By Matt Cannizzaro and Jessica Gilgor
USBC Communications

RENO, Nev. - David Cirigliano of Phoenix found himself in a familiar spotlight Saturday as he became the second bowler in United States Bowling Congress Open Championships history with three perfect games on the tournament lanes.

With the feat, which came in his final game of singles at the National Bowling Stadium, Cirigliano joined Craig Szplett of Beecher, Illinois, in the record book. Szplett set the bar with perfect games in 1996, 2005 and 2013, while Cirigliano tossed his in 1998, 2007 and 2016, all at the NBS.

"It's a feeling that's hard to explain," said Cirigliano, who made his 31st consecutive USBC Open Championships appearance and finished singles this year in a tie for ninth place with games of 243, 214 and 300 for a 757 series. "I know there were a few of us tied with two, and that was in the back of my mind."

Cirigliano's 300 was the fourth perfect game of this year's tournament. He added sets of 708 in team and a 632 in doubles for a 2,097 all-events total, putting him in second place in Regular All-Events behind Robert J. Bures of Painesville, Ohio, who leads Regular Singles with 815 and Regular All-Events with a 2,122.

This time around, Cirigliano was able to share the moment and excitement with his Bowling Dynamics.com teammates as they moved into the top spot in Team All-Events with a 9,710 total, less than 24 hours after grabbing the lead in Regular Team with 3,300.

Cirigliano was joined in the Team All-Events effort by Warren Eales (2,064), Kelly Urrea (1,940), Robert Lewis (1,840) and Steven Roberts (1,769). Defending champion Junior Team USA Support 1 of Eagan, Minnesota, previously held the lead with 9,672.

"We didn't know exactly what the score was," said Cirigliano, a 2013 inductee into the Arizona State USBC Hall of Fame. "But yesterday's team event definitely gave us a sense of 'we can do this, we belong here and we have the chance to make this happen.'"

While there were a few close calls, Cirigliano and his teammates found motivation in the competition on the lanes as they were bowling on the same squad with some former champions, including USBC Hall of Famer Jeff Richgels and his 11thFrame.com teammates.

"Bowling with the big guys gave us motivation," Cirigliano said. "This year, the team wanted to pull back a little, as there were a lot of good bowlers and eagle winners on the squad. I told them we can't bowl scared. We come here once a year, and we come here to win."

Cirigliano also was able to draw inspiration from his time at the World Bowling Coach Conference earlier this month at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas.

"I was able to get some good inspiration from Dr. Dean Hinitz at his talk during the conference," said Cirigliano, a USBC Silver coach. "He inspired me to perform at the championship level I was born to perform at."

Now, the team heads back to Arizona in an unfamiliar position, with their own scores being the ones to beat.

"This year is different than watching your scores when you finish in 15th or 20th place," Cirigliano said. "It will be more fun watching scores from the top."

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