Kan. bowler shoots 299 at USBC Open Championships
May 03, 2011
RENO, Nev. - Jay Kreitzer of Olathe, Kan., has experience in pressure situations, most notably at the USBC Open Championships.
After starting singles with games of 220 and 175, the 39-year-old right-hander opened his final game with the 11 consecutive strikes before a 7 pin derailed his bid for the 22nd perfect game of the year. Instead, he settled for the 10th 299 game of the season and a 694 total at the National Bowling Stadium on Monday.
Kreitzer, who shot a 300 game at the 1999 USBC Open Championships in Syracuse, N.Y., would have become the 22nd bowler in tournament history to record multiple 300 games on the tournament lanes.
During his recent bid for perfection, Kreitzer thought back to his experiences in 1999.
"I was just trying to keep throwing good shots," said Kreitzer, who made his 21st consecutive Open Championships appearance. "It helps to think back to 1999. Everybody was watching, so I tried not to think about what's happening. It's been a while, though. It felt good to be in that situation again."
Kreitzer also thought back to his collegiate bowling days when he was a member of the University of Kansas bowling team. Some of his best days were spent competing for the Jayhawks.
"College was great," said Kreitzer, who is the manager of Kreitzer Liquor. "I remember bowling against Wichita State and rolling a 300 game. My last shot went Brooklyn, and then Lonnie Waliczek struck out to win the game. Everybody in the whole house was watching."
Kreitzer's final-game success also can be attributed to his awareness of some minor tweaks he has made in his physical game.
"I was able to stay high in my approach," said Kreitzer, who also owns a second place doubles finish at the 2000 event in Albuquerque, N.M. "I have a tendency to get low, and sometimes my old game pops up. I am trying to be more consistent in my approach."
Kreitzer added 636 in team and 606 in doubles for a 1,936 all-events total.
On Tuesday morning, Frederick Crosby of Southfield, Mich., also made a run at perfection, but finished with 298, which came between games of 221 and 166 for a 685 singles series. Matt Weggen of Muscatine, Iowa, leads Regular Singles with 826.
Crosby also had 549 in doubles and 534 in team for 1,768.
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.
After starting singles with games of 220 and 175, the 39-year-old right-hander opened his final game with the 11 consecutive strikes before a 7 pin derailed his bid for the 22nd perfect game of the year. Instead, he settled for the 10th 299 game of the season and a 694 total at the National Bowling Stadium on Monday.Kreitzer, who shot a 300 game at the 1999 USBC Open Championships in Syracuse, N.Y., would have become the 22nd bowler in tournament history to record multiple 300 games on the tournament lanes.
During his recent bid for perfection, Kreitzer thought back to his experiences in 1999.
"I was just trying to keep throwing good shots," said Kreitzer, who made his 21st consecutive Open Championships appearance. "It helps to think back to 1999. Everybody was watching, so I tried not to think about what's happening. It's been a while, though. It felt good to be in that situation again."
Kreitzer also thought back to his collegiate bowling days when he was a member of the University of Kansas bowling team. Some of his best days were spent competing for the Jayhawks.
"College was great," said Kreitzer, who is the manager of Kreitzer Liquor. "I remember bowling against Wichita State and rolling a 300 game. My last shot went Brooklyn, and then Lonnie Waliczek struck out to win the game. Everybody in the whole house was watching."
Kreitzer's final-game success also can be attributed to his awareness of some minor tweaks he has made in his physical game.
"I was able to stay high in my approach," said Kreitzer, who also owns a second place doubles finish at the 2000 event in Albuquerque, N.M. "I have a tendency to get low, and sometimes my old game pops up. I am trying to be more consistent in my approach."
Kreitzer added 636 in team and 606 in doubles for a 1,936 all-events total.
On Tuesday morning, Frederick Crosby of Southfield, Mich., also made a run at perfection, but finished with 298, which came between games of 221 and 166 for a 685 singles series. Matt Weggen of Muscatine, Iowa, leads Regular Singles with 826.Crosby also had 549 in doubles and 534 in team for 1,768.
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.