Open Championships Weekly Glance from Baton Rouge

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS WEEKLY GLANCE
(For April 9-15, 2025)

Mento Produce returns to top spot in Team All-Events at 2025 Open Championships
Heading into their final game of singles at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships on April 10, the members of Mento Produce of Auburn, New York, faced a tall order to return to the top of the standings in Team All-Events.

The group – featuring Anthony Pepe, Brett Cunningham, Steve Meyer, Derek Magno and Joseph Conti Jr. – needed to find a way to average more than 250 as a unit to take over the lead at the Raising Cane’s River Center. Through their first five games of doubles and singles, however, the talented crew had only posted two games over 1,100 (220 team average).

That trend quickly changed in the finale of the 45-game marathon, as the team posted 1,321 (264.2 team average) to place their name at the top of the leaderboard with a 9,887 total. Strike It Rich Pro Shop 1 of St. Charles, Missouri, had held the lead with 9,817.

The team was across two pairs for doubles and singles, with Conti, Meyer, Magno and Cunningham finishing the set first. Meyer led the excitement on Lanes 41-42 with 279 and was followed by Conti (258), Magno (256) and Cunningham (238). Pepe closed with 11 strikes for 290 on Lanes 39-40 to secure the top spot.

Mento Produce rolled 49 strikes across 60 deliveries in the final game of singles, including 13 of 15 strikes in the 10th frame.

Four of the five team members – Pepe, Meyer, Magno and Conti – were part of the group that captured the Team All-Events title at the 2019 USBC Open Championships in Las Vegas with a 9,983 total. TJ Mento was the team’s fifth member in 2019.

In 2022, with Cunningham in the mix, Mento Produce broke the tournament’s Team All-Events record with 10,444. The record had stood since 1996 (Pollard’s Bowl with 10,425), and the team finished the year in third place.

Magno, who entered the 2025 event as the defending Regular All-Events champion, nearly made his way back to the lead and moved into second place with 2,146. He had sets of 753 in singles, 726 in team and 667 in doubles.

The 44-year-old right-hander captured the title in 2024 with a score of 2,255 at the South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas for his second Eagle.

Cunningham followed with 1,959, Meyer had 1,951, Pepe posted 1,923 and Conti closed with 1,908.

Magno’s run at reclaiming the all-events lead nearly made it to the final frame of singles. Needing to finish with 268 to match the 2,158 posted by former Team USA member Cassidy Schaub of Ashland, Ohio, Magno started with a pair of strikes before recording a nine count and spare in the third.

He struck on his next five deliveries, before a 10 pin in the ninth ended his run. Magno was looking to become the first bowler in 121 editions of the Open Championships to successfully defend an all-events title.

Three new leaders emerge in Regular Division at River Center
The standings were shaken up this week in the Regular Division, with new scores ascending to the top of the leaderboard in doubles, singles and team competition.

On April 11, Ronnie Sparks Jr. of Redford, Michigan, and Jay Lang of Sterling Heights, Michigan, cruised to the lead in Regular Doubles with a 1,468 total.

Sparks – a two-time Eagle winner (2015 Regular Singles and 2022 Team All-Events) – fired games of 225, 232 and 279 for a 736 series. Lang – the owner of three titles at the Open Championships (1997 Regular Team and Team All-Events in 1999 and 2022) – had 208, 258 and 266 for 732. Steve Wright of Cypress, Texas, and Paul McCordic of Sugar Land, Texas, previously led with 1,413.

After starting with 433 in Game 1, Sparks and Lang nearly averaged 260 during their final two games. They rolled strikes on 21 of their 24 deliveries in Game 3 to close with 545.

Shortly after the lead in doubles changed hands, Jeffrey Grego of Fort Wayne, Indiana, stepped up in his final frame at the River Center with the chance to put his name at the top of the leaderboard in Regular Singles.

After starting with games of 249 and 279, the 47-year-old right-hander had put together strikes in the seventh, eighth and ninth frames, with a maximum score of 258.

Grego needed the first two strikes in the 10th for the opportunity to move past the 777 rolled by Isaac Goodman of Ottumwa, Iowa, and he delivered all three to close the set with 786.

Powered by a strong start April 13, the members of Phat Kidz Crew of Pekin, Illinois, secured the lead in Regular Team with a 3,300 total.

The team – featuring Travis Anderson, Andrew Stone, Anthony Recsnik, Thomas Barnwell and Steven Taylor – fired games of 1,118, 1,140 and 1,042 at the Raising Cane’s River Center to move ahead of the 3,270 posted by Strike It Rich Pro Shop 1 of St. Charles, Missouri.

They became the first team to eclipse 1,100 in Game 1 of the team event at the 2025 USBC Open Championships, and the 1,140 to follow marked the highest total so far for Game 2 at the River Center.

