Ohio bowler joins 50-Year Club at USBC Open Championships
April 14, 2011
RENO, Nev. - Erwin Wenzlaff of Toledo, Ohio, always has enjoyed competing at the USBC Open Championships, and he has a few especially great memories from his time in the Biggest Little City in the World.
This week, Wenzlaff made his 10th overall trip to Reno and seventh visit to the National Bowling Stadium. There year's appearance was particularly memorable because he became the 135th bowler to reach 50 years of participation at the Open Championships. He was the seventh of 14 bowlers who are scheduled to reach the milestone this year.
"I thought everything was great today," said Wenzlaff, who bowls league at Jug's Bowling Center. "You guys did a really great job with the ceremony. It was very impressive. It's just a great feeling to know that I did it."
The 82-year-old right-hander made his tournament debut in his hometown in 1960 and has enjoyed every minute of his Open Championships journey since.
Wenzlaff was a member of the highly-competitive Toledo Classic Traveling League for many years and recalls several Open Championships visits with his longtime friends and league teammates.
"We used to come as a group," said Wenzlaff, who is a Toledo Bowling Association Hall of Famer and received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate his tournament milestone Wednesday. "I was very fortunate to get on a team with a couple of hall of famers when I started in the league. I have a couple of good friends who have made it to 50 years here, too, so I knew what to expect today. It was very enjoyable. I am the sixth bowler from Toledo to make it."
The Open Championships always has been a vacation opportunity for Wenzlaff and his family. Throughout the years, several cities stand out in his mind as favorites, including Reno.
"I really liked Miami and Oklahoma City," Wenzlaff said. "I have always liked Reno as well. We have visited various cities around Reno, including Lake Tahoe and Carson City. We have always used the tournament as a vacation, so it has been very fun."
Accompanying Wenzlaff and his wife on several of those trips were his two daughters, Sandra Frank and Sue Wenzlaff. They shared the tournament lanes with Wenzlaff as he marched into history.
"It was such a phenomenal day," Frank said. "People we bowled with who we didn't know were very supportive. People were constantly coming up to him and asking him questions. He did his usual, though. He passed on some advice to a first-timer he was sharing the lanes with, which was really nice. He is great to bowl with and against."
Sue Wenzlaff was also excited to see her father accomplish his lifelong goal.
"It was real exciting," Sue Wenzlaff said. "It was nice to see him accomplish his dream and achieve what he wanted to accomplish. He set his mind to make it, and he did. I am very proud of him."
On the lanes this year, Erwin Wenzlaff rolled a 335 series to help TBA 5 to a 2,081 Classified team total. In 50 Open Championships appearances, he has knocked down 76,604 pins for a career average of 177.3. He did not compete in doubles and singles this year.
Presenting sponsors for the 2011 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, Humana, official registration sponsor, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.
This week, Wenzlaff made his 10th overall trip to Reno and seventh visit to the National Bowling Stadium. There year's appearance was particularly memorable because he became the 135th bowler to reach 50 years of participation at the Open Championships. He was the seventh of 14 bowlers who are scheduled to reach the milestone this year.
"I thought everything was great today," said Wenzlaff, who bowls league at Jug's Bowling Center. "You guys did a really great job with the ceremony. It was very impressive. It's just a great feeling to know that I did it."
The 82-year-old right-hander made his tournament debut in his hometown in 1960 and has enjoyed every minute of his Open Championships journey since.
Wenzlaff was a member of the highly-competitive Toledo Classic Traveling League for many years and recalls several Open Championships visits with his longtime friends and league teammates.
"We used to come as a group," said Wenzlaff, who is a Toledo Bowling Association Hall of Famer and received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate his tournament milestone Wednesday. "I was very fortunate to get on a team with a couple of hall of famers when I started in the league. I have a couple of good friends who have made it to 50 years here, too, so I knew what to expect today. It was very enjoyable. I am the sixth bowler from Toledo to make it."
The Open Championships always has been a vacation opportunity for Wenzlaff and his family. Throughout the years, several cities stand out in his mind as favorites, including Reno.
"I really liked Miami and Oklahoma City," Wenzlaff said. "I have always liked Reno as well. We have visited various cities around Reno, including Lake Tahoe and Carson City. We have always used the tournament as a vacation, so it has been very fun."
Accompanying Wenzlaff and his wife on several of those trips were his two daughters, Sandra Frank and Sue Wenzlaff. They shared the tournament lanes with Wenzlaff as he marched into history.
"It was such a phenomenal day," Frank said. "People we bowled with who we didn't know were very supportive. People were constantly coming up to him and asking him questions. He did his usual, though. He passed on some advice to a first-timer he was sharing the lanes with, which was really nice. He is great to bowl with and against."
Sue Wenzlaff was also excited to see her father accomplish his lifelong goal.
"It was real exciting," Sue Wenzlaff said. "It was nice to see him accomplish his dream and achieve what he wanted to accomplish. He set his mind to make it, and he did. I am very proud of him."
On the lanes this year, Erwin Wenzlaff rolled a 335 series to help TBA 5 to a 2,081 Classified team total. In 50 Open Championships appearances, he has knocked down 76,604 pins for a career average of 177.3. He did not compete in doubles and singles this year.
Presenting sponsors for the 2011 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, Humana, official registration sponsor, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.