd be if he ever found himself on the verge of perfection at the Open Championships.
"I always thought I would be nervous and very sensitive to the things around me, but I was in a little bit of a zone," said Kilts, who made his 12th tournament appearance. "I was pretty focused and not as nervous as I expected. It was the most excitement I've had in bowling in a while."
For the Kilts brothers, a lot of the Open Championships experience is about being with family and having a small vacation each year.
On the lanes, Duane simply focuses on beating his performance from the previous tournament. This time, he finished with a career-best, 2,017, all-events total, more than 300 pins better than the 1,696 he posted last year in Las Vegas.
David Kilts shot 712 in singles, 621 in doubles and 600 in team for 1,933.
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.