USBC Communications
LAS VEGAS – Spencer Robarge of Springfield, Mo., has found success at every level in his young career, and the 21-year-old now can add a perfect game at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships to his list of accomplishments after his appearance Sunday at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
The two-hander started his doubles set with 224 and 236 before tossing 300 in Game 3 for a 760 series. He joined Tony Yarbrough (585 series) of Rogersville, Mo., in doubles, and the pair finished with a total score of 1,345. Shawn Evans and Nicholas Fisher of Palm Bay, Fla., lead Regular Doubles at the 2024 event with 1,531.
Robarge continued to strike as he made his way into singles competition, starting the set with 278 and 290. He had two open frames in Game 3, however, to finish with 194 for a 762 series to move into the top 20 of Regular Singles.
He also moved into the top 20 of Regular All-Events, adding 589 in team for a 2,111 total. Robarge has improved his all-events tally with each appearance at the USBC Open Championships after posting 2,041 in 2022 and 2,078 in 2023.
Joe Barket of Morro Bay, Calif., leads Regular Singles with 806, and 2019 Team All-Events champion Derek Magno of Cicero, N.Y., holds to the top spot in Regular All-Events with 2,255.
Robarge’s ascension as a household name in bowling started with his victory in the 12-and-under division at the 2015 Junior Gold Championships, and he has stayed busy collecting wins and earning awards since that exciting debut on national television.
His résume includes multiple wins at both the Bowling.com Youth Open Championships and Storm Youth Championships, four years on Junior Team USA and selection as the 2022 Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow.
Robarge made the stepladder finals and finished third at the 2021 USBC Masters, and he’s currently in the midst of an incredible collegiate career at Wichita State University.
He was named the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Rookie of the Year during the 2021-2022 season and has recorded back-to-back NCBCA Most Valuable Player campaigns during his sophomore and junior seasons. He also helped the Shockers win the 2023 Intercollegiate Team Championships.
To kick things off in 2024, Robarge was selected to join Team USA.
HENINGER ADDS SECOND 300
LAS VEGAS – Marc Heninger of Lee’s Summit, Mo., is no stranger to throwing strikes at the Championships, and the talented right-hander added another accolade to his collection with a perfect performance Sunday at the 2024 event.
The 38-year-old concluded his doubles set at the South Point Bowling Plaza with 12 strikes to become the 42nd bowler in tournament history with multiple 300s at the event.
Heninger had started doubles with 226 and 199 for a 725 series, and he paired with 2014 Regular Team champion Anthony Lavery-Spahr (639 series) of Pasadena, Texas, to get to 1,364 in Regular Doubles. Shawn Evans and Nicholas Fisher of Palm Bay, Fla., lead Regular Doubles at the 2024 event with 1,531.
He added 656 in singles and 621 in team to finish his 18th consecutive appearance at the USBC Open Championships with an all-events total of 2,002.
Heninger first added his name to the record book at the Open Championships in 2011, posting an 803 series in doubles. He rolled his first 300 during team in 2013 on the way to a 771 series.
He’s still in search of his first win at the tournament, but he’s been putting himself in position to succeed, which includes a fifth-place finish in Team All-Events in 2021 (he finished in the top 20 of each event), a tie for seventh in Regular Doubles with Lavery-Spahr in 2022 and a top 10 in Regular Team in 2017.
The 2024 Open Championships got underway Feb. 23 and will run through July 29 at the South Point Bowling Plaza. The tournament is scheduled to feature more than 11,000 teams and 55,000 bowlers making their way to compete in Las Vegas.