USBC Communications
RENO, Nev. – Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., connected for at least nine consecutive strikes during each game of his singles set Monday at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships to take the lead in Regular Singles with an 836 series.
The three-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion rolled games of 290, 267 and 279 at the National Bowling Stadium to surpass the 816 posted by Robert Oakleaf Jr. of Louisville, Ky., on April 5.
After the 290, Smallwood opened in the first frame of Game 2 and recorded a spare in the second before striking on his next nine deliveries (nine count on the fill ball). He struck to start Game 3, before a spare in the second. Smallwood again rattled off nine in a row before leaving a 7 pin on his final delivery, closing the set with strikes on 30 of 36 shots.
Stepping up in the 10th frame of Game 3, Smallwood needed the first strike for the chance to take the outright lead from Oakleaf.
Smallwood, making his 21st appearance at the USBC Open Championships in 2026, had started the day with games of 216, 274 and 217 in doubles for a 707 series. He added 658 in team Sunday to finish with an all-events total of 2,201, which ties him for fourth in the Regular Division.
PERFECT GAMES ADDING UP
Three more bowlers added their names to the list of 300 games, bringing the number of perfect performances up to 26 at the National Bowling Stadium.
In this latest run, Mitchell Rusinek of Sandusky, Mich., was the first to go 12 for 12 in a game, connecting for 300 during his second game of doubles Thursday in Reno.
The 27-year-old left-hander had started the set with 209 before the strikes starting adding up. After labeling the 10th and 11th deliveries, his final shot was right of target but was still able to knock all 10 pins down to record the 300.
He closed the set with 179 for a 688 series and paired with Shane Rusinek of Waterford Township, Mich. (623 series), for a 1,311 total in the Regular Division.
Making his third appearance at the USBC Open Championships, Rusinek added 560 in team and 530 in singles to finish the year with an all-events score of 1,778.
Eight-time PBA Tour champion Ryan Ciminelli of Indian Land, S.C., was the next to connect for 300 at the 2026 Open Championships, posting his perfect game Saturday night during doubles competition.
The 40-year-old left-hander put together games of 206, 300 and 228 for a 734 series and teamed up with James Wangler III of Lackawanna, N.Y. (591 series), for 1,325 in the Regular Division. Wangler nearly matched Ciminelli’s effort in the first game of singles, firing 297 on the way to a 714 series.
Ciminelli, the 2015 U.S. Open champion, added sets of 673 in singles and 549 in team to close his 10th appearance at the Open Championships with 1,956 for all-events.
Dennis Surmaczewicz Jr. of Lancaster, N.Y., also recorded his perfect game Saturday evening, one pair to the right of Ciminelli.
The 33-year-old two-hander started his singles set with 12 in a row and added games of 244 and 194 for a 738 series.
Surmacewicz already head made headlines Friday, helping Produce U 4 of Buffalo, N.Y., take the lead in Regular Team with 3,429.
The team – featuring Joshua Dingman, Charles Buttery Jr., Curtis Foss, Dylan Greenauer and Surmaczewicz – posted games of 1,085, 1,233 and 1,111 to become the first group to reach 3,400 at the 2026 event, and the crew made a great run at Team All-Events, settling just two pins short of the leading total with 10,167. Armstrong Printing 1 of Naperville, Illinois, holds the top spot with 10,169.
Surmaczewicz also had sets of 772 in team and 614 in doubles to lead the team’s performance with 2,124 for all-events. He was followed by Dingman (2,042), Buttery (2,041), Greenauer (2,000) and Foss (1,960).
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.