North Dakota's Smith takes Regular Singles lead at 2023 Open Championships
April 28, 2023
RENO, Nev. –Jeremiah Smith of Mandan, North Dakota, is like a lot of bowlers in that he looks forward to bowling the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships more than any other tournament throughout the year.
However, now that his time on the championship lanes is over for 2023, he probably wants this year’s tournament to end as soon as possible.
That’s because if the competition were to end today, Smith would win one of the event’s coveted Eagles, which is the trophy given to champions in the Regular Division.
Smith put himself in that position by firing games of 248, 268 and 245 at the National Bowling Stadium on Thursday night, giving him a 761 series and the lead in Regular Singles.
Derek Eoff of DeForest, Wisconsin, was the previous leader with 756.
In addition to the 761 he put up in singles, Smith recorded 690 during team and 608 in doubles for a career-high 2,057 total for nine games, which moved him into ninth place in Regular All-Events.
Eoff is the leader in Regular All-Events with 2,165.
The Regular Division features bowlers with entering averages of 176 and above.
Smith’s 2023 Open Championships run got off to a good start Wednesday as after starting with a solid 207, he finished with games of 245 and 238 to come in with a 690 series, which is his new career high for the team event.
As such, Smith returned to the NBS with a lot of confidence heading into Thursday’s doubles and singles block.
Unfortunately, the evening didn’t get off to the start Smith was hoping for as he began his set with games of 187 and 191.
Things started to turn around during Game 3, however, as after suffering an open during the first frame, Smith rattled off a six-bagger in frames two through seven.
He finished with a score of 228, but, more importantly, he was starting to get locked in on the 1-3 pocket, and that’s where he would stay throughout singles.
Smith struck eight times during Game 1, using a turkey in the second, third and fourth frames and a four-bagger in frames six through nine to start with a clean 248.
He kept the momentum going during Game 2, starting with a six-bagger and striking on nine of his first 10 shots to shoot 268 for the game and give himself a 516 series through two.
That meant that Smith would need 241 or higher in Game 3 to move past Eoff and into the lead.
At that point, there was clearly some extra energy amongst the spectators at the NBS, and more and more people started gathering behind Smith’s pair to watch.
Smith gave them plenty to see, starting his final game with seven strikes in a row.
At that point, not only did it seem like a foregone conclusion that Smith would take the lead, but it also looked like he might just become the first bowler to record an 800 series at this year’s tournament.
That possibility came off the table one frame later, however, as Smith’s eighth shot came in half pocket, resulting in a 5-7 split. Despite a good attempt, he couldn’t make the conversion, which resulted in his first open frame of the set.
Even though the 800 was gone, Smith was still in good shape. If he could mark in the ninth and 10th frames, the lead would be his.
His ninth shot crept slightly high, but the 4 pin was all that remained standing. Smith easily made the spare, moving him just one mark away from the top of the standings.
When Smith threw his first ball in the 10th frame, it appeared as if he was going to get the best mark possible, a strike, as his ball rolled flush into the 1-3 pocket.
The 10 pin refused to fall, however, placing Smith in a position that many right-handers dread, which is having to convert a 10 pin in a crucial situation.
But the proposition didn’t appear to bother Smith in the least; instead, he calmly stepped up and converted the spare.
With the all-important mark secured, Smith needed just six pins on his fill ball to take the lead.
As soon as that shot left his hand, Smith let out a yell, raised his arms in triumph and began walking his shot out across the approaches to the right. Despite only needing six pins, the shot got all 10, putting Smith in first place with 761.
But what the assembled crowd didn’t realize was that Smith wasn’t celebrating having taken over the lead. In fact, he didn’t even know that’s what happened; he just knew that he had put up a very nice series.
“I had zero clue; I was just throwing shots,” Smith said. “I first got the sense that something was up when I got up to shoot that 10 pin because I could tell that everybody was a little more tense than normal.
“I ran it down, but I still had no idea. I just decided I was going to walk off that last shot no matter what just to show off for the camera.”
Reality hit moments later when teammates, family members and friends let Smith in on the secret. As expected, Smith was thrilled by the news.
“The Open Championships is easily my favorite tournament; come Hell or high water, I always try to make it out here, so what happened tonight is going to be something I remember for the rest of my life,” Smith said. “I really can’t believe it.”
Another thing Smith would have a hard time believing is the phone call telling him that his score held on and that he’s won an Eagle; however, it’s a call that he’d more than welcome.
“I would be excited beyond belief to get that call,” Smith said. “Winning an Eagle is a dream, but it’s not something I really thought would ever come to fruition. If that happens, it will mean the world to me.”
Nevertheless, with more than two months remaining in this year’s tournament, Smith knows that it’s way too early to begin clearing off space on the mantle. For that reason, he’s going to do his best not to do too much scoreboard watching just yet.
