Wisconsin bowlers take lead in doubles and Team All-Events at USBC Open Championships
March 06, 2010
RENO, Nev. - For Troy Schaefer of Neenah, Wis., communication, pride, trust and mental toughness are the keys to success at the USBC Open Championships and great lessons for the fifth-grade students he teaches.
The 37-year-old right-hander teamed up with Richard Voakes Jr. of Oshkosh, Wis., to take the Regular Doubles lead with a 1,326 total Saturday, and the pair helped Super Bowl-Appleton of Kaukauna, Wis., into the top spot in Team All-Events with 9,165. Mitch Bakies of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and Mark Wolford of West Liberty, Ohio, previously held the doubles lead with 1,323, while Central Saw and Mower of Racine, Wis., topped Team All-Events with 9,017.
Schaefer led the doubles surge with games of 217, 267 and 246 for a 730 series, a career-high on the tournament lanes, while Voakes contributed 183, 178 and 235 for 596. The two bowled doubles together on bowling's biggest stage for just the third time but are great friends and are familiar with each other's games.
"We are close friends, and we are good at helping each other and picking each other up," said Voakes, who bowls at Shoreview Lanes Oshkosh and made his 14th trip to the USBC Open Championships. "It felt great to bowl so well, and it was kind of emotional to find out that we took the lead. We came in with a team strategy and stuck with it. It's real easy to give up on that if things don't go well, and even though we didn't get a lot of breaks early, we stayed with it and things came together."
While Schaefer's participation in the Open Championships has been sporadic over the years because of other priorities, he is insightful when it comes to competing on the championship lanes.
"It's imperative for bowlers to have patience, read transitions and understand their equipment as the lanes transition," said Schaefer, who bowls regularly at Super Bowl Lanes and made his fifth Open Championships appearance. "It's a mental grind and mentally exhausting to bowl out here. The pace and the environment are taxing and wear you out. Being mentally tough really is important."
By virtue of his performance at the National Bowling Stadium this weekend, Schaefer, who also is a high school baseball coach, proved to his students that hard work pays off.
"My students will be all jacked up because they know how important this is to me," said Schaefer, who stays sharp by competing in a PBA Experience league. "It also sends a great message about working hard for the things they want. I'm excited about going back and seeing them because I know they're my biggest supporters."
Schaefer's list of supporters also includes his teammates, who found their way into fifth place in Regular Team with a 3,016 effort Friday afternoon and used that momentum to continue their success during doubles and singles Saturday.
Team captain Kyle Blaese led Super Bowl-Appleton into the Team All-Events lead with a 1,948 all-events effort and was followed by Schaefer and Erik Gialdella (1,888), Voakes (1,733) and David Rauen (1,708).
"This is our second year bowling together as a team, and the group really meshes well," Blaese said. "We have a great understanding about what team bowling is all about, and we don't let anyone get down. We don't look too far ahead or behind us. We just stay in the moment and pick each other up. It's really about both teams- all 10 of us. There's no negativity, and it really helps that outside of bowling, we're pretty good friends, too."
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado and Silver Legacy Hotel/Casinos in Reno, Nev. 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.
The 37-year-old right-hander teamed up with Richard Voakes Jr. of Oshkosh, Wis., to take the Regular Doubles lead with a 1,326 total Saturday, and the pair helped Super Bowl-Appleton of Kaukauna, Wis., into the top spot in Team All-Events with 9,165. Mitch Bakies of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and Mark Wolford of West Liberty, Ohio, previously held the doubles lead with 1,323, while Central Saw and Mower of Racine, Wis., topped Team All-Events with 9,017.
Schaefer led the doubles surge with games of 217, 267 and 246 for a 730 series, a career-high on the tournament lanes, while Voakes contributed 183, 178 and 235 for 596. The two bowled doubles together on bowling's biggest stage for just the third time but are great friends and are familiar with each other's games.
"We are close friends, and we are good at helping each other and picking each other up," said Voakes, who bowls at Shoreview Lanes Oshkosh and made his 14th trip to the USBC Open Championships. "It felt great to bowl so well, and it was kind of emotional to find out that we took the lead. We came in with a team strategy and stuck with it. It's real easy to give up on that if things don't go well, and even though we didn't get a lot of breaks early, we stayed with it and things came together."
While Schaefer's participation in the Open Championships has been sporadic over the years because of other priorities, he is insightful when it comes to competing on the championship lanes.
"It's imperative for bowlers to have patience, read transitions and understand their equipment as the lanes transition," said Schaefer, who bowls regularly at Super Bowl Lanes and made his fifth Open Championships appearance. "It's a mental grind and mentally exhausting to bowl out here. The pace and the environment are taxing and wear you out. Being mentally tough really is important."
By virtue of his performance at the National Bowling Stadium this weekend, Schaefer, who also is a high school baseball coach, proved to his students that hard work pays off.
"My students will be all jacked up because they know how important this is to me," said Schaefer, who stays sharp by competing in a PBA Experience league. "It also sends a great message about working hard for the things they want. I'm excited about going back and seeing them because I know they're my biggest supporters."
Schaefer's list of supporters also includes his teammates, who found their way into fifth place in Regular Team with a 3,016 effort Friday afternoon and used that momentum to continue their success during doubles and singles Saturday.
Team captain Kyle Blaese led Super Bowl-Appleton into the Team All-Events lead with a 1,948 all-events effort and was followed by Schaefer and Erik Gialdella (1,888), Voakes (1,733) and David Rauen (1,708).
"This is our second year bowling together as a team, and the group really meshes well," Blaese said. "We have a great understanding about what team bowling is all about, and we don't let anyone get down. We don't look too far ahead or behind us. We just stay in the moment and pick each other up. It's really about both teams- all 10 of us. There's no negativity, and it really helps that outside of bowling, we're pretty good friends, too."
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado and Silver Legacy Hotel/Casinos in Reno, Nev. 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.