Colorado bowler rolls historic 300 at 2014 USBC Open

RENO, Nev. - So much can happen in the time it takes a bowling ball to make it down the lane, and Darrin Cisar of Grand Junction, Colo., had everything work in his favor as he notched the 22nd perfect game at the 2014 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.

The 48-year-old right-hander threw two great shots to start the final frame of his run at perfection, but his last offering got away from him. He knew as soon as he let it go it probably wasn't going to hit the 1-3 pocket, but some good fortune helped the ball creep just far enough past the head pin for a Brooklyn strike.

Cisar's 300 is the 825th in 111 years of USBC Open Championships history and the 250th at the National Bowling Stadium, which opened in 1995 and has hosted the tournament nine times.

"This was a different experience than any 300 I've shot because the strikes turned red in the seventh frame, and everyone within six to eight lanes knew what was happening," said Cisar, who made his 17th consecutive tournament appearance. "My nerve factor was tenfold, but everyone followed really close to the one-lane courtesy, so that helped. It wasn't until I threw the 12th one that everyone went nuts. When you throw a bad ball and get good results, life is good."

Cisar finished his team event Tuesday with a pair of 161 games for a 622 series but admits it was a little bit hard to focus after claiming his place in the tournament record book.

"My teammates were giving me grief along the way like they do every other tournament, but no words could put it all in perspective because I lost total concentration right after the 300," said Cisar, who hasn't bowled since his league at Orchard Mesa Lanes ended three weeks ago. "This now is my favorite tournament memory, though."

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Presenting sponsors for the 2014 USBC Open Championships include Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno.