onefrombills
05-03-2009, 03:45 PM
LAS VEGAS - There have been some memorable performances and record-breaking scores at the USBC Open Championships in the past week, and Kevin Shafer of Eaton, Ind., added to the excitement with the highest triplicate score in tournament history.
The 35-year-old right-hander rolled three consecutive 248 games on the way to a 744 singles series at Cashman Center on Tuesday night. He topped the previous mark set by Alan Hardesty of Chicago, who tossed three straight 247 games during his singles event in 1993.
"I didn't even know about the record," said Shafer, who made his 13th USBC Open Championships appearance. "After I was done, all I thought I did was shoot a regular triplicate. But it feels pretty neat and is quite an accomplishment."
Heading into his final game, Shafer was not trying to match the score. He was just trying to shoot the highest game he could. It wasn't until the 10th frame that he knew he had a chance at the triplicate.
"I was looking for strikes the last game," Shafer said. "I didn't care about getting the same score. I just wanted to improve my singles set. On the second shot in the 10th, I left the 4 pin. That's when I looked at my score and realized that if I picked up my spare, I would have another 248."
Shafer added 607 in team and 590 in doubles for a 1,941 all-events total, the highest of his tournament career. His singles effort also was a career best and marked his first clean set on the tournament lanes.
Even though Shafer's feat won't earn him a tournament championship, he still feels a sense of joy and accomplishment after his unexpected success.
"It's not as good as an eagle," Shafer said. "We are all out here for an eagle, but it's a nice accomplishment and it's nice to be in the record books."
Last Saturday, Ron Vokes of Racine, Wis., kicked off the excitement with a record 30 consecutive strikes on the way to games of 290, 300 and 267 for an 857 singles series, one pin shy of the record set by John Janawicz of Winter Haven, Fla., in singles in 2004. Janawicz went on to win Regular Singles (858) and Regular All-Events (2,224) that year.
Vokes' singles series also helped him shatter the tournament's all-events record. He added 767 in team and 697 in doubles, and his 2,321 total topped the previous mark of 2,279, set by Stephen Hardy of Manchester, N.H., on the way to the 2002 Regular All-Events title.
Presenting sponsors for the 2009 USBC Open Championships are the Coast Casinos in Las Vegas and the Eldorado Hotel Casino, Silver Legacy Resort Casino and Circus Circus in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Brunswick, capital equipment supplier; Storm Products, Inc.; Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel and Four Queens Hotel and Casino, the official brackets sponsors; Sapphire Gentleman's Club; Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino; MGM Mirage; Jerry's Nugget Casino and Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel.
The 35-year-old right-hander rolled three consecutive 248 games on the way to a 744 singles series at Cashman Center on Tuesday night. He topped the previous mark set by Alan Hardesty of Chicago, who tossed three straight 247 games during his singles event in 1993.
"I didn't even know about the record," said Shafer, who made his 13th USBC Open Championships appearance. "After I was done, all I thought I did was shoot a regular triplicate. But it feels pretty neat and is quite an accomplishment."
Heading into his final game, Shafer was not trying to match the score. He was just trying to shoot the highest game he could. It wasn't until the 10th frame that he knew he had a chance at the triplicate.
"I was looking for strikes the last game," Shafer said. "I didn't care about getting the same score. I just wanted to improve my singles set. On the second shot in the 10th, I left the 4 pin. That's when I looked at my score and realized that if I picked up my spare, I would have another 248."
Shafer added 607 in team and 590 in doubles for a 1,941 all-events total, the highest of his tournament career. His singles effort also was a career best and marked his first clean set on the tournament lanes.
Even though Shafer's feat won't earn him a tournament championship, he still feels a sense of joy and accomplishment after his unexpected success.
"It's not as good as an eagle," Shafer said. "We are all out here for an eagle, but it's a nice accomplishment and it's nice to be in the record books."
Last Saturday, Ron Vokes of Racine, Wis., kicked off the excitement with a record 30 consecutive strikes on the way to games of 290, 300 and 267 for an 857 singles series, one pin shy of the record set by John Janawicz of Winter Haven, Fla., in singles in 2004. Janawicz went on to win Regular Singles (858) and Regular All-Events (2,224) that year.
Vokes' singles series also helped him shatter the tournament's all-events record. He added 767 in team and 697 in doubles, and his 2,321 total topped the previous mark of 2,279, set by Stephen Hardy of Manchester, N.H., on the way to the 2002 Regular All-Events title.
Presenting sponsors for the 2009 USBC Open Championships are the Coast Casinos in Las Vegas and the Eldorado Hotel Casino, Silver Legacy Resort Casino and Circus Circus in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Brunswick, capital equipment supplier; Storm Products, Inc.; Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel and Four Queens Hotel and Casino, the official brackets sponsors; Sapphire Gentleman's Club; Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino; MGM Mirage; Jerry's Nugget Casino and Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel.