By KAYLI CHRIST and AARON SMITH
USBC Communications
BATON ROUGE, La. – The theme of family runs strong at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships for Brandyn and Emily Cox.
Brandyn made his tournament debut in 2014 and took over the lead in Regular Doubles with his father, Jimmy Cox, on the way to a top-40 score, and Emily made her first appearance in 2019 to join the family tradition.
This week at the Raising Cane’s River Center, the brother-and-sister tandem teamed up to take the lead in Standard Doubles with a 1,290 combined score, powered by a perfect game from Brandyn.
Brandyn, of Chesterfield, Va., started his set Friday with games of 269 and 203 before closing with 300 for a 772 series. He connected for the fourth 300 at the 2025 USBC Open Championships.
Emily, of North Dinwiddie, Va., added games of 189, 159 and 170 for a 518 total.
Milwaukee’s Chris Schafer and Nicholas Remer of West Allis, Wis, previously held the top spot in Standard Doubles with 1,227.
“Just led the ball go and don’t go down on the lane,” Brandyn said about his final 300 shot. “ It was probably the most nervous shot I’ve ever thrown. Deep breaths … just deep breaths and hoping I let it go down the lane and getting it off my hand.”
Bradyn had led the event with his father about nine years ago before ultimately finishing down the standings.
“It just means we finally did something good. I had no idea (where we stood). He came up to me midway through the second game,” Cox said. “I told him I don’t want to know, I’m going to sit here and mind my business until we’re done.
“Then, when we were done, he said we just took the lead. That’s pretty cool.”
Brandyn finished his 10th appearance with 663 in singles and 480 in team for an all-events score of 1,915 – his highest at the Open Championships. Emily added 513 in singles and 428 in team for a 1,459 total in her fifth appearance.
Standard Doubles includes bowlers with combined entering averages of 311-350.
The Open Championships is celebrating its third trip to Baton Rouge in 2025 and scheduled to feature more than 58,000 bowlers and 11,600 five-player teams competing across 150 consecutive days at the River Center.