Two bowlers roll perfect games at USBC Open Championships
April 19, 2010
RENO, Nev. - There were only six perfect games through the first 55 days of the 2010 USBC Open Championships, but there have been three more in the last four days at the National Bowling Stadium.
Tony Woodward of Helena, Mont., rolled the eighth 300 of the year during his team event Sunday night, while Dan Matasek of Villa Park, Ill., tossed the ninth in his final game of doubles 13 hours later. Ron Hosler of Denver had one Friday afternoon.
Two weeks ago, Woodward celebrated 12 years of marriage with his wife, Shannon, and on Sunday, he started his team event with 12 consecutive strikes. He added games of 194 and 214 for a 708 total and helped Sleeping Giant Lanes to a 2,929 team total. Bowlers Edge Pro Shop of Neenah, Wis., leads Regular Team with 3,408.
"It felt really good to bowl 300 here," said Woodward, who bowls regularly at Sleeping Giant Lanes and made his sixth Open Championships appearance. "I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates as well because of the amount of preparation we put in. We came in with a game plan and stuck to it. We also watched a couple of the live streaming events to help with our plan. This is an amazing feeling."
Perfection at the Open Championships is hard to come by, and the 41-year-old right-hander understands the significance of his accomplishment.
"This was much more exciting than if it had been in league," Woodward said. "The Open Championships is a big deal. The last ball was the only ball I was nervous on. I had a couple breaks early, and I ran with them. Plus, my teammates did a great job of helping me stay calm."
Matasek also had his teammates there to help him remain calm, while his wife and co-workers watched from home on the tournament's interactive Web cams.
The 44-year-old right-hander started doubles with a 181 game, and started striking after one of his teammates told him to slow down. He finished his second game with 218 before making his run at perfection. He ended with a 699 series.
"When I first started bowling in this tournament and heard the squad room announcements for the first time, I joked with my teammates that one day, they'd be announcing my name, too. I look forward to that now, especially if I get to bowl with my kids one day. I called my wife, and she couldn't believe it. She had been watching on the Web cam."
Matasek's Brunswick Corporation co-workers also tuned in Monday because, as the Director of IT, he made it possible for them to access BOWL.com and check out the action as it unfolded.
When a crowd of onlookers started to gather on the concourse at the Stadium, Matasek remained calm. He had a chance at 300 three years ago, too, but he was caught off guard when the scoreboard changed colors after his seventh strike. He finished that game with 279, and was ready for it to happen when he threw his seventh strike this time.
"This time, I knew it was going to happen, and people started crowding around," said Matasek, who bowls league at Fox Bowl in Wheaton, Ill., and competed in his 21st Open Championships. "It was a lot of fun, but I'm not really sure when it's going to set in. I'm just a three-game-a-week bowler, and I've always wanted to do well in this tournament."
Matasek added 592 in singles and 493 in team for a 1,784 all-events total, his best in six trips to the Stadium.
Woodward was lucky enough to have his wife right behind him in Reno. She also was his biggest supporter as he worked his way back into bowling, which he gave up in 1989 to focus on his career as a loan officer.
"It was nice to look back and see her tonight," said Woodward, who won the 2009 Montana Miller Masters. "Shannon is my biggest supporter, and she gets more excited than I do. Every tournament I have won, she has been there, and she always goes to the Open Championships with me. She just picked up the sport about five years ago, and now, she loves it as much as I do."
Woodward finished with 606 in doubles and 566 in singles for a career-best 1,880 all-events total.
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.
Tony Woodward of Helena, Mont., rolled the eighth 300 of the year during his team event Sunday night, while Dan Matasek of Villa Park, Ill., tossed the ninth in his final game of doubles 13 hours later. Ron Hosler of Denver had one Friday afternoon.
Two weeks ago, Woodward celebrated 12 years of marriage with his wife, Shannon, and on Sunday, he started his team event with 12 consecutive strikes. He added games of 194 and 214 for a 708 total and helped Sleeping Giant Lanes to a 2,929 team total. Bowlers Edge Pro Shop of Neenah, Wis., leads Regular Team with 3,408.
"It felt really good to bowl 300 here," said Woodward, who bowls regularly at Sleeping Giant Lanes and made his sixth Open Championships appearance. "I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates as well because of the amount of preparation we put in. We came in with a game plan and stuck to it. We also watched a couple of the live streaming events to help with our plan. This is an amazing feeling."
Perfection at the Open Championships is hard to come by, and the 41-year-old right-hander understands the significance of his accomplishment.
"This was much more exciting than if it had been in league," Woodward said. "The Open Championships is a big deal. The last ball was the only ball I was nervous on. I had a couple breaks early, and I ran with them. Plus, my teammates did a great job of helping me stay calm."
Matasek also had his teammates there to help him remain calm, while his wife and co-workers watched from home on the tournament's interactive Web cams.
The 44-year-old right-hander started doubles with a 181 game, and started striking after one of his teammates told him to slow down. He finished his second game with 218 before making his run at perfection. He ended with a 699 series.
"When I first started bowling in this tournament and heard the squad room announcements for the first time, I joked with my teammates that one day, they'd be announcing my name, too. I look forward to that now, especially if I get to bowl with my kids one day. I called my wife, and she couldn't believe it. She had been watching on the Web cam."
Matasek's Brunswick Corporation co-workers also tuned in Monday because, as the Director of IT, he made it possible for them to access BOWL.com and check out the action as it unfolded.
When a crowd of onlookers started to gather on the concourse at the Stadium, Matasek remained calm. He had a chance at 300 three years ago, too, but he was caught off guard when the scoreboard changed colors after his seventh strike. He finished that game with 279, and was ready for it to happen when he threw his seventh strike this time.
"This time, I knew it was going to happen, and people started crowding around," said Matasek, who bowls league at Fox Bowl in Wheaton, Ill., and competed in his 21st Open Championships. "It was a lot of fun, but I'm not really sure when it's going to set in. I'm just a three-game-a-week bowler, and I've always wanted to do well in this tournament."
Matasek added 592 in singles and 493 in team for a 1,784 all-events total, his best in six trips to the Stadium.
Woodward was lucky enough to have his wife right behind him in Reno. She also was his biggest supporter as he worked his way back into bowling, which he gave up in 1989 to focus on his career as a loan officer.
"It was nice to look back and see her tonight," said Woodward, who won the 2009 Montana Miller Masters. "Shannon is my biggest supporter, and she gets more excited than I do. Every tournament I have won, she has been there, and she always goes to the Open Championships with me. She just picked up the sport about five years ago, and now, she loves it as much as I do."
Woodward finished with 606 in doubles and 566 in singles for a career-best 1,880 all-events total.
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.