RENO, Nev. - United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Jimmy Schroeder of Tonawanda, N.Y., has accomplished a lot in more than seven decades on the lanes, and he added one more milestone to his resumé this weekend when he competed in his 65th consecutive USBC Open Championships.

The 83-year-old right-hander has traveled thousands of miles and overcome health challenges, including three major hip surgeries, to keep his consecutive streak intact, and his dedication helped him become the sixth bowler to reach the 65-year mark.

"Bowling has been great to me, and I have met so many wonderful people," said Schroeder, who was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame in 1990. "At this time in my life, this means a lot to me, and it gives me something to look forward to each year. Sometimes, just walking from the hotel is a challenge because I just don't have the stamina anymore, but I'm still hoping to make it a few more years to catch Joe and Bill."

Late USBC Hall of Famer Joe Norris of San Diego and the late Bill Doehrman of Fort Wayne, Ind., each competed in the USBC Open Championships a record 71 times, while Sylvester Thiel of Lake City, Minn., is the active participation leader with 68 years. USBC Hall of Famer Bill Lillard Sr. of Houston (66) and the late Les Berry of Wooster, Ohio (66), are the other bowlers to reach 65 years.

Schroeder made his Open Championships debut as a substitute at the 1949 event in Atlantic City, N.J., and returned each year after because he knew that in order to truly be considered an elite player, he had to find success on the championship lanes.

"Back then, this tournament was the most important thing to bowl in, and if I was going to make a name for myself in bowling, this is where I wanted to succeed," said Schroeder, who received a plaque, chevron and custom ring to commemorate his 65th appearance. "If you had a title here, you really got a lot of recognition. So many legends had success at this event, and then to see how much it meant to Joe and Bill to keep competing as long as they did, really kept me going."

A charter member of the Professional Bowlers Association, Schroeder also became the first bowler from the Buffalo area to sign with a professional-level team when he joined the famous Falstaff team from St. Louis in 1958 and Detroit's Stroh's Beer team not long after.

A highlight of his long and distinguished career at the Open Championships came in 1976 when he rolled a 750 series to claim the Classic Singles crown. In 2008, he became the 10th member of the tournament's elite 60-Year Club. Through 2013, only 17 bowlers have reached 60 years.

"I was surrounded by great players and always thought if I won, it would be in the team event," Schroeder said. "When I bowled with the Falstaff team in 1976, I was the only guy out there without an eagle next to my name. I was in my late 40s but ended up winning it on my own, which was like icing on the cake. The only other highlight like that was the call letting me know I was elected to the hall of fame."

Bowling has taken Schroeder all over the world, and he still is a regular face at the annual Special Olympics National Unified Tournament, which is part of the opening-week festivities at the Open Championships site each year.

He has served as the International Bowling Director for the Special Olympics since the early 1990s and was instrumental in bringing the Open Championships and National Unified Tournament together for the first time in 1991.

"I got my first bowling ball when I was 12, and the rest is history, as they say," said Schroeder, who bowls with fellow USBC Hall of Famer Glenn Allison each year now, and the two have combined for 127 tournament appearances. "Bowling has always been my main focus, and there never was a doubt that's I wanted to do with my life. My wife, Joyce, has been supportive for so long and has never let me down."

This year, Schroeder, who is one of just 13 members of the tournament's 100,000-Pin Club, shot 530 in singles, 485 in doubles and 479 in team for a 1,494 total. In his 65-year career, he has knocked down 115,397 pins and is third on the career pinfall list. Norris tops the list with 123,770, while fellow hall of famer Bill Lillard Sr. is the active pinfall leader with 121,434.

Allison also is a member of the 100,000-Pin Club. He posted a 1,627 all-events total this year and is fourth all-time with a career pinfall of 112,723.

Judd Hall of Carrollton, Ohio, will become the seventh member of the 65-Year Club when he marches down Center Aisle on May 24.

Presenting sponsors for the 2013 USBC Open Championships include Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno.