Minnesota competitor bowls 60th OC
April 15, 2013
By Wishelle Banks
USBC Communications
RENO, Nev. - Maynard Johnson of Crystal, Minn., was the center of attention at the National Bowling Stadium on Saturday as he celebrated 60 years of participation at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
The 82-year-old right-hander became the 17th bowler in tournament history to reach the six-decade milestone, and after an escorted march down Center Aisle, he was presented with a plaque, chevron and engraved money clip to commemorate the occasion.
He was humbled by all the attention but had the support of his River Liquors OT teammates, including his son Brett. While in the spotlight, Johnson simply said he's looking forward to many more appearances at the USBC Open Championships. The late Bill Doehrman and USBC Hall of Famer Joe Norris share the tournament's participation record with 71 years.
"My first tournament was in St. Paul (1951), and I was just ready to go into the Army shortly after, so that was quite a thrill," said Johnson, a member of the Minneapolis Bowling Hall of Fame. "I only bowled the singles and doubles that year. Then, almost as soon as I got back, I bowled every one since then. A highlight was bowling in my 50th with my son, Brett. That was his first, and my 50th. That was something special."
Johnson has been married for 50 years and has five children and seven grandchildren, but he still finds time to bowl twice a week. His preparation for the Open Championships is simple, though, and he prefers not to attempt to fix something that isn't broken, sticking to a solitary ball.
"I try to find out what the best ball would be to use, although I'm not one to change all that often," Johnson said. "But I did have my ball dolled up a little bit for this because the alleys are pretty slick. That worked a little better than it might have otherwise. I'm averaging 182 this year, which is not very good. I've averaged quite a bit better than that. I averaged over 200 for a lot of years, but not anymore."
Saturday's festivities, and the team event that followed, were a long way from Johnson's early experiences on the lanes as a pinsetter at Gooden's Lanes and Ascension Lanes in Minneapolis, when he was just 12 years old. He bowled in a youth league, set pins until he was 17 and was part of a club team at the University of Minnesota, competing against Purdue, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Johnson has evolved with the game and has put himself in position for a shot at another special milestone at the Open Championships.
After shooting 524 in doubles, 521 in singles and 516 in singles for a 1,561 all-events total this year at the National Bowling Stadium, he needs just 1,247 pins to add his name to the short list of bowlers who have knocked down 100,000 pins on the championship lanes. His total now is 98,753. The 100,000-Pin Club only includes 13 bowlers, led by Norris, who tops the career pinfall list with 123,770.
"That's what I'd like to do next," Johnson said. "I don't get many each year, but I did better than last year."
Presenting sponsors for the 2013 USBC Open Championships include Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno.
USBC Communications
RENO, Nev. - Maynard Johnson of Crystal, Minn., was the center of attention at the National Bowling Stadium on Saturday as he celebrated 60 years of participation at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.The 82-year-old right-hander became the 17th bowler in tournament history to reach the six-decade milestone, and after an escorted march down Center Aisle, he was presented with a plaque, chevron and engraved money clip to commemorate the occasion.
He was humbled by all the attention but had the support of his River Liquors OT teammates, including his son Brett. While in the spotlight, Johnson simply said he's looking forward to many more appearances at the USBC Open Championships. The late Bill Doehrman and USBC Hall of Famer Joe Norris share the tournament's participation record with 71 years.
"My first tournament was in St. Paul (1951), and I was just ready to go into the Army shortly after, so that was quite a thrill," said Johnson, a member of the Minneapolis Bowling Hall of Fame. "I only bowled the singles and doubles that year. Then, almost as soon as I got back, I bowled every one since then. A highlight was bowling in my 50th with my son, Brett. That was his first, and my 50th. That was something special."
Johnson has been married for 50 years and has five children and seven grandchildren, but he still finds time to bowl twice a week. His preparation for the Open Championships is simple, though, and he prefers not to attempt to fix something that isn't broken, sticking to a solitary ball.
"I try to find out what the best ball would be to use, although I'm not one to change all that often," Johnson said. "But I did have my ball dolled up a little bit for this because the alleys are pretty slick. That worked a little better than it might have otherwise. I'm averaging 182 this year, which is not very good. I've averaged quite a bit better than that. I averaged over 200 for a lot of years, but not anymore."
Saturday's festivities, and the team event that followed, were a long way from Johnson's early experiences on the lanes as a pinsetter at Gooden's Lanes and Ascension Lanes in Minneapolis, when he was just 12 years old. He bowled in a youth league, set pins until he was 17 and was part of a club team at the University of Minnesota, competing against Purdue, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Johnson has evolved with the game and has put himself in position for a shot at another special milestone at the Open Championships.
After shooting 524 in doubles, 521 in singles and 516 in singles for a 1,561 all-events total this year at the National Bowling Stadium, he needs just 1,247 pins to add his name to the short list of bowlers who have knocked down 100,000 pins on the championship lanes. His total now is 98,753. The 100,000-Pin Club only includes 13 bowlers, led by Norris, who tops the career pinfall list with 123,770.
"That's what I'd like to do next," Johnson said. "I don't get many each year, but I did better than last year."
Presenting sponsors for the 2013 USBC Open Championships include Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno.