Wichita State junior Blake Demore wanted to know how good of a bowler he is compared with others.

He and other WSU bowlers attended the Professional Bowlers Association  Southwest/Midwest Region Wichita Open this past weekend.

“It’s a chance to get to see how you match up to everyone else,”  Demore said, a veteran of seven PBA regionals.

“You get experiences and lessons in PBA tournaments that you can’t learn in college bowling,” said Nathan Bohr, a 10-year PBA veteran.

Bohr was a part of the 2003 national champion team for WSU as well as an assistant coach for the school’s national titles in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Bohr had won 11 region titles before taking his 12th on Sunday.

This was the first title he won in Wichita.

“It’s a great feeling winning at home,” Bohr said. “To be able to win in front of the people who have watched you grow and go through the [WSU bowling] program is incredible.”

Jessica Baker, a recent WSU graduate, is already discovering the advantages of gaining experience after taking third in this weekend’s event.

“Bowling the USBC Queens and overseas allowed me to see more than I did in college bowling,” Baker said. “But we all get the same basic knowledge through WSU. That’s what sets us apart from the rest.”

Baker was part of WSU’s national champion team in 2009, which was the 19th national title for the bowling program.

Thunderbird Bowl, 2440 S. Oliver in Wichita, was host to the tournament.