On the Lanes with Shawn Ryan
June 19, 2010
In the coming months, we'll talk with some of the best-known bowlers at the USBC Open Championships and get their thoughts on their time at the tournament and what it takes to succeed on the championship lanes.
This week, we heard from former Junior Team USA member, Shawn Ryan, who will take to the lanes on June 22 and 23. Ryan works in the Hammer booth at the Open Championships, so he's had the unique opportunity to watch things unfold on the lanes during the first 120 days of competition at the National Bowling Stadium this year.
Ryan, a 26-year-old left-hander, competed collegiately for the nationally-ranked University of Central Florida Knights and helped lead them to three USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships appearances.
During the 2004-05 collegiate season, Ryan was a National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Second-Team All-American and an honorable mention selection for the Bowling Writers Association of America Bowler of the Year award. In February of 2009, Ryan won the True Amateur Tournament in Las Vegas.
At the 2006 Open Championships in Corpus Christi, Texas, Ryan shot 782 in team, 690 in singles and 606 in doubles for a career-high all-events total of 2,078. In 2009, he helped Junior Team USA Support of Orlando, Fla., to a fifth-place finish in Team All-Events and a sixth-place effort in Regular Team.
In five Open Championships appearances, Ryan has averaged 217.9 (225.9 in singles, 222.5 in team and 205.3 in doubles).
HOMETOWN: New Port Richey, Fla.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS APPEARANCES: This will be my sixth appearance.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS TITLES: 0
BOWLING BALL WEIGHT: 15
FAVORITE BRAND OF BOWLING BALLS: Hammer
ONE all-time favorite host city: Reno. You can't beat the stadium
TWO best Open Championships memories: 1. shooting 782 in team at the 2006 event in Corpus Christi, Texas; 2. every year is fun when you're bowling with your friends.
THREE keys to success at the Open Championships: 1. equipment; 2. gameplan; 3. teamwork
FOURgettable Open Championships moment: 2005 Open Championships in Baton Rouge, La.
FIVE bowlers in history on your Open Championships fantasy all-star team: Earl Anthony, Chris Barnes, Tommy Jones, Norm Duke and Bill O'Neill
SIX bowling balls currently in your Open Championships arsenal: Black Widow Sting, Raw Hammer Jacked, Peach Vibe, Backlash, The Sauce and a spare ball
SEVEN cities you'd like to see the Open Championships go to/return to: Orlando, Fla., Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Reno, Nev., Las Vegas, and Denver
EIGHT favorite bowling balls ever: Ebonite The One, Ebonite SR300, Ebonite V2, Ebonite V2 Pearl, Ebonite Matrix, Hammer Black Widow Sting, Raw Hammer Doom and the Hammer Blue Vibe
NINE other current/eligible bowlers you would choose to join you on your ideal pair of companion teams at the Open Championships: John Gaines, Kendra Gaines, Bob Brust, Stefanie Nation, Lynda Barnes, Ronnie Sparks Jr., David O'Sullivan, Clay Herrbach and Jeffrey Mersch
TEN seconds or less, who is your favorite bowler of all-time?: Chris Barnes
ELEVEN strikes in a row to start a game at the Open Championships, what's going through your head?: It's just bowling...
TWELVE years from now, where do you hope to be in your bowling career?: Still competing.
This week, we heard from former Junior Team USA member, Shawn Ryan, who will take to the lanes on June 22 and 23. Ryan works in the Hammer booth at the Open Championships, so he's had the unique opportunity to watch things unfold on the lanes during the first 120 days of competition at the National Bowling Stadium this year.
Ryan, a 26-year-old left-hander, competed collegiately for the nationally-ranked University of Central Florida Knights and helped lead them to three USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships appearances.
During the 2004-05 collegiate season, Ryan was a National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Second-Team All-American and an honorable mention selection for the Bowling Writers Association of America Bowler of the Year award. In February of 2009, Ryan won the True Amateur Tournament in Las Vegas.
At the 2006 Open Championships in Corpus Christi, Texas, Ryan shot 782 in team, 690 in singles and 606 in doubles for a career-high all-events total of 2,078. In 2009, he helped Junior Team USA Support of Orlando, Fla., to a fifth-place finish in Team All-Events and a sixth-place effort in Regular Team.
In five Open Championships appearances, Ryan has averaged 217.9 (225.9 in singles, 222.5 in team and 205.3 in doubles).
HOMETOWN: New Port Richey, Fla.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS APPEARANCES: This will be my sixth appearance.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS TITLES: 0
BOWLING BALL WEIGHT: 15
FAVORITE BRAND OF BOWLING BALLS: Hammer
ONE all-time favorite host city: Reno. You can't beat the stadium
TWO best Open Championships memories: 1. shooting 782 in team at the 2006 event in Corpus Christi, Texas; 2. every year is fun when you're bowling with your friends.
THREE keys to success at the Open Championships: 1. equipment; 2. gameplan; 3. teamwork
FOURgettable Open Championships moment: 2005 Open Championships in Baton Rouge, La.
FIVE bowlers in history on your Open Championships fantasy all-star team: Earl Anthony, Chris Barnes, Tommy Jones, Norm Duke and Bill O'Neill
SIX bowling balls currently in your Open Championships arsenal: Black Widow Sting, Raw Hammer Jacked, Peach Vibe, Backlash, The Sauce and a spare ball
SEVEN cities you'd like to see the Open Championships go to/return to: Orlando, Fla., Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Reno, Nev., Las Vegas, and Denver
EIGHT favorite bowling balls ever: Ebonite The One, Ebonite SR300, Ebonite V2, Ebonite V2 Pearl, Ebonite Matrix, Hammer Black Widow Sting, Raw Hammer Doom and the Hammer Blue Vibe
NINE other current/eligible bowlers you would choose to join you on your ideal pair of companion teams at the Open Championships: John Gaines, Kendra Gaines, Bob Brust, Stefanie Nation, Lynda Barnes, Ronnie Sparks Jr., David O'Sullivan, Clay Herrbach and Jeffrey Mersch
TEN seconds or less, who is your favorite bowler of all-time?: Chris Barnes
ELEVEN strikes in a row to start a game at the Open Championships, what's going through your head?: It's just bowling...
TWELVE years from now, where do you hope to be in your bowling career?: Still competing.