Michigan bowler rolls 34th perfect game of 2014 OC

RENO, Nev. - The United States Bowling Congress Open Championships took a brief hiatus to welcome the USBC Queens and USBC Senior Queens to the National Bowling Stadium, and the featured event returned with a bang Saturday as Edward Rondot of Ypsilanti, Mich., fired a perfect game during his team event.

The 47-year-old right-hander started with games of 233 and 195 before connecting on his final 12 deliveries for the 34th perfect game of the 2014 event. His 728 series helped GoMongo.com of Saline, Mich., to a 3,034 effort. Artistic Expressions 1 of Oklahoma City lead Regular Team with a record score of 3,720.

Rondot admitted to struggling with transition in past USBC Open Championships appearances, but he credited a ball change and trusting his decisions in helping him succeed at the NBS.

"I've always had trouble knowing when to make a move out here," said Rondot, who made his 23rd Open Championships appearance. "I found that my ball was picking up a little earlier in the second game, so I made a ball change to something cleaner through the fronts. Then I told myself if I need to move, just to do it, so I could keep my swing a little freer."

As the 78-lane venue turned quiet, Rondot did his best to maintain his rhythm, and he capped the effort with three of his best shots of the day.

"It was hard to keep the pulse down," Rondot said. "I was trying to keep my own mental rhythm and not force a shot, and I hoped all of the practice over the years would come through. The bottom of the swing felt fabulous for my last three shots, and I loved the last one. Nothing besides bad luck could have happened on that. It was as good as a shot as I could throw at the Stadium with that on the line."

Rondot practiced on the 43-foot Sport-certified lane condition at home prior to his arrival in The Biggest Little City in the World and felt that gave him and his teammates a good idea of what to expect when it was time to hit the championship lanes.

Now that Rondot has earned his place in Open Championships history, he is excited to be included among those who have shared the same experience.

"You learn to respect the history of the sport and the tournament," Rondot said. "When I listen to the accomplishments getting announced, I never imagined it would be me. It's such a challenging event, and it's very cool to be included in that list."

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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.