“I won’t make any promises, but I’m going to try not to check scores daily or anything like that,” Smith said. “What’s going to happen is going to happen. Just the fact that I’m leaving here in the lead is incredible.”
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
However, now that his time on the championship lanes is over for 2023, he probably wants this year’s tournament to end as soon as possible.
That’s because if the competition were to end today, Smith would win one of the event’s coveted Eagles, which is the trophy given to champions in the Regular Division.
Smith put himself in that position by firing games of 248, 268 and 245 at the National Bowling Stadium on Thursday night, giving him a 761 series and the lead in Regular Singles.
Derek Eoff of DeForest, Wisconsin, was the previous leader with 756.
In addition to the 761 he put up in singles, Smith recorded 690 during team and 608 in doubles for a career-high 2,057 total for nine games, which moved him into ninth place in Regular All-Events.
Eoff is the leader in Regular All-Events with 2,165.
The Regular Division features bowlers with entering averages of 176 and above.
Smith’s 2023 Open Championships run got off to a good start Wednesday as after starting with a solid 207, he finished with games of 245 and 238 to come in with a 690 series, which is his new career high for the team event.
As such, Smith returned to the NBS with a lot of confidence heading into Thursday’s doubles and singles block.
Unfortunately, the evening didn’t get off to the start Smith was hoping for as he began his set with games of 187 and 191.
Things started to turn around during Game 3, however, as after suffering an open during the first frame, Smith rattled off a six-bagger in frames two through seven.
He finished with a score of 228, but, more importantly, he was starting to get locked in on the 1-3 pocket, and that’s where he would stay throughout singles.
Smith struck eight times during Game 1, using a turkey in the second, third and fourth frames and a four-bagger in frames six through nine to start with a clean 248.
He kept the momentum going during Game 2, starting with a six-bagger and striking on nine of his first 10 shots to shoot 268 for the game and give himself a 516 series through two.
That meant that Smith would need 241 or higher in Game 3 to move past Eoff and into the lead.
At that point, there was clearly some extra energy amongst the spectators at the NBS, and more and more people started gathering behind Smith’s pair to watch.
Smith gave them plenty to see, starting his final game with seven strikes in a row.
At that point, not only did it seem like a foregone conclusion that Smith would take the lead, but it also looked like he might just become the first bowler to record an 800 series at this year’s tournament.
That possibility came off the table one frame later, however, as Smith’s eighth shot came in half pocket, resulting in a 5-7 split. Despite a good attempt, he couldn’t make the conversion, which resulted in his first open frame of the set.
Even though the 800 was gone, Smith was still in good shape. If he could mark in the ninth and 10th frames, the lead would be his.
His ninth shot crept slightly high, but the 4 pin was all that remained standing. Smith easily made the spare, moving him just one mark away from the top of the standings.
When Smith threw his first ball in the 10th frame, it appeared as if he was going to get the best mark possible, a strike, as his ball rolled flush into the 1-3 pocket.
The 10 pin refused to fall, however, placing Smith in a position that many right-handers dread, which is having to convert a 10 pin in a crucial situation.
But the proposition didn’t appear to bother Smith in the least; instead, he calmly stepped up and converted the spare.
With the all-important mark secured, Smith needed just six pins on his fill ball to take the lead.
As soon as that shot left his hand, Smith let out a yell, raised his arms in triumph and began walking his shot out across the approaches to the right. Despite only needing six pins, the shot got all 10, putting Smith in first place with 761.
But what the assembled crowd didn’t realize was that Smith wasn’t celebrating having taken over the lead. In fact, he didn’t even know that’s what happened; he just knew that he had put up a very nice series.
“I had zero clue; I was just throwing shots,” Smith said. “I first got the sense that something was up when I got up to shoot that 10 pin because I could tell that everybody was a little more tense than normal.
“I ran it down, but I still had no idea. I just decided I was going to walk off that last shot no matter what just to show off for the camera.”
Reality hit moments later when teammates, family members and friends let Smith in on the secret. As expected, Smith was thrilled by the news.
“The Open Championships is easily my favorite tournament; come Hell or high water, I always try to make it out here, so what happened tonight is going to be something I remember for the rest of my life,” Smith said. “I really can’t believe it.”
Another thing Smith would have a hard time believing is the phone call telling him that his score held on and that he’s won an Eagle; however, it’s a call that he’d more than welcome.
“I would be excited beyond belief to get that call,” Smith said. “Winning an Eagle is a dream, but it’s not something I really thought would ever come to fruition. If that happens, it will mean the world to me.”
Nevertheless, with more than two months remaining in this year’s tournament, Smith knows that it’s way too early to begin clearing off space on the mantle. For that reason, he’s going to do his best not to do too much scoreboard watching just yet.
“I won’t make any promises, but I’m going to try not to check scores daily or anything like that,” Smith said. “What’s going to happen is going to happen. Just the fact that I’m leaving here in the lead is incredible.”
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.