USBC Communications
RENO, Nev. – The members of Higgy’s Aquarium put together an incredible display across 45 games and delivered down the stretch Friday at the National Bowling Stadium to secure the lead in Team All-Events at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
The Lewis Center-based group – featuring Chad Roberts, Timothy Pfeifer, Christopher Bardol, Doylestown’s Joe Bailey and Daniel Higgins Jr. – finished with a 10,452 total to take over the top spot by 26 pins. Team NABR had set the bar at 10,426 on June 6.
The performance ranks third on the tournament’s all-time list and gives the team’s longtime core of Bailey, Higgins and Roberts the chance to claim their third Team All-Events victory at the USBC Open Championships since 2016 and fourth win overall at the event.
If they were able to secure their fourth Eagles, it also would make Bailey, Higgins and Roberts eligible for the USBC Hall of Fame with four titles each.
Their wins in Team All-Events took place in 2016 and 2024, to go along with a victory in Regular Team during the 2019 event. Pfeifer was part of the winning effort for Higgy’s Aquarium in 2024 to claim his first Eagle, while Bardol, a former Junior Team USA member and collegiate standout at Robert Morris University-Illinois, joined the team for the first time in 2026.
Their first team all-events win in 2016 had Josh Conner and Wooster’s Tony Carson on the team, with Conner and Chuck Tompkins bing part of the 2019 winners. Pfeifer and Vincent Bellar, who was on the companion team this season, were with the 2024 champions.
The group also has six second-place finishes, with a possible seventh this season in team event.
The group moved into second place in Regular Team on Thursday to start their 2026 appearance, firing games of 1,148, 1,245 and 1,108 to miss the lead by 12 pins with a 3,501 total. Taylor’s Mark Pro Shop 1 leads with 3,513.
“It felt like everything was going right. We knew the scores to get there was pretty high … shooting 3,500 in a league or out here was going to be pretty difficult to do,” Roberts said. “It fell a little short. But I think it’s the first time we’ve shot 3,500. … Basically I walked around to everyone and told them, ‘Listen, you have 15 minutes to feel bad, to feel like we fell short, you name it. And then we need to get mentally prepared for the next day.’ We knew we were in good position. We had a good head start going into.”
Bardol rolled a 300 game during the 2017 Open Championships (doubles), but his last appearance at the tournament prior to this year was in 2018 in Syracuse.
“I got a call from these guys and I couldn’t say yes fast enough,” Bardol said. “It was an honor and I was just relying to do my part. I think the most important Eagle is all-events because everything factors in.”
The talented right-hander quickly went to work in his return and led the way for Higgy’s Aquarium with an all-events tally of 2,170, which currently places him in 13th for the Regular Division.
He was followed by Higgins (2,101), Roberts (2,097), Pfeifer (2,065) and Bailey (2,019).
“When we began building this about 10 years ago and we began putting people together, pride has to be put aside for one common goal,” Roberts said. “That goal is executing our team plan. Each person has an idea what they want to do, but it has to be good for the team.”
“It was great to get second in team, but disappointing at the same time. This is 29 years for me here,” Higgins said. “It was in 2016 that Chad and I started putting this dynasty together and we have been very fortunate to have a great group of friends who chat all year long about this.
“We’ve been blessed. … I don’t know if I can put this into words what the last 10 years have meant year in and year out. I don’t think it has sunk in yet.”
Although there was a sting to fall just short of the team number, the team quickly refocused its energy toward minors Friday and posted 3,504 in doubles. Bardol (785) and Bailey (678) also moved into sixth place in Regular Doubles during the set with 1,463.
The team started singles with scores of 1,128 and 1,097, meaning they would need to average more than 239 as a unit in the final game to reach Team NABR’s leading score.
They fired 1,222 (244.4 average) in the final game to finish singles with 3,447.
Higgy’s Aquarium averaged more than 232 across its 45 games, and the team’s ability to avoid games south of 200 helped to showcase their incredible performance across both days.
In all, the teammates delivered 43 games above 200 with a low score of 190.
Members of the team also paid tribute to North Star Pro Shop owner-operator Don Hogue, who also bowled on the companion team with Bellar.
“I just can’t put into words what he does for us … the ‘Donny Difference,’ ” Roberts said. “He sees what we need and when we need it … motivation, loosening us up … giving us that last push to make sure we don’t hang our shoulders, don’t get too high, speed up or slow down.”
“Don just makes sure we take our time, stay calm and he’s there to make us laugh,” Bailey said. “When we were getting to the heavy part where we lost some focus, he brought us back in again.”
Patience was a word emphasized more than once among the group.
“I didn’t know the numbers and I didn’t want to,” Pfeifer said. “We just had to fight through it and make good shots … we had to step up and perform. Chad, Dan and Joe are hall of fame caliber owners for a reason. Chris is one of the best team bowlers that any one knows about.”
The Team All-Events record at the Open Championships was delivered during the 2022 event in Las Vegas. DiLaura Brothers 1 of Clinton Township, Mich., won the title at the South Point Bowling Plaza with a 10,585 total.
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.