Big scores emerge at 2024 Bowlers Journal Championships
April 25, 2024
LAS VEGAS – A first appearance, a chance encounter and a bunch of strikes helped to describe Jeffrey Martin’s time at the 2024 Bowlers Journal Championships on Monday at the South Point Bowling Center.
The 32-year-old right-hander rolled games of 269, 263 and 279 to take the lead in Open Singles with an 811 series, and he was able to pair with Gregory Tack of Port Murray, New Jersey, to also move to the top of the standings in Open Doubles with a 1,491 total.
Tack, a 27-year-old right-hander, had games of 202, 213 and 265 for 680.
Sam Cantrell of Fair Oaks, California, and Blake Earnest of Bellevue, Nebraska, previously shared the lead in Open Singles with 801, while Parker Capra of New Caney, Texas, and Matthew Anderson of Las Vegas had led Open Doubles with 1,478.
With the performance, Martin also took over the top spot for the Dual Entry prize fund for bowlers competing in both singles and doubles during the same set.
Martin’s trip to Las Vegas was a first for quite a few things. He had just made his debut at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships prior to competing at the Bowlers Journal on Monday, and he spent the rest of his week taking in the USBC Convention and Annual Meeting as part of the Young Delegates Grant Program in his first year as a director for the Staten Island USBC.
He had bowled well at the Open Championships during doubles and singles, posting 702 and 617, respectively, and he felt good about his options and how he was throwing the ball heading into his session at the Bowlers Journal.
The Bowlers Journal Championships features the same oil pattern being used for doubles and singles competition at the Open Championships.
“I had a really good look during doubles and singles, so I went in with confidence knowing I could execute great shots and had already bowled well on the pattern,” Martin said. “I had tried using urethane in practice and that look really wasn’t there for me, so I went to a pearl (Roto Grip) Attention Star and had a really good look playing pretty straight in the oil and playing the shim. If I kept my speed down and rev rate up, I was able to get it back from the breakpoint.”
Tack was getting in his third session at the Bowlers Journal, and a ball change in the middle of the second game helped lead to the exciting finish in Game 3.
“I was just bowling OK and made a ball change in the fifth frame of the second game,” Tack said. “I had missed a couple spares at that point, and it ended up being a really good ball change in the end. He was bowling fantastically, and I was just trying to get as many pins as I could.”
Tack finished Game 3 first for the pair, rolling a double and getting an eight count on his fill ball to set the stage for Martin.
Needing a double for the chance to secure the lead in doubles and singles, Martin posted three strikes to close the game and finished the set with 10 consecutive strikes.
“Going into the 10th, I knew 800 was at stake but honestly didn’t know the leading numbers,” Martin said. “I tried not to think about it. I thought about executing each shot, so I took my time and went through my regular routine. Breathing was a big thing, too.
“Greg made such a great ball change, and I think we were just feeding off each other.”
The doubles pairing wasn’t originally on the radar for either Martin or Tack.
Tack, who also was in town to bowl the Open Championships and participate as a delegate at the USBC Convention, originally was scheduled to bowl two squads later in the day, since he had thought his team event was going to be in the evening instead of Monday afternoon.
“I had signed up for squads at 2:30 and 5, because I thought we were bowling the 9:30 p.m. squad for team,” said Tack, a director for the Morris County New Jersey USBC. “So, the only time I could bowl the Journal today was at 8 a.m. It was all a last-minute thing. I didn’t even know he was bowling. I was just happy to bowl with him. He’s a good friend, and we’ve bowled a lot together. Sometimes, the things that come together the best just happen by chance.
“I’m kind of numb about it. Jeff bowled so well, and I did enough in that moment. Maybe it won’t hold up, maybe it will, but I was very happy to pull it together the last game. I didn’t let the mistakes get to me, and I ended up bowling a really good game.”
In addition to his work off the lanes in his local association, Martin also has taken on the role as the head women’s bowling coach at the College of Staten Island.
He's trying to get more involved at each level of the sport, and he’s experienced quite the week in Las Vegas.
“It’s my first Convention, first Open Championships, first Bowlers Journal, first everything,” Martin said. “I’ve always loved bowling but never really put myself out there. I tried to get more involved, and I’ve done a lot this last year. I became a (USBC) Silver coach. I coach for the College of Staten Island. All of this just means the world to me, and it shows the hard work is paying off.”
