New England pair takes doubles lead at 2015 Bowlers Journal
June 23, 2015
By Matt Cannizzaro and Mel Lindemann
USBC Communications
EL PASO, Texas - Todd Lathrop of Colchester, Connecticut, and Jon Wilbur of North Clarendon, Vermont, competed as teammates at the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships this weekend, and they felt satisfied with their performance at the El Paso Convention Center.
They gained some extra confidence during doubles and singles, and although they were not partners at the USBC Open Championships, the two made the most of a last-minute visit to the 2015 Bowlers Journal Championships presented by USBC and excelled together, taking the lead in Open Doubles with a 1,419 total Sunday night.
Wilbur, a 33-year-old right-hander, led the way with games of 227, 247 and 259 for a 733 series, while Lathrop added a 686 set. Todd Whitesides of Lake Wylie, South Carolina, and Chris Arcaro of Charlotte, North Carolina, previously held the lead with 1,414.
The performance also helped both bowlers into the top 10 in their respective singles divisions. Wilbur settled into eighth place in Open Singles, and by competing in doubles and singles at the same time, he became eligible for the Dual Entry prize list, where he is fifth overall. Lathrop, a 51-year-old right-hander, is seventh in Senior Singles.
Sean Corbett of San Antonio tops the Open Singles standings with 757, and 2009 Open Championships Regular Singles winner Bo Goergen of Sanford, Michigan, leads Senior Singles with 736.
Open Singles is expected to pay $10,000, the Open Doubles champions are scheduled to share $7,500 and Senior Singles winner will earn $4,000. Official prize amounts will be based on total entries.
After competing in the Bowlers Journal Championships, which features the same 39-foot Sport Bowling-certified lane condition the duo faced during doubles and singles at the Open Championships, they admitted to feeling a little more relaxed on the Showcase Lanes for the Bowlers Journal than they did on the main lanes for the Open Championships.
"Bowling in the Bowlers Journal is a little more relaxed," Lathrop said. "Seeing as how we had already bowled the Open, it was relaxed on this side. It made us a little looser, so we didn't tug the ball or do things like that."
The two also felt comfortable bowling together, which they've done often in the few years they've known each other.
"When you bowl with someone for a long time, you get a certain chemistry with them, and you know how each other bowls, the strengths, how they act and the tendencies, so it makes things a little easier sometimes," Wilbur said.
Although the format at the Bowlers Journal allows competitors to bowl eight times in each category they are eligible, Wilbur and Lathrop are happy with their performance and don't plan to bowl again in 2015.
They also experienced the events in a different way, as many bowlers choose to use the Bowlers Journal as a warm-up for the Open Championships, a way to get comfortable with the convention-center setting and get a look at the doubles and singles lane condition.
"We normally wait until after we bowl the Open to try our luck in the Journal," Wilbur said. "It's just so we don't get a false idea of what the lanes might be like, so we can go in open-minded and not saying they are going to be this way or that way".
On the lanes at the Open Championships, Lathrop finished his 24th tournament with 723 in singles, 652 in doubles and 581 in team for a 1,956 all-events total. Wilbur's sixth appearance ended with 632 in singles, 622 in doubles and 606 in team for 1,860.
The Bowlers Journal Championships is in its 69th year alongside the Open Championships, and the two have been held under the same roof since 2013. Both events kicked off March 7 and will run for 128 consecutive days, concluding July 12.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
USBC Communications
EL PASO, Texas - Todd Lathrop of Colchester, Connecticut, and Jon Wilbur of North Clarendon, Vermont, competed as teammates at the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships this weekend, and they felt satisfied with their performance at the El Paso Convention Center.
They gained some extra confidence during doubles and singles, and although they were not partners at the USBC Open Championships, the two made the most of a last-minute visit to the 2015 Bowlers Journal Championships presented by USBC and excelled together, taking the lead in Open Doubles with a 1,419 total Sunday night.
Wilbur, a 33-year-old right-hander, led the way with games of 227, 247 and 259 for a 733 series, while Lathrop added a 686 set. Todd Whitesides of Lake Wylie, South Carolina, and Chris Arcaro of Charlotte, North Carolina, previously held the lead with 1,414.
The performance also helped both bowlers into the top 10 in their respective singles divisions. Wilbur settled into eighth place in Open Singles, and by competing in doubles and singles at the same time, he became eligible for the Dual Entry prize list, where he is fifth overall. Lathrop, a 51-year-old right-hander, is seventh in Senior Singles.
Sean Corbett of San Antonio tops the Open Singles standings with 757, and 2009 Open Championships Regular Singles winner Bo Goergen of Sanford, Michigan, leads Senior Singles with 736.
Open Singles is expected to pay $10,000, the Open Doubles champions are scheduled to share $7,500 and Senior Singles winner will earn $4,000. Official prize amounts will be based on total entries.
After competing in the Bowlers Journal Championships, which features the same 39-foot Sport Bowling-certified lane condition the duo faced during doubles and singles at the Open Championships, they admitted to feeling a little more relaxed on the Showcase Lanes for the Bowlers Journal than they did on the main lanes for the Open Championships.
"Bowling in the Bowlers Journal is a little more relaxed," Lathrop said. "Seeing as how we had already bowled the Open, it was relaxed on this side. It made us a little looser, so we didn't tug the ball or do things like that."
The two also felt comfortable bowling together, which they've done often in the few years they've known each other.
"When you bowl with someone for a long time, you get a certain chemistry with them, and you know how each other bowls, the strengths, how they act and the tendencies, so it makes things a little easier sometimes," Wilbur said.
Although the format at the Bowlers Journal allows competitors to bowl eight times in each category they are eligible, Wilbur and Lathrop are happy with their performance and don't plan to bowl again in 2015.
They also experienced the events in a different way, as many bowlers choose to use the Bowlers Journal as a warm-up for the Open Championships, a way to get comfortable with the convention-center setting and get a look at the doubles and singles lane condition.
"We normally wait until after we bowl the Open to try our luck in the Journal," Wilbur said. "It's just so we don't get a false idea of what the lanes might be like, so we can go in open-minded and not saying they are going to be this way or that way".
On the lanes at the Open Championships, Lathrop finished his 24th tournament with 723 in singles, 652 in doubles and 581 in team for a 1,956 all-events total. Wilbur's sixth appearance ended with 632 in singles, 622 in doubles and 606 in team for 1,860.
The Bowlers Journal Championships is in its 69th year alongside the Open Championships, and the two have been held under the same roof since 2013. Both events kicked off March 7 and will run for 128 consecutive days, concluding July 12.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.