USBC Communications
RENO, Nev. – Brian’s Team of League City, Texas, moved to the top of the standings in Classified Team after their Saturday evening squad at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
The team started off hot with 918 in Game 1 and continued riding that momentum into the second game with 888. Despite a slight cooldown with 801 in the final game, they still ended with a 2,607 total to take the lead. The previous leaders were John Peper Team 2 with 2,564.
Brian’s Team was led by Clifford Hufnagle with a 552 series, followed by Brian Mace (549), Clint Baker (515), Carl Hankins (496) and Myrna Mace (495).
Brian Mace couldn’t be happier for his team.
“We’re ecstatic,” he said. “Our biggest thing today was staying in the moment. We executed, and my wife, Myrna, bowled phenomenally. She’s a 150-average bowler and she came out and shot huge. For her first time bowling in the tournament, she didn’t even know how to be nervous, and I truly feel like that was a pivotal point.
“I feel like I got nervous, chasing the number. But we started off really big with 918 the first game, where our leadoff bowler shot 230, which was huge. It motivated us and moved some of the pressure off a little bit.”
After those first two big games, Mace shouldered much of the pressure as he was really the only one watching the scrolling scoreboard late in the third game, knowing they needed around 60 pins to hit the number.
“I know our team pretty well; we’ve played together in various states through the years, and I didn’t want to add any pressure to anybody,” he said. “When I saw Carl get up and convert a 3-10 split (in the 10th frame), which I felt was huge, it set us up. It loosened me up to just try and go up and fill a frame, and we did.”
Mace continued to show his appreciation for his team throughout the process.
“I have a lot of gratitude for them because it’s really easy to lose the moment here as frames get away from you so quickly. I struggled the last game, but everybody stepped up to make that number attainable. I owe it to the team because they pulled us through.”
After struggling in Baton Rouge in 2025, Mace brought the team to a practice session on-site at the National Bowling Stadium to help them prepare to knock down as many pins as possible.
“We took advantage of team practice yesterday. I was able to get my wife comfortable because she bowls on Sport shots maybe one day a year, so it’s very uncommon for her. Clint doesn’t bowl on Sport shots either. Last year, he did well in singles but struggled the other days. Carl had a rough tournament last year, too.
“It’s always great to come out and shoot a good score at this tournament because it’s notoriously hard. It makes you show up and execute. I feel a lot of gratitude because they showed up and they executed.”
With many more teams coming through the National Bowling Stadium over the next four months, Mace is aware there’s the possibility of the score falling, but he and the team know that what they did can’t be taken away from them.
“It’s great to be back in Reno in a building where we’re comfortable,” he said. “Our 2,600 may not break the top 10, but today we feel like we were champions. We owned the day.
“It’s early, but it’s an achievement I owe to them because they all bowled their best, probably their best day of the whole tournament, especially after last year when we all struggled.”
Classified Team features five-player groups with combined entering averages of 800 and below.
NEW STANDARD LEADERS
For college basketball fans, nothing beats a Cinderella story in March.
For the members of Cinderella Shoes, however, the tale told Saturday at the Open Championships involved a return trip to the top of the standings.
The group representing Bradley, Ill., rolled scores of 933, 1,016 and 946 at the National Bowling Stadium to take the lead in Standard Team with a 2,895 total. Stone Brewing Company of Tarrytown, N.Y., previously held the top spot with 2,890.
Anchor Matthew Nanos left a 4 pin on his first delivery in the final frame of Game 3 and covered the spare to keep the team’s chances intact. He struck on his fill ball to secure the lead.
The crew in 2026 included Dustin Gromer (589 series), Mike Simmons (514), Adam Lubert (621), Jesse Fox (614) and Nanos (557).
The performance served as a flashback to 2022 for Lubert, Fox and Nanos. They hit the lanes in Las Vegas that year with Jordan Fox and Shea Nanos, and the group was able to take the lead in Standard Team with a 3,005 total. They maintained their spot at the top of the leaderboard for just over two weeks, ultimately finishing in fourth place.
“It felt similar to be in that moment again,” Jesse Fox said. “It was nice for us to have been on that team, because we knew what it felt like to be there. It’s cool to be back.
“We wish we would have done a little better. We know it won’t hold up, but at least we’re there now. That was the goal when we came here.”
In 2022, Cinderella Shoes started strong, firing 1,078. The first game in 2026 didn’t have the best beginning or middle, but you couldn’t write a much better ending.
Four of the five bowlers struck out in the 10th frame, setting up the push toward passing 1,000 in Game 2.
“We were off to a slow start and just trying to hold it together,” Fox said. “We knew that if we could put some spares and strikes together, we could get right back in it. We had the big finish to Game 1, and that kind of ignited the whole thing and got us back on track to where we needed to be.”
Although the teammates were excited to take the lead, they already knew their trip in 2026 was going to one to remember regardless of the final scores.
Prior to the start of their squad Saturday, their three-team group was able to celebrate Lonnie Netzel’s 50th appearance at the Open Championships.
“Lonnie’s 50th is a heck of an accomplishment,” Fox said. “We’ve been looking forward to this for years, and I’m glad we all made it out here for him.”
Standard Team features five-player groups with combined entering averages of 801-905.
The Open Championships is celebrating its 122nd edition in 2026 and making its 15th trip to Reno, Nevada. The 2026 event is scheduled to feature more than 55,000 bowlers and 11,000 five-player teams competing across 128 consecutive days at the National Bowling Stadium.