onefrombills
06-29-2009, 10:51 PM
In the coming months, we'll talk with some of best-known bowlers at the USBC Open Championships and get their thoughts on their time at the tournament and what it takes to succeed on the championship lanes.
This week, we heard from Michael Nape, who will be in Las Vegas to compete in this year's event on June 30 and July 1.
Nape, who will be making his 22nd tournament appearance, is the tournament's lifetime average leader (minimum 20 Open Championships appearances) with 216.3 for 189 games.
Last year, he helped Fox Bowl 2 of Wheaton, Ill., to the Team All-Events title with a 10,025 total. The effort was one of 19 times a team has topped the 10,000 mark and earned Nape his first Open Championships title. Fox Bowl 2 also finished third in Regular Team.
Team All-Events first was recognized as a title in 1947 and honors a five-person team for its combined individual all-events totals. There is no cash prize for Team All-Events, but it is held in high regard because it is a marathon event that requires the team to perform for all nine tournament games.
Linds Limited of Milwaukee leads this year with 10,372, the third-highest total in tournament history.
HOMETOWN: Blue Island, Ill.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS APPEARANCES: This will be 22.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS TITLES: One- 2008 Team All-Events
BOWLING BALL WEIGHT: 15lbs since 1995
FAVORITE BRAND OF BOWLING BALLS: Whatever is in my bag and knocking them down.
ONE all-time favorite host city: Albuquerque, N.M., of course!
TWO best Open Championships memories: After we got done bowling doubles and singles, we didn't think we had a chance at Team All-Events, then Matt Cannizzaro comes and asks me how I feel knowing my team may likely take the A-E lead.
Wow! We didn't think we had a shot! At least our faulty math was in our favor!
I watched the next five frames of Tony Jordan and Pete Spreadbury from the concourse. I was literally pacing. Then, when they were done, looking at Gregg Zicha and WALT, while Tony and Pete were finishing, knowing we would likely win the eagle. Gregg jumped on me, WALT came over, Tom Sims (our sponsor) came by with tears in his eyes. Big group hug. What a moment.
THREE keys to success at the Open Championships:1, practice; 2, equipment; 3, metal preparation
FOURgettable Open Championships moment: Shooting 554 in team last year.
FIVE bowlers in history on your Open Championships fantasy all-star team: Dick Weber, Pete Weber, Jeff Richgels, Mark Roth and me.
SIX bowling balls currently in your Open Championships arsenal: Columbia Resurgence, Columbia Momentum Swing, Ebonite V2 Sweet, Ebonite Gamebreaker, Ebonite Angular One, Columbia White Dot
SEVEN cities you'd like to see the Open Championships go to/return to: Reno, Las Vegas, Orlando, Corpus Christi, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Albuquerque
EIGHT favorite bowling balls ever: Yellow Dot, Black Angle, U-Dot (Wine or Black), Teal Rhino Pro, Triton Elite, Triton Heat, Triton Heat, Triton Heat
NINE other current/eligible bowlers you would choose to join you on your ideal pair of companion teams at the Open Championships: Tom Sims, Jim Thatcher, Dennis Campbell, Mike Steinbach, Jeff Richgels, Gregg Zicha, WALT, Pete Spreadbury, Tony Jordan
TEN seconds or less, who is your favorite bowler of all-time?: Pete Weber
ELEVEN strikes in a row to start a game at the Open Championships, what's going through your head?: Execute a good shot.
TWELVE years from now, where do you hope to be in your bowling career?: Still competing at a high level, and bowling doubles with my son at the USBC national tournament.
This week, we heard from Michael Nape, who will be in Las Vegas to compete in this year's event on June 30 and July 1.
Nape, who will be making his 22nd tournament appearance, is the tournament's lifetime average leader (minimum 20 Open Championships appearances) with 216.3 for 189 games.
Last year, he helped Fox Bowl 2 of Wheaton, Ill., to the Team All-Events title with a 10,025 total. The effort was one of 19 times a team has topped the 10,000 mark and earned Nape his first Open Championships title. Fox Bowl 2 also finished third in Regular Team.
Team All-Events first was recognized as a title in 1947 and honors a five-person team for its combined individual all-events totals. There is no cash prize for Team All-Events, but it is held in high regard because it is a marathon event that requires the team to perform for all nine tournament games.
Linds Limited of Milwaukee leads this year with 10,372, the third-highest total in tournament history.
HOMETOWN: Blue Island, Ill.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS APPEARANCES: This will be 22.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS TITLES: One- 2008 Team All-Events
BOWLING BALL WEIGHT: 15lbs since 1995
FAVORITE BRAND OF BOWLING BALLS: Whatever is in my bag and knocking them down.
ONE all-time favorite host city: Albuquerque, N.M., of course!
TWO best Open Championships memories: After we got done bowling doubles and singles, we didn't think we had a chance at Team All-Events, then Matt Cannizzaro comes and asks me how I feel knowing my team may likely take the A-E lead.
Wow! We didn't think we had a shot! At least our faulty math was in our favor!
I watched the next five frames of Tony Jordan and Pete Spreadbury from the concourse. I was literally pacing. Then, when they were done, looking at Gregg Zicha and WALT, while Tony and Pete were finishing, knowing we would likely win the eagle. Gregg jumped on me, WALT came over, Tom Sims (our sponsor) came by with tears in his eyes. Big group hug. What a moment.
THREE keys to success at the Open Championships:1, practice; 2, equipment; 3, metal preparation
FOURgettable Open Championships moment: Shooting 554 in team last year.
FIVE bowlers in history on your Open Championships fantasy all-star team: Dick Weber, Pete Weber, Jeff Richgels, Mark Roth and me.
SIX bowling balls currently in your Open Championships arsenal: Columbia Resurgence, Columbia Momentum Swing, Ebonite V2 Sweet, Ebonite Gamebreaker, Ebonite Angular One, Columbia White Dot
SEVEN cities you'd like to see the Open Championships go to/return to: Reno, Las Vegas, Orlando, Corpus Christi, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Albuquerque
EIGHT favorite bowling balls ever: Yellow Dot, Black Angle, U-Dot (Wine or Black), Teal Rhino Pro, Triton Elite, Triton Heat, Triton Heat, Triton Heat
NINE other current/eligible bowlers you would choose to join you on your ideal pair of companion teams at the Open Championships: Tom Sims, Jim Thatcher, Dennis Campbell, Mike Steinbach, Jeff Richgels, Gregg Zicha, WALT, Pete Spreadbury, Tony Jordan
TEN seconds or less, who is your favorite bowler of all-time?: Pete Weber
ELEVEN strikes in a row to start a game at the Open Championships, what's going through your head?: Execute a good shot.
TWELVE years from now, where do you hope to be in your bowling career?: Still competing at a high level, and bowling doubles with my son at the USBC national tournament.