Barnwell led the way with a 715 series and was followed by Stone (705), Taylor (656), Recsnik (632) and Anderson (592).

They returned to the River Center the following day and just missed taking over the lead in Team All-Events, finishing eight pins shy of the top spot with 9,879.

Three of the teammates also moved into the top 10 of Regular All-Events as they closed minors. Stone now is fifth with 2,085, Barnwell is seventh with 2,072 and Taylor took over eighth with 2,064. Recsnik finished his appearance at 1,835, and Anderson had 1,823.

Past champion rolls 826 in doubles at 2025 Open Championships
Two-time Eagle winner Jeffrey Mersch of Orlando, Florida, connected for 30 strikes on 34 deliveries during his doubles set April 12 for games of 289, 258 and 279 to post 826.

The 41-year-old left-hander became the second competitor to reach 800 at the 2025 Open Championships (Gregory Thompson Jr. of Tempe, Arizona, had 810 in doubles on March 23), and the performance helped Mersch and fellow two-time champion Matthew Tuckfield of Orlando into second place in Regular Doubles with 1,423. Tuckfield, who rolled a 300 game in doubles during the tournament’s last trip to Baton Rouge in 2012, had 597.

Mersch concluded his appearance with an all-events score of 2,038, with sets of 665 in singles and 547 in team.

One additional honor score was achieved during the week. Chris Walcher of Springfield, Illinois, rolled 300 to start his singles set April 12 at the River Center. He closed with games of 221 and 183 for a 704 series in Regular Singles.

Walcher became the sixth competitor to connect for a perfect game at the 2025 Open Championships.

Big scores in Standard Team, Classified All-Events in Baton Rouge
The members of DiLaura Brothers 6 of Clinton Township, Michigan, took over the top spot in Standard Team on April 10 with a 2,812 total, and Nolan Hartl of Cannon Falls, Minnesota, rolled to the lead in Classified All-Events on April 13 with a 1,764 score.

DiLaura Brothers 6 – featuring Brent Ryan, Scott Percha, Eric Lesmeister, Matthew Lesmeister and Dominico Emmi – took the lead by 50 pins after posting games of 859, 962 and 991 at the River Center. Silver Creek Liquor Team 1 of Fairmont, Minnesota, previously led with 2,762.

Matthew Lesmeister led the steady team effort in Baton Rouge with a 608 series. He was followed by Ryan (579), Emmi (562), Eric Lesmeister (538) and Percha (525).

Standard Team features groups with combined entering averages of 776-875.

Hartl’s charge to the top of the leaderboard included a personal best in doubles – 707 (191, 275, 241). He added 574 in singles and 483 in team to take the lead by 119 pins over 2007 Classified Doubles champion Jesse Smyle of Bowman, North Dakota (1,645).

Classified All-Events includes bowlers with entering averages of 155 and below.

A look ahead
Nicholas Fisher of Palm Bay, Florida, is scheduled to return to the USBC Open Championships this week after claiming victory in Regular Doubles at the 2024 event in Las Vegas.

Fisher paired with former Team USA member Shawn Evans of Titusville, Florida, at the South Point Bowling Plaza to combine for a 1,531 total to earn the top spot. Evans led the way with games of 299, 259 and 246 for an 804 series, and Fisher – making his debut at the Open Championships – rolled games of 260, 199 and 268 for 727.

He’ll be recognized for the win prior to his team event April 17 at 7:45 p.m. Central and will hit the lanes for doubles and singles in Baton Rouge on April 18 at 11:30 p.m. Central.

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2025 USBC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Raising Cane’s River Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

(Division leaders with hometown and pinfall)

As of April 15, 2025

REGULAR DIVISION

Team
(Combined averages of 876 and above)
1, Phat Kidz Crew (Travis Anderson, Andrew Stone, Anthony Recsnik, Thomas Barnwell, Steven Taylor), Pekin, Ill., 3,300. 2, Strike It Rich Pro Shop 1, St. Charles, Mo., 3,270. 3, Ferri Enterprises 1, Murrysville, Pa., 3,250. 4, Sweetheart Lanes Pro Shop, Loveland, Colo., 3,185. 5, Mento Produce, Auburn, N.Y., 3,180.

Doubles
(Combined averages of 351 and above)
1, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Redford, Mich./Jay Lang, Sterling Heights, Mich., 1,468. 2, Matthew Tuckfield/Jeffrey Mersch, Orlando, Fla., 1,423. 3, Steve Wright, Cypress, Texas/Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, 1,413. 4, Trevor Baumgartner, Topeka, Kan./Dylan Burns, Wichita, Kan., 1,408. 5, Jeffrey Campbell, Sioux Falls, S.D./Gregory Ickes, Largo, Fla., 1,394.

Singles
(Averages of 176 and above)
1, Jeffrey Grego, Fort Wayne, Ind., 786. 2, Isaac Goodman, Ottumwa, Iowa, 777. 3, Stephanie Brownie, Louisville, Ky., 770. 4, Luis De Leon, San Antonio, 762. 5, Terrence Syring Jr., Essexville, Mich., 756.

All-Events
(Averages of 176 and above)
1, Cassidy Schaub, Ashland, Ohio, 2,158. 2, Derek Magno, Cicero, N.Y., 2,146. 3, Jeffrey Campbell, Sioux Falls, S.D., 2,144. 4, Dylan Burns, Wichita, Kan., 2,137. 5, Andrew Stone, Bloomington, Ill., 2,085.

Team All-Events
1, Mento Produce (Anthony Pepe, Brett Cunningham, Steve Meyer, Derek Magno, Joe Conti Jr.), Auburn, N.Y., 9,887. 2, Phat Kidz Crew, Pekin, Ill., 9,879. 3, Strike It Rich Pro Shop 1, St. Charles, Mo., 9,817. 4, DiLaura Brothers 1, Clinton Township, Mich., 9,635. 5, Enhance That #2, Allen, Texas, 9,562.

STANDARD DIVISION

Team
(Combined averages of 776-875)
1, DiLaura Brothers 6 (Brent Ryan, Scott Percha, Eric Lesmeister, Matthew Lesmeister, Dominico Emmi), Clinton Township, Mich., 2,812. 2, Silver Creek Liquor Team 1, Fairmont, Minn., 2,762. 3, Ryano’s Pro Shop #4, Collinsville, Va., 2,759. 4, Lawrence Rathbun Team 4, Yuba City, Calif., 2,743. 5, McHenry Bowl 5, Modesto, Calif., 2,721.

Doubles
(Combined averages of 311-350)
1, Emily Cox, North Dinwiddie, Va./Brandyn Cox, Chesterfield, Va., 1,290. 2, John Richards/Johnathan Richards Jr., Chino Valley, Ariz., 1,272. 3, Justin Dahlke, Eagan, Minn./Nolan Hartl, Cannon Falls, Minn., 1,244. 4, Nicholas Remer, West Allis, Wis./Chris Schafer, Milwaukee, 1,227. 5, Lyn Cummings, Oklahoma City/Andy Murray, Yukon, Okla., 1,222.

Singles
(Averages of 156-175)
1, Eric Batka, West Olive, Mich., 722. 2(tie), Jonah Nagle, Taylorville, Ill., and William Morris, Sartell, Minn., 704. 4, Daren Lindeman, Parkston, S.D., 694. 5, Robert Isaacson, Orland Park, Ill., 693.

All-Events
(Averages of 156-175)
1, Jeff Dent, Glade Hill, Va., 1,981. 2, Robert Isaacson, Orland Park, Ill., 1,879. 3, Nathan Schuette, Owatonna, Minn., 1,862. 4, Daren Lindeman, Parkston, S.D., 1,841. 5, Gordon Barker, Flagstaff, Ariz., 1,836.

CLASSIFIED DIVISION

Team
(Combined averages of 775 and below)
1, Fat Dad’s 4 (Jeffrey Johnson, Brady Lee, Jason Hausauer, Jeffery Reuss, Ryan Lee), Alexandria, Minn., 2,407. 2, Just Beat Chandra!, West Jordan, Utah, 2,403. 3, No Problem 3, Hawthorne, Calif., 2,388. 4, Rocky Mountain Mayhem 3, Parker, Colo., 2,387. 5, Classic Auto Body 1, Eaton, Colo., 2,383.

Doubles
(Combined averages of 310 and below)
1, Alaina Moore/Shane Moore, Reno, Nev., 1,172. 2, Hunter Severson/Daniel King, Sidney, Mont., 1,106. 3, Brian Crumpton, Tupelo, Miss./Larry Robbins, Blue Springs, Miss., 1,074. 4, Rose Jenkins/Leonard Stephens, Post Falls, Idaho, 1,045. 5, Marissa Magboo, Richmond, Texas/Joseph Sampang, Houston, 1,039.

Singles
(Averages of 155 and below)
1, Kenneth Hurst, Dayton, Ohio, 645. 2, Baine Farr, San Antonio, 638. 3, Justin McManis, Lanark, Ill., 636. 4, Dustin Mann, Swanton, Ohio, 611. 5, Brian Curin, Lincoln, Neb., 601.

All-Events
(Averages of 155 and below)
1, Nolan Hartl, Cannon Falls, Minn., 1,764. 2, Jesse Smyle, Bowman, N.D., 1,645. 3, Arjay Dizon, Vacaville, Calif., 1,638. 4(tie), Xavier Steiner, Shenandoah, Iowa, and Christopher Williams, Seattle, 1,632.