Wichita bowler reaches 50 consecutive years at USBC Open Championships
March 22, 2026
RENO, Nev. – The rich bowling tradition associated with Wichita, Kansas, earned another accolade Thursday at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships as Danny High made his 50th consecutive tournament appearance.
The 73-year-old received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel to celebrate his milestone achievement at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada.
High’s first excursion to the Open Championships took place during the 1976 event in Oklahoma City. He quickly was impressed by the longevity of some of his fellow competitors, which helped start his path toward 50 years.
“The first one, we drove down there,” High said. “We got into the room where they weighed our bowling balls, and they started the announcements. Somebody was getting a 25-year plaque, and I thought that was awesome. They got a plaque and patch, and I thought I’d like to try and do that myself – get my 25-year plaque. That’s kind of what started it.
“The big thrill was going to Reno the next year. We didn’t have this nice bowling arena yet, but it was pretty exciting. I did bowl fairly decent there and cashed, which always helped.”
Once High reached 25 in a row during the 2000 event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he kept supporting his teammates as they looked forward to their own participation goals at the tournament.
In looking at some of his team photos from across his 50 years, he’s shared the lanes at the tournament with more than 100 different bowlers.
“Once I got to 25, the guys who were going with me only needed a few more years to reach their 25th, so we were going to keep going until they got theirs,” High said. “Then a few other guys only needed a few more years, so we kept supporting them. The team support is a big part of it.
“I started counting my teammates from all the photos over the years, and I’ve had over 100 different teammates. We come here with two teams, so we get switched around from those 10, and at one time or another, I’ve bowled with over 100 guys.”
High became the fourth bowler from the Wichita area to reach 50 years at the Open Championships, joining Dwight Henry, Ray Hall and Rick Schroer.
“Wichita has three others that had 50 years in, and I’ve bowled with most of them at nationals at one time or another,” High said. “We were thinking about having all four of us bowl on a team in the future, so we’ll see if that happens.
“Wichita is a great bowling community. We have a lot of good bowlers, and Wichita State is a great university. It’s just natural to want to come here with all of these great bowlers, and it’s been fun.”
On the lanes, High noted his first 600 series and 1,800 score for all-events took place during the 1979 event in Tampa, Florida, and his top overall scores were recorded during the 2011 event in Reno with a 667 series in doubles and 1,876 all-events tally.
He has enjoyed the chance to travel to new spots for the tournament and mentioned Niagara Falls, New York, as one of the most memorable areas to visit.
“Being from Kansas, I had never thought about going to Niagara Falls,” High said. “But, I really enjoyed the city. When we went to the bowling center and registered to bowl the first day, I asked someone where we should go to eat. We got there, and it’s in a neighborhood. The lady had a café in her house, and she cooked us a homecooked meal. The next day, we were able to experience lake-effect snow. We went into a restaurant, and it was cloudy. We ate, and about two hours later when we left, we had about 8 inches of snow on everything.
“It’s been an enjoyable ride. I was able to see a lot of neat things and had a lot of fun. Once I got on the airplane (to come here), I started thinking about it. I knew it was going to be exciting, and everyone here has been very gracious, kind, helpful and thoughtful.”
With his 50th appearance in the books, High has knocked down 77,878 pins for a career average of 175.4 at the Open Championships.
The Open Championships is celebrating its 122nd edition in 2026 and making its 15th trip to Reno, Nevada. The 2026 event is scheduled to feature more than 55,000 bowlers and 11,000 five-player teams competing across 128 consecutive days at the National Bowling Stadium.
Follow the action from the tournament’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts.
The 73-year-old received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel to celebrate his milestone achievement at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada.
High’s first excursion to the Open Championships took place during the 1976 event in Oklahoma City. He quickly was impressed by the longevity of some of his fellow competitors, which helped start his path toward 50 years.
“The first one, we drove down there,” High said. “We got into the room where they weighed our bowling balls, and they started the announcements. Somebody was getting a 25-year plaque, and I thought that was awesome. They got a plaque and patch, and I thought I’d like to try and do that myself – get my 25-year plaque. That’s kind of what started it.
“The big thrill was going to Reno the next year. We didn’t have this nice bowling arena yet, but it was pretty exciting. I did bowl fairly decent there and cashed, which always helped.”
Once High reached 25 in a row during the 2000 event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he kept supporting his teammates as they looked forward to their own participation goals at the tournament.
In looking at some of his team photos from across his 50 years, he’s shared the lanes at the tournament with more than 100 different bowlers.
“Once I got to 25, the guys who were going with me only needed a few more years to reach their 25th, so we were going to keep going until they got theirs,” High said. “Then a few other guys only needed a few more years, so we kept supporting them. The team support is a big part of it.
“I started counting my teammates from all the photos over the years, and I’ve had over 100 different teammates. We come here with two teams, so we get switched around from those 10, and at one time or another, I’ve bowled with over 100 guys.”
High became the fourth bowler from the Wichita area to reach 50 years at the Open Championships, joining Dwight Henry, Ray Hall and Rick Schroer.
“Wichita has three others that had 50 years in, and I’ve bowled with most of them at nationals at one time or another,” High said. “We were thinking about having all four of us bowl on a team in the future, so we’ll see if that happens.
“Wichita is a great bowling community. We have a lot of good bowlers, and Wichita State is a great university. It’s just natural to want to come here with all of these great bowlers, and it’s been fun.”
On the lanes, High noted his first 600 series and 1,800 score for all-events took place during the 1979 event in Tampa, Florida, and his top overall scores were recorded during the 2011 event in Reno with a 667 series in doubles and 1,876 all-events tally.
He has enjoyed the chance to travel to new spots for the tournament and mentioned Niagara Falls, New York, as one of the most memorable areas to visit.
“Being from Kansas, I had never thought about going to Niagara Falls,” High said. “But, I really enjoyed the city. When we went to the bowling center and registered to bowl the first day, I asked someone where we should go to eat. We got there, and it’s in a neighborhood. The lady had a café in her house, and she cooked us a homecooked meal. The next day, we were able to experience lake-effect snow. We went into a restaurant, and it was cloudy. We ate, and about two hours later when we left, we had about 8 inches of snow on everything.
“It’s been an enjoyable ride. I was able to see a lot of neat things and had a lot of fun. Once I got on the airplane (to come here), I started thinking about it. I knew it was going to be exciting, and everyone here has been very gracious, kind, helpful and thoughtful.”
With his 50th appearance in the books, High has knocked down 77,878 pins for a career average of 175.4 at the Open Championships.
The Open Championships is celebrating its 122nd edition in 2026 and making its 15th trip to Reno, Nevada. The 2026 event is scheduled to feature more than 55,000 bowlers and 11,000 five-player teams competing across 128 consecutive days at the National Bowling Stadium.
Follow the action from the tournament’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts.