Texas couple takes doubles lead at USBC Open Championships
June 16, 2010
RENO, Nev. - When Daphene and Mark Thompson of Snyder, Texas, plan their annual trip to the USBC Open Championships, they look forward to sharing a vacation and bowling together.
This year, they got more than they ever expected as they moved into the lead in Classified Doubles with a 1,207 total at the National Bowling Stadium on Tuesday night. Robert Blum of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Frank DeFrancesco of Poway, Calif., previously held the lead with 1,200.
Next year's trip could be even more special for the Thompsons if they can hold onto the top spot for the final 20 days of the 2010 tournament and return a year from now as defending champions.
"I thought we were on pace to shoot a good series," said Mark Thompson, who made his ninth USBC Open Championships appearance. "The first game, we shot over 400, so I thought we could at least make the top 50. I am extremely excited. I had to calm down before I started bowling singles. You always think you can win at the Open Championships, but it's a different feeling when you actually get out here."
Mark led the way with games of 267, 145 and 212 for a 624 series, the first 600 series of his Open Championships career, while Daphene added games of 201, 212 and 170 for 583, also a career high. Her previous high series was 576 in singles last year in Las Vegas.
For Daphene, the Open Championships brings an opportunity for her and her husband, who started dating in seventh grade, to do something they love, while remembering the person who taught her the game.
"The opportunity to bowl together is one of the reasons why we come," said Daphene Thompson, who made her eighth Open Championships appearance. "We always bowl doubles together, no matter what the tournament is. My grandmother taught me how to bowl, and I still love bowling to this day. I have a newspaper clipping about her picking up a 7-10 split in the 1950s. Bowling means a lot to us."
The Thompsons regularly bowl at Snyder Lanes, but they do not have access to a pro shop. Instead, they use their annual trip to the tournament to purchase new equipment and learn as much as they can about the game in general.
"Frankie May has drilled several bowling balls for me," Mark Thompson said. "We don't have access to much at home, so when I come here, I always talk to Frankie. My game progressed when I started coming to Nationals because I could get better equipment and have a better understanding of certain technical aspects. We buy our balls here. Just about all the people who come with us purchase a ball here."
The Thompsons have been married for 22 years, but they have known each other since elementary school. Their success is extra special because they have been together for so long.
"We love to come out to the tournament and bowl," Mark Thompson said. "This means a lot to both of us. She knows how hard it is and how much money it takes to get here. We save our money and try to plan accordingly. This is a special tournament."
The couple's first trip to the Stadium came in 2000, when Daphene was in town to compete at the USBC Women's Championships. While she was bowling, Mark was taking in everything the Stadium had to offer. The next year, he made sure he didn't miss the chance to compete in the one-of-a-kind venue for the Open Championships.
"The Stadium just has a different feel," Mark Thompson said. "It is nothing like a regular bowling center. When I first saw it, I just felt a totally different atmosphere. It is truly a one-of-a-kind place to bowl. It has a special feel to it. At the time, my home center only sent one team, so I made it a point to make my own team. I like Reno, and I like the Stadium."
The couple knows there are only a few weeks left at the 2010 Open Championships, and they now will be counting down the days until the end of the tournament.
"It will be a nervous couple of weeks," Mark Thompson said. "We will be watching the scores every day."
Mark rounded things out this week with 548 in team and 524 in singles for career-best 1,696 all-events total. His previous high was 1,592 at the 2008 event in Albuquerque, N.M. Daphene finished with 511 in team and 494 in singles for 1,588.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, 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 year, they got more than they ever expected as they moved into the lead in Classified Doubles with a 1,207 total at the National Bowling Stadium on Tuesday night. Robert Blum of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Frank DeFrancesco of Poway, Calif., previously held the lead with 1,200.
Next year's trip could be even more special for the Thompsons if they can hold onto the top spot for the final 20 days of the 2010 tournament and return a year from now as defending champions.
"I thought we were on pace to shoot a good series," said Mark Thompson, who made his ninth USBC Open Championships appearance. "The first game, we shot over 400, so I thought we could at least make the top 50. I am extremely excited. I had to calm down before I started bowling singles. You always think you can win at the Open Championships, but it's a different feeling when you actually get out here."
Mark led the way with games of 267, 145 and 212 for a 624 series, the first 600 series of his Open Championships career, while Daphene added games of 201, 212 and 170 for 583, also a career high. Her previous high series was 576 in singles last year in Las Vegas.
For Daphene, the Open Championships brings an opportunity for her and her husband, who started dating in seventh grade, to do something they love, while remembering the person who taught her the game.
"The opportunity to bowl together is one of the reasons why we come," said Daphene Thompson, who made her eighth Open Championships appearance. "We always bowl doubles together, no matter what the tournament is. My grandmother taught me how to bowl, and I still love bowling to this day. I have a newspaper clipping about her picking up a 7-10 split in the 1950s. Bowling means a lot to us."
The Thompsons regularly bowl at Snyder Lanes, but they do not have access to a pro shop. Instead, they use their annual trip to the tournament to purchase new equipment and learn as much as they can about the game in general.
"Frankie May has drilled several bowling balls for me," Mark Thompson said. "We don't have access to much at home, so when I come here, I always talk to Frankie. My game progressed when I started coming to Nationals because I could get better equipment and have a better understanding of certain technical aspects. We buy our balls here. Just about all the people who come with us purchase a ball here."
The Thompsons have been married for 22 years, but they have known each other since elementary school. Their success is extra special because they have been together for so long.
"We love to come out to the tournament and bowl," Mark Thompson said. "This means a lot to both of us. She knows how hard it is and how much money it takes to get here. We save our money and try to plan accordingly. This is a special tournament."
The couple's first trip to the Stadium came in 2000, when Daphene was in town to compete at the USBC Women's Championships. While she was bowling, Mark was taking in everything the Stadium had to offer. The next year, he made sure he didn't miss the chance to compete in the one-of-a-kind venue for the Open Championships.
"The Stadium just has a different feel," Mark Thompson said. "It is nothing like a regular bowling center. When I first saw it, I just felt a totally different atmosphere. It is truly a one-of-a-kind place to bowl. It has a special feel to it. At the time, my home center only sent one team, so I made it a point to make my own team. I like Reno, and I like the Stadium."
The couple knows there are only a few weeks left at the 2010 Open Championships, and they now will be counting down the days until the end of the tournament.
"It will be a nervous couple of weeks," Mark Thompson said. "We will be watching the scores every day."
Mark rounded things out this week with 548 in team and 524 in singles for career-best 1,696 all-events total. His previous high was 1,592 at the 2008 event in Albuquerque, N.M. Daphene finished with 511 in team and 494 in singles for 1,588.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, 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.