Sparks unable to repeat at 2016 USBC Open Championships
April 29, 2016
RENO, Nev. - Ronnie Sparks Jr. of Redford, Michigan, made his first appearance at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships as a champion, and despite a hot start to his title defense, he will not repeat as the Regular Singles winner on the biggest stage in bowling.
The 28-year-old right-hander struggled in team and doubles but struck 10 times on the way to a 243 singles opener. He added games of 217 and 204 for a 664 series, short of last year's winning mark and this year's leader, Robert J. Bures of Painesville, Ohio, who tops the standings at the National Bowling Stadium with 815.
Sparks claimed the 2015 Regular Singles crown with games of 278, 246 and 269 for a 793 series at the El Paso Convention Center in El Paso, Texas.
He was recognized for the win before taking the lanes for this year's team event Thursday at the NBS and went on to finish his eighth USBC Open Championships appearance Friday with a 1,810 all-events total, which included 577 in team and 569 in doubles. His entire doubles and singles effort was broadcast live on BowlTV.
Another group of past champions from Michigan also garnered some attention Friday at the NBS as they made a run at the lead in Regular Doubles and Team All-Events, before settling into third and fourth place, respectively.
The members of S&B Pro Shop 1 of Clinton Township, Michigan, continued the momentum of a big performance in their team event, and Nick Wissinger and David Ewald just missed breaking the tie at the top of the doubles standings.
Wissinger rolled games of 220, 256 and 244, while Ewald added 199, 222 and 196 for 617 and a 1,337 total. Matthew Zitnik of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, and Jason Bowles of Euclid, Ohio, share the lead with Andy Mills and Nick Heilman of La Crosse, Wisconsin, with 1,341.
Wissinger's overall performance included sets of 646 in singles and 635 in team for a 2,001 all-events effort, which gave S&B Pro Shop 1 a chance at Team All-Events with one frame to go.
Dan MacLelland, the runner-up at the 2016 USBC Masters and a 2010 Team All-Events titlist at the Open Championships, added 1,997 for S&B Pro Shop 1 this year and was followed by Jay Lang (1,937), Bill Orlikowski (1,865) and Kerry Kreft (1,787) for a 9,587 team total. Defending champion Junior Team USA Support 1 of Eagan, Minnesota, leads again this year with 9,672.
S&B Pro Shop 1's run at the lead in Regular Team also ended in the final frame, but games of 1,106, 1,049 and 1,061 left them in second place with a 3,216 total. Who's Eddie Byrd? of Fort Worth, Texas, leads with 3,241.
Previous Open Championships success for the members of S&B Pro Shop 1 includes both team and Team All-Events wins.
Lang is a 1997 Regular Team champion and joined Orlikowski and Kreft for the 1999 Team All-Events title, Kreft and Ewald were members of the Regular Team winner in 2004 and Ewald, Kreft, Orlikowski and Wissinger shared in the 2012 Team All-Events victory.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
The 28-year-old right-hander struggled in team and doubles but struck 10 times on the way to a 243 singles opener. He added games of 217 and 204 for a 664 series, short of last year's winning mark and this year's leader, Robert J. Bures of Painesville, Ohio, who tops the standings at the National Bowling Stadium with 815.
Sparks claimed the 2015 Regular Singles crown with games of 278, 246 and 269 for a 793 series at the El Paso Convention Center in El Paso, Texas.
He was recognized for the win before taking the lanes for this year's team event Thursday at the NBS and went on to finish his eighth USBC Open Championships appearance Friday with a 1,810 all-events total, which included 577 in team and 569 in doubles. His entire doubles and singles effort was broadcast live on BowlTV.
Another group of past champions from Michigan also garnered some attention Friday at the NBS as they made a run at the lead in Regular Doubles and Team All-Events, before settling into third and fourth place, respectively.
The members of S&B Pro Shop 1 of Clinton Township, Michigan, continued the momentum of a big performance in their team event, and Nick Wissinger and David Ewald just missed breaking the tie at the top of the doubles standings.
Wissinger rolled games of 220, 256 and 244, while Ewald added 199, 222 and 196 for 617 and a 1,337 total. Matthew Zitnik of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, and Jason Bowles of Euclid, Ohio, share the lead with Andy Mills and Nick Heilman of La Crosse, Wisconsin, with 1,341.
Wissinger's overall performance included sets of 646 in singles and 635 in team for a 2,001 all-events effort, which gave S&B Pro Shop 1 a chance at Team All-Events with one frame to go.
Dan MacLelland, the runner-up at the 2016 USBC Masters and a 2010 Team All-Events titlist at the Open Championships, added 1,997 for S&B Pro Shop 1 this year and was followed by Jay Lang (1,937), Bill Orlikowski (1,865) and Kerry Kreft (1,787) for a 9,587 team total. Defending champion Junior Team USA Support 1 of Eagan, Minnesota, leads again this year with 9,672.
S&B Pro Shop 1's run at the lead in Regular Team also ended in the final frame, but games of 1,106, 1,049 and 1,061 left them in second place with a 3,216 total. Who's Eddie Byrd? of Fort Worth, Texas, leads with 3,241.
Previous Open Championships success for the members of S&B Pro Shop 1 includes both team and Team All-Events wins.
Lang is a 1997 Regular Team champion and joined Orlikowski and Kreft for the 1999 Team All-Events title, Kreft and Ewald were members of the Regular Team winner in 2004 and Ewald, Kreft, Orlikowski and Wissinger shared in the 2012 Team All-Events victory.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.