LAS VEGAS - Team chemistry is crucial for success in many sports, but its presence sometimes seems magnified when five, 10 or 20 bowlers are crowded into the settee area for team competition at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.

When there's any kind of energy-generating spark or momentum in that confined space, the true vastness of the venue helps create an environment unlike any other.

At the South Point Bowling Plaza on Monday, the voices, cheers and excitement of a four-team group had heads turning across the 60-lane facility, and the attention was warranted, as one of the teams ascended to the top of the Standard Team standings with a dramatic final frame.

The ultimate responsibility fell on the shoulders of anchor Cody Marciniak, who needed a mark to secure the lead for Whitewater Cheated 3 of Appleton, Wisconsin, but it was a consistent team performance, including games of 998 and 954, that put him in that position.

He and his teammates already knew the leading numbers and what they needed in their final game, and count became significant at that point because the 32-year-old right-hander was working on a spare.

When his first offering threatened to cross over, but ending up in a head-on collision with the headpin, the temporary silence was broken by a collective gasp.

For a moment, it looked like the 3-6-10 combination was going to be the final obstacle for the team, but the headpin's work wasn't done. It made its way across the lane, took out the 10 pin and bumped into the 6 pin, which tipped over and toppled the 3 pin for a lead-clinching strike.

Marciniak added a spare that gave Whitewater Cheated 3 a 982 final game and 2,934 total, seven pins ahead of Minnesota Select Sires 1 of Fergus Falls, Minnesota (2,927).

"There's a confidence among the group, and we believe everyone is capable of making the shots," Marciniak said. "It was Mike's idea to put me last. Thankfully, it worked out for us. It wasn't the prettiest shot in the world, but sometimes it doesn't matter how it looks. They all went down."

Mike Brueske, a nine-time participant at the USBC Open Championships is the gentleman responsible for organizing and corralling the teams, which include a mix of former collegiate bowlers, their friends and friends of friends.

Some have been bowling together at the Open Championships for six or seven years, some came later, and some are new to the group or event.

Joshua Sanders led the way for Whitewater Cheated 3 on Monday with a 638 series and was followed by Dylon Wilde (607), Marciniak (607), Alberto Murillo (543) and Jeffery Smith (539).

The group is close-knit and interchangeable, and that camaraderie was a huge part of Monday's success.

At the same time, Whitewater Cheated 1 turned in a solid effort with games of 1,084, 1,120 and 1,038 for a 3,242 total and sixth place in the Regular Team standings. Supreme Deck of Grand Haven, Michigan, leads with 3,372.

Kyle Peterson set the pace for Whitewater Cheated 1 with a 671 set and was joined by Justin Weiss (655), Joseph Braatz (651), Tyler Jandt (645) and Matthew Kowalski (620).

"It is about the group for us, not the individuals," Marciniak said. "We are a squad. We are like brothers. Any of these guys I'd die for, any day of the week."

Along with filling the final spot in the lineup, Marciniak sees himself as an emotional leader on the lanes, putting into practice motivational skills he has developed over 12 years as a high school baseball coach.

When energy is down, he's there. When someone needs picking up, he reminds the group how important it is to lift each other and remain focused on what's ahead of them, not the frames behind them.

Marciniak and his teammates were aiming for 1,000 their first game, and falling just short only motivated them more. The were confident enough in their look on the lanes that they peeked at the leaderboard during the second game.

"I think in the middle of the first game, we realized we had something special going on," Marciniak said. "Being a coach of high school sports, it's easy for me to bring the energy. After we realized what we did in the first game, and the second game was going well, in the back of our minds we realized we had a shot at it, if we were there to pick each other up and keep it going."

That sentiment is the same, on and off the lanes. They spend a lot of time together at home, even standing up in each other's weddings, and the Wisconsin state tournament is a regular addition to their annual agenda, too.

When it's time for the Open Championships experience, they're a unit for every aspect of the trip.

"We do everything together, and we're here to have fun, but we also focus on the overall success of the group," Marciniak said. "This year, we've enjoyed the most success we've had, and today was great."

The Standard Division includes teams with combined entering averages of 776-875, while the Regular Division features teams with combined averages of 876 and above.

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