By Wishelle Banks

RENO, Nev. - Ken Carson of Clifton, N.J., had to endure some travel frustration when severe weather delayed his arrival in Reno for the 2013 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, but he didn't mind the flurry of strikes that helped him into the tournament record books Friday.

The 48-year-old right-hander got a rare second chance at perfection and took advantage of it, rolling games of 192, 286 and 300 for a 778 series at the National Bowling Stadium. The effort helped Ebonite HQ 1 of Jersey City, N.J., to a 3,246 total, which is tied for 15th place in Regular Team. Lodge Lanes Too of Orlando, Fla., leads with a record score of 3,538.

Carson struck only two times in his first eight frames but missed just once the rest of the way. He opened his second game with 10 consecutive strikes, before a 2-8-10 split ended his first run at perfection, and he knew his 7-year-old son was at home watching on the computer, so he didn't want to let him down in the finale.

After admittedly being affected by the situation and the crowd gathering behind him, Carson approached his second run at the eighth 300 of the 2013 tournament a little differently.

"At that point, I said to myself, 'I just better do it this last game,' and I did," said Carson, who made his fifth appearance at the USBC Open Championships. "It was great. I was focused on just making some good shots, staying relaxed, keeping the ball soft off my hand and trying not to force it. I knew I had a good shot, so that basically played into the equation. I just tried to make really good shots, one at a time."

Carson and his teammates used a team practice session on the 900 Global Showcase Lanes to help finalize their strategy and adjust their equipment before hitting the tournament lanes. The new Showcase Lanes are located on the ground floor of the NBS and practice sessions are conducted on the team lane condition.

"We bowled this morning, but from being here two out of the last three years, we kind of have a sense for how the Stadium plays," Carson said. "It was good practice downstairs, trying to make some adjustments on the surfaces of our bowling balls, and it all worked out. It all made sense."

Carson was joined on the tournament lanes by 10-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion Bryan Goebel (756), Mitch Sacks (586), Dan Brezo (568) and Brandon Robertson (558), and their game plan was simple.

"We tried to break the lanes down the first game to create a little bit of friction to the right," Carson said. "Obviously, it worked, because by the third game, we had a pretty good shot. That basically was our strategy - stay to the right and then move in as the shot transitioned."

Presenting sponsors for the 2013 USBC Open Championships include Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno.