Utah first-timer leads Classified Singles, All-Events at 2019 USBC Open Championships
June 04, 2019
By Matt Cannizzaro and Daniel Farish
USBC Communications
LAS VEGAS - When Jay Stratton of West Valley, Utah, marched to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza for his debut at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, he had no thoughts of leaving Las Vegas with his name on the leaderboard.
After his performance Sunday in singles, the 47-year-old right-hander will return to Utah leading not one, but two events, at the 2019 USBC Open Championships.
Stratton secured the top spot in the Classified Singles standings with games of 175, 244 and 234 for 653 series, and his big finish catapulted him into the lead in Classified All-Events with a 1,718 nine-game total. He rolled sets of 546 in team and 519 in doubles.
Charles Vo of Sugar Land, Texas, previously held the singles lead with 644, and Larry Meyers of Renwick, Iowa, topped the all-events standings with 1,707, which was rolled March 13, only five days into the 122-day event that concludes July 8.
Having started bowling just two years ago as something to do with his wife, Kate, Stratton has bowled some smaller tournaments in Utah, but nothing near the magnitude of the Open Championships. He really had no idea what to expect when he stepped onto the biggest stage in bowling.
"My family talked me into coming out here, so honestly, I wasn't expecting much," Stratton said. "My cousin and his wife started bowling in the tournament last year, and my uncles have been coming out here for years. They all convinced me to come out here."
Despite being a novice in the sport and event, Stratton said he was relatively calm before taking the lanes and even energized by the marchout song.
That laid-back approach to his team event enabled Stratton to roll games of 170, 192 and 184, and his 546 series led his team, Katie Stratton Team 1.
"We just came to have some fun," Stratton said. "When you get out there with your friends and the music is playing, it kind of jazzes you up, and it's just really fun."
Since 2013, the Open Championships has provided participants with a true test of versatility - different oil patterns for team and doubles/singles.
Stratton's return to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza on Sunday didn't start off quite as well, but he didn't let his 144 start in doubles deter him. He was patient and persistent, and things improved.
Even after the final ball was thrown, though, Stratton still had no idea what he'd accomplished.
"I struggled at first, but I usually do when there is heavy oil," Stratton said. "But, once the lanes started to get drier, my game really improved," said Stratton, whose 653 series Sunday in singles was a personal best. "I was shocked because all the other bowlers came over and started congratulating me. I had no clue what I had done, I just knew that I was bowling better as the morning progressed."
Stratton, who works as a warehouse manager and bowls in one league per week at Valley Bowling Lanes, allowed the excitement of the achievement to set in over lunch and then returned to the tournament registration desk after lunch to inquire about how to follow the scores for the remainder of the tournament.
The 2019 Open Championships kicked off March 9 and will welcome more than 52,000 bowlers across three average-based divisions to Las Vegas before the last ball is thrown July 8.
Stratton will be able to follow the standings on BOWL.com.
"It would be really neat if this were to hold up," Stratton said. "I know for sure we would celebrate, and maybe I'll start taking bowling a little more seriously."
In accordance with USBC Rule 306 - All-Events, should Stratton's all-events score hold up, he would be awarded the 2019 Classified All-Events Eagle, but he would not be eligible for the prize money, since he did not enter the optional prize portion. The money would go to the next person in the standings.
Classified Singles includes bowlers with entering tournament averages of 155 and below.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.
USBC Communications
LAS VEGAS - When Jay Stratton of West Valley, Utah, marched to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza for his debut at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, he had no thoughts of leaving Las Vegas with his name on the leaderboard.
After his performance Sunday in singles, the 47-year-old right-hander will return to Utah leading not one, but two events, at the 2019 USBC Open Championships.
Stratton secured the top spot in the Classified Singles standings with games of 175, 244 and 234 for 653 series, and his big finish catapulted him into the lead in Classified All-Events with a 1,718 nine-game total. He rolled sets of 546 in team and 519 in doubles.
Charles Vo of Sugar Land, Texas, previously held the singles lead with 644, and Larry Meyers of Renwick, Iowa, topped the all-events standings with 1,707, which was rolled March 13, only five days into the 122-day event that concludes July 8.
Having started bowling just two years ago as something to do with his wife, Kate, Stratton has bowled some smaller tournaments in Utah, but nothing near the magnitude of the Open Championships. He really had no idea what to expect when he stepped onto the biggest stage in bowling.
"My family talked me into coming out here, so honestly, I wasn't expecting much," Stratton said. "My cousin and his wife started bowling in the tournament last year, and my uncles have been coming out here for years. They all convinced me to come out here."
Despite being a novice in the sport and event, Stratton said he was relatively calm before taking the lanes and even energized by the marchout song.
That laid-back approach to his team event enabled Stratton to roll games of 170, 192 and 184, and his 546 series led his team, Katie Stratton Team 1.
"We just came to have some fun," Stratton said. "When you get out there with your friends and the music is playing, it kind of jazzes you up, and it's just really fun."
Since 2013, the Open Championships has provided participants with a true test of versatility - different oil patterns for team and doubles/singles.
Stratton's return to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza on Sunday didn't start off quite as well, but he didn't let his 144 start in doubles deter him. He was patient and persistent, and things improved.
Even after the final ball was thrown, though, Stratton still had no idea what he'd accomplished.
"I struggled at first, but I usually do when there is heavy oil," Stratton said. "But, once the lanes started to get drier, my game really improved," said Stratton, whose 653 series Sunday in singles was a personal best. "I was shocked because all the other bowlers came over and started congratulating me. I had no clue what I had done, I just knew that I was bowling better as the morning progressed."
Stratton, who works as a warehouse manager and bowls in one league per week at Valley Bowling Lanes, allowed the excitement of the achievement to set in over lunch and then returned to the tournament registration desk after lunch to inquire about how to follow the scores for the remainder of the tournament.
The 2019 Open Championships kicked off March 9 and will welcome more than 52,000 bowlers across three average-based divisions to Las Vegas before the last ball is thrown July 8.
Stratton will be able to follow the standings on BOWL.com.
"It would be really neat if this were to hold up," Stratton said. "I know for sure we would celebrate, and maybe I'll start taking bowling a little more seriously."
In accordance with USBC Rule 306 - All-Events, should Stratton's all-events score hold up, he would be awarded the 2019 Classified All-Events Eagle, but he would not be eligible for the prize money, since he did not enter the optional prize portion. The money would go to the next person in the standings.
Classified Singles includes bowlers with entering tournament averages of 155 and below.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.