Minnesota bowler maintains momentum at 2015 USBC Open
April 09, 2015
EL PASO, Texas - Marshal Lagred of Starbuck, Minnesota, patiently waited for his opportunity to compete at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, and he has been fortunate to be able to compete with an experienced and successful group of teams.
Their leadership and encouragement helped him have a memorable debut in 2014, followed by his first visit to the top of the leaderboards this year at the El Paso Convention Center.
The 21-year-old left-hander looked on last year as his friends captured the Classified Team and Classified Doubles crowns, and he's now in position to take home three titles of his own - Classified Team, Classified Singles and Classified All-Events.
Lagred rolled a 586 series Wednesday night to help Scotty's 3 of Alexandria, Minnesota, into the top spot in Classified Team, and he carried that momentum into Thursday on the way to a 1,734 all-events total.
He closed his singles set with five consecutive strikes to surpass Jim Conkle of Pentwater, Michigan, who previously held the Classified Singles lead with 628, and Michael Thielen of Eagle Grove, Iowa, who set the pace in Classified All-Events with 1,712. Lagred had 512 in doubles and 636 in singles.
"I really just wanted to improve on last year, and I said if I could have one less bad game, I'd be happy," said Lagred, who shot 1,682 last year at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada. "I knew the shot was going to be tough this time, so I definitely wanted to cover my spares. I couldn't get comfortable today, and I struggled in doubles, but I found a line that ended up being similar to the shot at home, and things got better."
Lagred stayed calm with help from his former high school coach and father-figure, Kelly Aeikens of Benson, Minnesota, a seven-year USBC Open Championships veteran.
"After the first game, Kelly told me to try a different shot, so I moved farther in," Lagred said. "I kind of got locked in, but I also got a few breaks, which helped. I can't really even believe it. I knew I was doing OK, but I didn't realize I had a chance to take the lead."
For Lagred and his teammates, the Open Championships is an experience, rather than just a competition.
This year, some of them made the scenic 22-hour drive from Minnesota to El Paso, and they now will make a stop in Springfield, Missouri, for the 2015 Greater Ozarks Open, before heading home.
"I couldn't have asked for a better group of guys to bowl with," Lagred said. "I spent a long time watching them bowl and waiting for my chance to join them, and they really have made me feel welcome on the lanes with them. This has been a great experience. I'm almost speechless."
In order to be eligible for the Classified Division, teams must have a combined entering average of 900 or less. Classified Doubles teams must be 360 or less, and individuals in the Classified Division have entering averages of 180 or below.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
Their leadership and encouragement helped him have a memorable debut in 2014, followed by his first visit to the top of the leaderboards this year at the El Paso Convention Center.
The 21-year-old left-hander looked on last year as his friends captured the Classified Team and Classified Doubles crowns, and he's now in position to take home three titles of his own - Classified Team, Classified Singles and Classified All-Events.
Lagred rolled a 586 series Wednesday night to help Scotty's 3 of Alexandria, Minnesota, into the top spot in Classified Team, and he carried that momentum into Thursday on the way to a 1,734 all-events total.
He closed his singles set with five consecutive strikes to surpass Jim Conkle of Pentwater, Michigan, who previously held the Classified Singles lead with 628, and Michael Thielen of Eagle Grove, Iowa, who set the pace in Classified All-Events with 1,712. Lagred had 512 in doubles and 636 in singles.
"I really just wanted to improve on last year, and I said if I could have one less bad game, I'd be happy," said Lagred, who shot 1,682 last year at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada. "I knew the shot was going to be tough this time, so I definitely wanted to cover my spares. I couldn't get comfortable today, and I struggled in doubles, but I found a line that ended up being similar to the shot at home, and things got better."
Lagred stayed calm with help from his former high school coach and father-figure, Kelly Aeikens of Benson, Minnesota, a seven-year USBC Open Championships veteran.
"After the first game, Kelly told me to try a different shot, so I moved farther in," Lagred said. "I kind of got locked in, but I also got a few breaks, which helped. I can't really even believe it. I knew I was doing OK, but I didn't realize I had a chance to take the lead."
For Lagred and his teammates, the Open Championships is an experience, rather than just a competition.
This year, some of them made the scenic 22-hour drive from Minnesota to El Paso, and they now will make a stop in Springfield, Missouri, for the 2015 Greater Ozarks Open, before heading home.
"I couldn't have asked for a better group of guys to bowl with," Lagred said. "I spent a long time watching them bowl and waiting for my chance to join them, and they really have made me feel welcome on the lanes with them. This has been a great experience. I'm almost speechless."
In order to be eligible for the Classified Division, teams must have a combined entering average of 900 or less. Classified Doubles teams must be 360 or less, and individuals in the Classified Division have entering averages of 180 or below.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.