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onefrombills
05-13-2009, 09:01 PM
LAS VEGAS - Joe Ciach of Mississauga, Ontario, is a seven-time member of Team Canada and has enjoyed many international successes while representing his country on the lanes.

With this year's Canadian National Championships just days away, the 42-year-old right-hander used the USBC Open Championships as a tune-up and came away with a little extra confidence after shooting the 20th perfect game of this year's event Sunday.

Ciach, who hadn't rolled a 300 game in more than two years, picked the perfect place to end the drought. The 300 came between games of 192 and 217, and his 709 series helped KR Strike Force 1 of Bowmanville, Ontario, to a 2,933 team total.

"I didn't know what to expect," said Ciach, who is a six-time Toronto Bowler of the Year. "You have to make really good shots here. They have a tougher pattern than back home. It's been two and a half years since I've scored 300, and I'm glad the wait is over. To do it here is a lifetime achievement, and it's an amazing feeling."

Ciach, who began bowling when he was just 3 years old, made his Open Championships debut at the 1999 event in Syracuse, N.Y., and still remembers the feeling of anticipation as he experienced all the event had to offer for the first time.

This year, Ciach made his eighth appearance at the Open Championships, and the annual adventure is as much about camaraderie as it is about the competition. It is his long-time friendship with team captain, Jack Paul Brace of Bowmanville, Ontario, that first brought him to the event and will keep him coming back as long as he is able.

"I'll be back as long as my body lets me," said Ciach, whose wife, Kerrie Ryan-Ciach, also is a member of Team Canada. "(Jack Paul Brace) is a really good friend of mine, and someone I look up to. He's the one who asked me to bowl here."

What motivates Ciach the most when it comes to bowling is that he truly enjoys the game. But even though he was having a good time with his friends Sunday at Cashman Center, he also was focused on the business at hand. He did admit, however, that he was a little bit nervous during his run at perfection.

"I have fun bowling, and I do it because I have a good time," Ciach said. "I was a little nervous, but I just did what I always do. I slowed down the ball on the last shot. I always do. It's just different when you have so many people watching."

Ciach added a 679 series in doubles and a 629 effort in singles Monday for a 2,017 all-events total.

He now will focus his attention on the Canadian National Championships, which begins Friday and will conclude next Monday. During his time on Team Canada, Ciach has collected a variety of titles at events across the globe and a handful of medals in international competition.

Presenting sponsors for the 2009 USBC Open Championships are the Coast Casinos in Las Vegas and the Eldorado Hotel Casino, Silver Legacy Resort Casino and Circus Circus in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Brunswick, capital equipment supplier; Storm Products, Inc.; Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel and Four Queens Hotel and Casino, the official brackets sponsors; Sapphire Gentleman's Club; Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino; MGM Mirage; Jerry's Nugget Casino and Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel.