62nd Annual Beat the Champs event a hit in Hoffman Estates

HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILLINOIS - Youth bowler Brady McDonough made history by shooting a perfect 300 to close out the 62nd Annual Beat the Champs Target Score Show.

“If anyone has to sneeze, please get it out now,” Brady humorously said moments before throwing his 12th strike to seal the first-ever 300 in the history of the event, which was streamed live on YouTube.

The exhibition, held at Poplar Creek Bowl in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, housed more than 250 fans who watched bowling’s current adult and youth stars bowl to establish the averages that must be beat in order for a participant to receive a gift. The opening round of the tournament had more than 15,000 bowlers who competed in Illinois State BPA (ISBPA) member centers.

Brady had a slow start, posting a 161, but bounced back with a 248 before finishing with his perfect game, totaling 709 for the three games. His youth counterpart, Malia Briggs, began with a 245, followed with a 216, but struggled in her final game with a 131, resulting in a total of 592. Together, the youth duo posted a combined six-game total of 1301, averaging 216.83. In addition to their bowling skills, both youth bowlers are known for their generous social media following, seeing Brady with 57,000 followers, while Malia has a massive current total of 354,000.

On the adult side, professional bowlers Kyle Troup and Verity Crawley also showcased strong performances. Kyle, on fire throughout the competition, posted scores of 257, 289, and 230, totaling 776. He came close to breaking the BtC record of 815, set by Robert Lawrence in 1992, but fell 39 pins short. Verity, from England, who came to the USA to bowl at Webber International University, scored 205, 247, and 191, for a total of 643. The two professionals combined for a six-game total of 1419, averaging 236.5.

As part of the event’s charitable tradition, Charity Strikes, which combines the total number of strikes made during the 5th and 10th frames, are then multiplied by $100 to be donated to charities of the bowlers choosing. The youth bowlers, who made 14 strikes, will be donating $1,400 to the Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL); the net proceeds generated by the tournament are also scheduled to be donated to the BVL. The adult bowlers, who registered 10 strikes, have directed $1,000 to be sent to Striking Against Breast Cancer. The Charity Strikes donations were supported by Zoa Energy Drink (for the youth bowlers) and Miller Lite (for the adult bowlers).

The event was broadcast live with commentary from USBC Hall of Famer Bill Spigner and Storm’s Product Marketing Manager Blair Blumenshied. Bowling legend Carmen Salvino made a special appearance, and PBA Commissioner Tom Clark was in attendance as well. Before the competition began, Storm’s Vice President of Marketing, Gary Hulsenberg, presented both Tom Clark and ISBPA Executive Director Keith Hamilton with a custom teal bowling ball, with a hand-painted inscription recognizing that the pair will be inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame in May of this year.

The tournament is sponsored and operated by the ISBPA, Storm Bowling, and Coolwick Bowling Apparel. Bowlers who qualify to compete in the Zone Finals will be notified by their participating bowling centers within the next couple of weeks, with the finals taking place on March 16, 2025, at Hillside Bowl in Hillside, Illinois.