By KAYLI CHRIST and WILLIAM GIFFORD
USBC Communications
BATON ROUGE, La. – R. Kenneth Wiggins of Pekin, Ill., and Dennis Sherman of O’Fallon, Mo.,k joined the 50-Year Club at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships this week.
Wiggins completed a journey that started with his first appearance in 1965 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The 86-year-old was presented with a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin at the Raising Cane’s River Center on Wednesday to celebrate his milestone, and he was led out to his on-lane ceremony by his daughter, Pamela.
During his 50 years of bowling at the tournament, Wiggins has held an average of 171.6 and has knocked down 75,171 pins. Even though he did not have 50 consecutive years, he has been to the tournament for the last 40 years, making his annual appearance each year since 1985.
Thinking back to some of his favorite memories from the tournament, he mentioned two that stand out the most.
“In 1969, I was able to bowl with my father,” Wiggins said. “Then, he came down with Lou Gehrig’s disease a year later and was not able to bowl again.”
It was a special moment for Wiggins to be able to bowl the Open Championships once with his father, and his trip to Tampa, Fla., in 1979 was one of his favorites because the weather was great and he was able to spend time with his family.
“When my daughter and son were teenagers, we took them down to Tampa with us when it was being held there,” Wiggins said. “It was a beautiful trip. We spent a week in Clearwater and then went over and bowled in Tampa.”
To go along with the great memories, he’s been able to see a lot of different cities and has some favorite places, too. Wiggins said some of his favorites consisted of Salt Lake City, Billings, Baton Rouge and his personal favorite – Albuquerque.
“We had friends out there (in Albuquerque) and took the tram up the hill and went to the restaurant (at Sandia Peak),” Wiggins said. “We never stick around after bowling. We just make it a vacation and make sure we are always doing something new.”
Since he started his journey with the tournament 60 years ago, he has been able to reflect on so many things.
“This is a big milestone for me,” Wiggins said. “I have had plenty of 300s and 800s, but I always look forward to coming to the tournament every year.”
Back home in Illinois, Wiggins stays busy. He bowls league two times a week and plays golf about three times a week. His next goal is to get to 55 years at the tournament.
SHERMAN REFLECTS ON RUN
Sherman took HIS ceremonial walk on the lanes Wednesday evening at the Raising Cane’s River Center, reflecting on half a century worth of memories and competition.
Sherman has traveled the country for the tournament, starting his journey in Dayton, Ohio, in 1975.
“I just love the tournament,” Sherman said. “It’s hard. It’s challenging. But for whatever reason, I like it.”
Since his first event he hasn’t missed a year, carving time out of his schedule – and family life – to stay committed.
Even now, battling hamstring issues and logging just four games in the last month and a half leading up to the tournament, he still made the trip.
“I went up there to try to bowl, and it didn’t work,” Sherman said, acknowledging the pain that he was experiencing. “But I’ve got 50 years in it. And I’ll have 51 next year – Lord willing.”
Among his many highlights, Sherman hit a personal best in 1993, shooting a score of 2,016 for his all-events total. But it’s the 1985 trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma, that he was most fond of.
“I came in sixth in all-events that year,” said Sherman, who posted sets of 674 in team, 695 in doubles and 629 in singles for an all-events score of 1,998. “Conditions were harder, and that made it more rewarding.”
To date, Sherman has knocked down 87,129 pins over 450 games, averaging more than 193 per game.
The love for the sport doesn’t stop with him. Sherman’s son, Kyle, now is a standout on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour and an influence on older and younger bowlers alike.
With his friend, Brad Miller, Kyle created a brand and following on social media amassing over 200,000 subscribers on YouTube.
When asked about the influence he thinks he has had on Kyle’s career, he smiled.
“If I got up at 6 o’clock to bowl a tournament, I didn’t have to wake him,” Sherman said. “He’d ask, ‘Dad, can I go?’ And he’d bring his balls, watch qualifying and just soak it all in.”
Sherman thought back to when Kyle first started and recalled when he saw something special in his release.
With his eyes welling up, he said, “I came home and told my wife, ‘Ma, he’s got the release.’ That’s when I knew it was going to start really working for him.”
Since then, Kyle has won two PBA Tour titles, represented Team USA (2020-2021) and earned two gold medals at the 2021 PANAM Bowling Elite Championships.
Reflecting on his father’s milestone, Kyle said, “I have some big shoes to fill. No one loves the sport of bowling more than my dad, and you can ask anyone that.”
Fifty tournaments in, Sherman isn’t done yet and looks to join the 100,000-Pin Club. He will be back – chasing 51 years and more.
The Open Championships is celebrating its third trip to Baton Rouge in 2025 and scheduled to feature more than 11,600 five-player teams competing across 150 consecutive days at the River Center.