Several area players turned in big performances over the past week in during the USBC Open Championships at Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, La.
Here are some shot updates on each:
- Cuyahoga Falls’ two-handed left-hander Bryce Oliver, a member of Team USA this season, had 300 to start his doubles set last week. He added 248 and 201 for a 749 series. Oliver also rolled a 300 game on Sunday at the Bowlers Journal Championships and finished with a 647 series. Other 300s were rolled that day by PBA pro Marshall Kent and Zack Brown.
- Parma two-handed right-hander Brendan Tahsler, making his first appearance in the Open Championships, fired a 790 in singles to take over third place overall. He fell just short of the 795 rolled by former PBA standout Marc McDowell to lead the event, with Ri hard Benninghoff of South Bend, Ind. (793), sitting second..
- Garfield Heights right-hander Michael King also made history by rolling his second career 300 game during the Open Championships last week. King had his first 300 during the 2008 event in Albuquerque (team event). He closed his singles set with the 300 after starting with games of 215 and 235 on the way to a 750 series.
- The members of Higgy’s Aquarium, out of Lewis Center, Ohio, the 2024 Regular team all-events champion, also returned to the Open last week. The team — featuring Dan Higgins Jr., Joe Bailey, Chad Roberts, Tim Pfeifer and Vincent Bellar — secured the victory last year in Las Vegas with a 10,226 total at the South Point Bowling Plaza. Bellar started the run to the top spot with a 300 during the first game of team and led the group in 2024 with a 2,111 total. He was followed by Bailey (2,056), Pfeifer (2,051), Higgins (2,008) and Roberts (2,000). The team finished the 2025 event with 3,088, and was sitting in 31st place overall as of Thursday. The win marked the third Eagles for Higgins, Bailey and Roberts. They also won team all-events in 2016 and captured the Regular team title in 2019. They received their honors during this year’s event.
ANOTHER WOMAN HAS 300
Meanwhile in Las Vegas, fresh off a pair of 300 games earlier in June at the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Bowlers Journal Waterloo Open, Correen Acuff closed the month with one more perfect performance on the national stage.
Acuff, of Surprise, Ariz., connected for 300 during her second game of team competition Monday at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships.
It marked the ninth 300 game of the 2025 event, and it was only the second one that was shot during the team event this year at the South Point Bowling Plaza. Najah Owens of Raleigh, N.C., connected for one of her two 300s at the 2025 event during team in May.
Acuff’s performance helped her team – Pincredibles – fire a total score of 2,681, which places the group in 13th for the Diamond Division. Acuff led the team, adding scores of 222 and 235 around her 300 for an acclaimed score of 757.
She was joined in the team performance by Anastasia Riley, Virginia Young and Katherine Hurley.
“I wasn’t expecting a 300 per se, although it was super cool to do that here at this big tournament,” said Acuff, who earned the top seed at the Waterloo Open and finished as the runner-up. “They are starting to pop up more often when I bowl, which is kind of nice.”
On her 11th delivery, it looked like the 10 pin was about to stand, but at the last second, another pin came across the deck to knock it over and secure the strike.
“Honestly, for me, the 11th shot is the hardest one to get,” said Acuff, who finished fourth at the 2023 USBC Queens. “I knew once I got over the hump in the 11th that I would be good and strike on the 12th shot.”
Acuff was composed from the start of her set at South Point, and she was feeding off the big crowd at the venue.
“Coming into the end of this tournament, I saw there were a lot of high scores,” said Acuff, who added sets of 687 in singles and 646 in doubles for an all-events total of 2,090. “I thought it would be kind of fun to hopefully do something big overall.
“I was a little more nervous for this one, compared to my PWBA 300. I don’t know why. It must be because it’s a team environment. It was fantastic to bowl out there with such great people.”