Wisconsin bowler reaches two milestones at 2015 USBC Open
April 28, 2015
EL PASO, Texas - Longevity has been the theme this week at the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, and Dick Rice of Platteville, Wisconsin, earned a little extra time in the spotlight by reaching two coveted milestones on the tournament lanes.
Rice started his visit to The Sun City in style with an escorted trip down Center Aisle at the El Paso Convention Center on Monday, and he marched straight into the record books as he became the 20th bowler in history to reach 60 years of participation at the USBC Open Championships.
The 80-year-old right-hander returned to the lanes Tuesday morning to continue his journey to 100,000 pins and reached his second milestone in dramatic fashion. He entered singles needing just 146 pins to surpass the mark, and he got there with a nine-count on his second shot in the ninth frame of the opening game.
Rice was presented with a plaque, chevron and gold money clip to commemorate his 60th tournament appearance, and he received a crystal bowling pin moments after toppling his 100,000th pin in Open Championships competition.
He finished singles with a 442 series to go along with 408 in team and 335 in doubles for a 1,185 all-events total. He left the 2015 event with a career pinfall total of 100,296 and a lifetime average of 185.7.
"I feel awfully good about all of this," said Rice, the 16th member of the tournament's 100,000-Pin Club. "I never would've thought I'd get to do this. I'm disappointed with how I bowled but very happy to reach 60 years and 100,000 pins. I never knew you could get so many handshakes for a 1,200 series."
Much like USBC Hall of Famer Bill Lillard Sr. of Houston, who broke the all-time pinfall record earlier in the 2015 Open Championships, Rice's health forced him to change his approach from five steps to just one, which he said made spares particularly challenging this week.
From El Paso, Rice will head back to Wisconsin to prepare for an upcoming back surgery, which he hopes will have him back at the top of his game by his appearance at the 2016 tournament in Reno, Nevada.
Despite not feeling his best physically, Rice enjoyed his time in El Paso.
While 2015 marked the tournament's first time in El Paso, Rice recalled one previous visit of his own that was equally memorable. It came in 1953 as a stop on his way home from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
"I really enjoyed El Paso then, and I enjoyed it this year, too," Rice said. "I've enjoyed all the tournaments and host cities, but my favorites have been the ones where I got to bowl with my wife and son."
Rice made his tournament debut as a substitute at the 1953 event in Chicago, and he has been to every tournament since 1968. He also has bowled in the Wisconsin State Championship Tournament and the same league for 60 years, along with more than 50 trips to the famed Petersen Classic.
His son Bart was scheduled to be his doubles partner again in 2015, but he died earlier this year at age 53. Longtime teammates Dave and John Hauber of Dickeyville, Wisconsin, were on the lanes with Rice this year, as they have been for the majority of their Open Championships careers, which is 48 and 43 years, respectively.
Also this week in El Paso, 100,000 Pin-Club member Anthony Malone of Erie, Pennsylvania, returned from a one-year hiatus due to an injury to become the ninth bowler in history to reach the 65-year plateau when he marched down Center Aisle on April 22. The 88-year-old increased his career pinfall total to 106,471 and remains 10th on the all-time list.
William Chestnut of Cantrall, Illinois, and Clancy Mueller of St. Charles, Missouri, both competed for the 55th time Sunday, and Carl Christen of Broken Bow, Nebraska, became the third of 12 bowlers (April 23) scheduled to reach 50 years at the 2015 tournament.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
Rice started his visit to The Sun City in style with an escorted trip down Center Aisle at the El Paso Convention Center on Monday, and he marched straight into the record books as he became the 20th bowler in history to reach 60 years of participation at the USBC Open Championships.
The 80-year-old right-hander returned to the lanes Tuesday morning to continue his journey to 100,000 pins and reached his second milestone in dramatic fashion. He entered singles needing just 146 pins to surpass the mark, and he got there with a nine-count on his second shot in the ninth frame of the opening game.
Rice was presented with a plaque, chevron and gold money clip to commemorate his 60th tournament appearance, and he received a crystal bowling pin moments after toppling his 100,000th pin in Open Championships competition.
He finished singles with a 442 series to go along with 408 in team and 335 in doubles for a 1,185 all-events total. He left the 2015 event with a career pinfall total of 100,296 and a lifetime average of 185.7.
"I feel awfully good about all of this," said Rice, the 16th member of the tournament's 100,000-Pin Club. "I never would've thought I'd get to do this. I'm disappointed with how I bowled but very happy to reach 60 years and 100,000 pins. I never knew you could get so many handshakes for a 1,200 series."
Much like USBC Hall of Famer Bill Lillard Sr. of Houston, who broke the all-time pinfall record earlier in the 2015 Open Championships, Rice's health forced him to change his approach from five steps to just one, which he said made spares particularly challenging this week.
From El Paso, Rice will head back to Wisconsin to prepare for an upcoming back surgery, which he hopes will have him back at the top of his game by his appearance at the 2016 tournament in Reno, Nevada.
Despite not feeling his best physically, Rice enjoyed his time in El Paso.
While 2015 marked the tournament's first time in El Paso, Rice recalled one previous visit of his own that was equally memorable. It came in 1953 as a stop on his way home from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
"I really enjoyed El Paso then, and I enjoyed it this year, too," Rice said. "I've enjoyed all the tournaments and host cities, but my favorites have been the ones where I got to bowl with my wife and son."
Rice made his tournament debut as a substitute at the 1953 event in Chicago, and he has been to every tournament since 1968. He also has bowled in the Wisconsin State Championship Tournament and the same league for 60 years, along with more than 50 trips to the famed Petersen Classic.
His son Bart was scheduled to be his doubles partner again in 2015, but he died earlier this year at age 53. Longtime teammates Dave and John Hauber of Dickeyville, Wisconsin, were on the lanes with Rice this year, as they have been for the majority of their Open Championships careers, which is 48 and 43 years, respectively.
Also this week in El Paso, 100,000 Pin-Club member Anthony Malone of Erie, Pennsylvania, returned from a one-year hiatus due to an injury to become the ninth bowler in history to reach the 65-year plateau when he marched down Center Aisle on April 22. The 88-year-old increased his career pinfall total to 106,471 and remains 10th on the all-time list.
William Chestnut of Cantrall, Illinois, and Clancy Mueller of St. Charles, Missouri, both competed for the 55th time Sunday, and Carl Christen of Broken Bow, Nebraska, became the third of 12 bowlers (April 23) scheduled to reach 50 years at the 2015 tournament.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.