Two bowlers roll perfect games at USBC Open Championships

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Two bowlers looking to establish themselves at the USBC Open Championships made their presence known with 300 games at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Thursday.

Nicole Banks of Albuquerque, N.M., who made her Open Championships debut, and Corey Gardner of University Place, Wash., who made his fourth tournament appearance, rolled the 21st and 22nd perfect games of this year's event.

Because Banks lives only a few miles from the Albuquerque Convention Center, she has spent some of her free time in recent months watching friends compete at the Open Championships.

The 28-year-old right-hander has used each visit as a chance to become more comfortable with the tournament venue, and in that time, she was able to develop a sound strategy about how she was going to attack the lanes in her debut.

Banks' persistence paid off as she became the second woman of the year and the fifth in history to roll a perfect game on the tournament lanes. She started her Open Championships career with a 217 game and followed it up with 300 and 137 for a 654 series.

"The nice thing is that I've been here a few times, but marching out and seeing the stands and all of the people from the lanes was completely different," said Banks, who bowled for Central Missouri State University from 1998 until 2002. "I was surprisingly calm and felt comfortable after the first game. My game plan coming in was to play outside around five. I stayed with it and made good shots and let the ball do the work."

Banks, who rolled her first career 300 in January of 2005, recently dropped her bowling ball weight from 16 to 15 pounds to get more speed on the ball, and so far she's happy with that decision.

Coming into her first tournament appearance, her main goal was to shoot 600 in each event. With her former college teammate and best friend, Sarah Farsace, by her side, Banks hoped to draw on her past experiences to help her be successful at the Open Championships.

"I've been in different events where every shot is a pressure shot, so I tried not to let this overwhelm me," said Banks, a social worker who added 587 in doubles and 564 in singles for a 1,805 all-events total. "Sarah was there to keep me calm and talk me through it, and I couldn't have shot 300 without her."

Gardner, a 30-year-old right-hander, competed in his first tournament outside of the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., and helped his team bounce back from a disappointing 859 opening game.

Gardner started with 177, but followed it up with a 300 to help his team to a 1,185 effort. He finished with 218 for a 695 series and led NW Kingpins 4 to a 3,027 team total.

"We really focused on our spares and hoped the lanes opened up, but we were really low on ourselves after the first game and wanted to turn it around," Gardner said. "I got a good feel and started throwing the ball well, and it came together."

After making his first Open Championships appearance in 1998, Gardner continued going to events in Reno because it was convenient, but wasn't interested in being a tournament regular. Now, after two good years on the tournament lanes, he's planning to participate annually.

Part of Gardner's success can be attributed to advice from friends who already have competed.

Last year, Team USA member Derek Eoff was able to offer some thoughts after shooting 300 on the way to a second-place doubles finish. This year, Gardner picked the brain of Regular Singles leader Bryan Young of Everett, Wash., who rolled an 832 series with a ball that Gardner drilled.

"I am able to compile information from different people and figure out what to expect based on their styles and ball layouts." said Gardner, who posted a 1,949 all-events total in 2007. "I bowled well last year, but felt like I left a lot of pins out on the lanes and knew I could do better. I've heard from different people that sometimes it takes that one good tournament to get you hooked and make you want to start competing every year. Now, I've got the itch to chase this on a yearly basis."

Gardner, a pro shop owner, added 738 in doubles and 585 in singles for a 2,018 all-events total Friday.

On Friday morning, Brandon Clegg of Bay City, Texas, nearly added his name to the growing list of 300 shooters, but a 7 pin on his final shot left him with 299.

The 28-year-old right-hander started doubles with games of 207 and 205 before finishing with 299 and a 711 series. He added 558 in singles and 534 in team to round out his fifth Open Championships appearance with a 1,803 all-events total.

"I felt the shakes come on about the ninth frame, and I just wanted to give each shot a chance to hit the pocket," Clegg said. "This is the biggest event I bowl in, so it feels great. Doing it at home is one thing, but doing it here means a lot to me."

Presenting sponsors for the 2008 USBC Open Championships are Eldorado Hotel Casino, Silver Legacy Resort Casino and Circus Circus Reno in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Brunswick, capital equipment supplier; Storm Products, Inc.; Roto Grip, official sponsor of the Roto Grip Sport Bowling Challenge; Isleta Casino & Resort; Santa Ana Star Casino, the official brackets sponsor; Rainbow Ryders, the exclusive hot air balloon company of the 2008 Open Championships; and Sandia Resort & Casino.