The 2024 Open Championships got underway Feb. 23 and will run through July 29 at the South Point Bowling Plaza. The tournament is scheduled to feature more than 11,000 teams and 55,000 bowlers making their way to compete in Las Vegas.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
The 32-year-old right-hander rolled games of 269, 263 and 279 to take the lead in Open Singles with an 811 series, and he was able to pair with Gregory Tack of Port Murray, New Jersey, to also move to the top of the standings in Open Doubles with a 1,491 total.
Tack, a 27-year-old right-hander, had games of 202, 213 and 265 for 680.
Sam Cantrell of Fair Oaks, California, and Blake Earnest of Bellevue, Nebraska, previously shared the lead in Open Singles with 801, while Parker Capra of New Caney, Texas, and Matthew Anderson of Las Vegas had led Open Doubles with 1,478.
With the performance, Martin also took over the top spot for the Dual Entry prize fund for bowlers competing in both singles and doubles during the same set.
Martin’s trip to Las Vegas was a first for quite a few things. He had just made his debut at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships prior to competing at the Bowlers Journal on Monday, and he spent the rest of his week taking in the USBC Convention and Annual Meeting as part of the Young Delegates Grant Program in his first year as a director for the Staten Island USBC.
He had bowled well at the Open Championships during doubles and singles, posting 702 and 617, respectively, and he felt good about his options and how he was throwing the ball heading into his session at the Bowlers Journal.
The Bowlers Journal Championships features the same oil pattern being used for doubles and singles competition at the Open Championships.
“I had a really good look during doubles and singles, so I went in with confidence knowing I could execute great shots and had already bowled well on the pattern,” Martin said. “I had tried using urethane in practice and that look really wasn’t there for me, so I went to a pearl (Roto Grip) Attention Star and had a really good look playing pretty straight in the oil and playing the shim. If I kept my speed down and rev rate up, I was able to get it back from the breakpoint.”
Tack was getting in his third session at the Bowlers Journal, and a ball change in the middle of the second game helped lead to the exciting finish in Game 3.
“I was just bowling OK and made a ball change in the fifth frame of the second game,” Tack said. “I had missed a couple spares at that point, and it ended up being a really good ball change in the end. He was bowling fantastically, and I was just trying to get as many pins as I could.”
Tack finished Game 3 first for the pair, rolling a double and getting an eight count on his fill ball to set the stage for Martin.
Needing a double for the chance to secure the lead in doubles and singles, Martin posted three strikes to close the game and finished the set with 10 consecutive strikes.
“Going into the 10th, I knew 800 was at stake but honestly didn’t know the leading numbers,” Martin said. “I tried not to think about it. I thought about executing each shot, so I took my time and went through my regular routine. Breathing was a big thing, too.
“Greg made such a great ball change, and I think we were just feeding off each other.”
The doubles pairing wasn’t originally on the radar for either Martin or Tack.
Tack, who also was in town to bowl the Open Championships and participate as a delegate at the USBC Convention, originally was scheduled to bowl two squads later in the day, since he had thought his team event was going to be in the evening instead of Monday afternoon.
“I had signed up for squads at 2:30 and 5, because I thought we were bowling the 9:30 p.m. squad for team,” said Tack, a director for the Morris County New Jersey USBC. “So, the only time I could bowl the Journal today was at 8 a.m. It was all a last-minute thing. I didn’t even know he was bowling. I was just happy to bowl with him. He’s a good friend, and we’ve bowled a lot together. Sometimes, the things that come together the best just happen by chance.
“I’m kind of numb about it. Jeff bowled so well, and I did enough in that moment. Maybe it won’t hold up, maybe it will, but I was very happy to pull it together the last game. I didn’t let the mistakes get to me, and I ended up bowling a really good game.”
In addition to his work off the lanes in his local association, Martin also has taken on the role as the head women’s bowling coach at the College of Staten Island.
He's trying to get more involved at each level of the sport, and he’s experienced quite the week in Las Vegas.
“It’s my first Convention, first Open Championships, first Bowlers Journal, first everything,” Martin said. “I’ve always loved bowling but never really put myself out there. I tried to get more involved, and I’ve done a lot this last year. I became a (USBC) Silver coach. I coach for the College of Staten Island. All of this just means the world to me, and it shows the hard work is paying off.”
The 2024 Open Championships got underway Feb. 23 and will run through July 29 at the South Point Bowling Plaza. The tournament is scheduled to feature more than 11,000 teams and 55,000 bowlers making their way to compete in Las Vegas.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.