Bowling: Mesquite bowler Logan Hendrick throws electrifying 658 series

Throwing a 600 series for a bowler who only began league bowling in September isn’t easy to do.

Logan Hendrick just made it look like it is.

And making his first-ever 600 series even more impressive is the fact that a quick dive into his scores in the exceptional League Secretary program shows his highest previous series in the three leagues he’s bowling in was a 583 booked on October 26th in the Wednesday Men’s League at the Virgin River Bowling Center.

Fast forward some two months and he blew away his 583 score with an electrifying performance beginning with an 8-bagger in a career-high 251 game, and next tossed a 213 giving him a 464 count going into his third game putting a 700 series in play.

And the possibility of this young bowler throwing a 700 set the VRBC abuzz with chatter that the way he was crushing the 1-3 pocket for strikes and picking up spares a 700 set was a possibility.

Well, while he did keep tattooing the pocket with six strikes in his third game, the bowling deities were stingy when it came to carry, resulting in four corner pins left standing, and two of which resulted in open frames in a 194 game for a still standout 658 series.

He’s another young bowler who generates tons of revs with a two-handed delivery, and without a doubt he’ll be getting his share of ink in the weeks and months ahead. And the way he’s bowling right now, a 700 series, while not a slam dunk, is certainly a possibility before winter turns into summer.

Hendrick graduated from Virgin Valley High School in 2020 where he was also on the varsity tennis and track & field teams. And he was one of two favorites to be the state champion in the pole vault, but the closing of all schools in Nevada due to the pandemic in 2020 put the kibosh on that dream.

He next enrolled at Southern Utah University with an emphasis on aviation science along with the pursuit of getting a pilot’s license to fly helicopters, which he hopes will eventually land him a pilot’s job with the BLM fighting fires.

Away from bowling, he loves gaming on his PC with friends, going to concerts with his girlfriend, and watching his favorite bowlers like E.J. Tacket and Anthony Simonson compete on TV.

And at the very top of his bucket list is to eventually visit the basque country in northern Spain where the ancestors from his mom’s side of the family are from.

In other men’s pin action, Dean Baum lit up the scoring monitors with the week’s only 700, a 713 on games of 256, 241 and 216.

And Doug Love’s 683 was the week’s next best series and included a clean 256 and his only two open frames on the night came on the hated 10 pin. By the way, Love is one of only four bowlers who have thrown two 300 games at the VRBC.

James Hartley (670-255) merits ink for a terrific league outing, and a tremendous effort led by Jeff Jacobson (664-234) saw his Master Villa’s team fall 1/2 pin shy of winning the first half of the season in the Wednesday Men’s League.

Meanwhile, Sal Diaz is another impressive young bowler who put together a 200 game, along with clean games of 236 and 224 for a standout career-high 660 series, and it was also his most consistent league outing this season in terms of hitting the 1-3 pocket.

Dennis Craft made an impressive 94% (16-of-17) of his spare shots paving the way for a 639 set, and Alan “AJ” Jacobson was also efficient in spare shooting with marks on 11-of-12 attempts in a 636 set.

Jerry Holloway has been close to his first 600 of the 2022-23 season multiple times, but 16 strikes and some clutch spares in games of 214, 210 and 191 were the difference this time en route to a 613, while Bob Marget (602-221) joined Holloway with a 600 in the Monday Scratch League.

On the single game front, Dave Harris (604) put together a 6-bagger and nine total strikes for a season-high 257, Ernie Kala (588) posted a 241, and Michael “Smurffzzz” Ramirez (580) continues winning accolades for the eye-popping improvement in his game including multiple deuce games on a weekly basis, with his  biggest last week, a 233 with a 6-bagger and 9 total strikes. And he’s on the clock for his first 700 series, as it’s just a matter of when it happens, not if.

And Britt Kesl fired a season-high 233 gem with his only open coming on a 10 pin leave, while Austin Finster popped a 225, and with all his revs much higher games are on the horizon.

Tim McNees posted a 224 and away from the lanes his skill level as a metal fabricator is off the charts whether restoring classic cars or whatever, and his good buddy, Red Powell put together a 5-bagger in a 220, and in his outstanding years of bowling he’s rolled a career-high 814 series and five 300 games.

And it’s great seeing Steve Roberts (573) end a scoring funk with his best outing this season including a clutch 4-bagger to finish a clean 219 game, and Angel Hernandez has improved his game tenfold since taking up the sport a year ago, and after beginning league play last week games of 220 and 213 put him on the cusp of his first 600. However, some untimely miscues and splits in his third game (139)  derailed a determine bid for a 600 as he finished with a 572. But his 600 will happen!!!

Finally, Jeff Harms, Walley Posey and Ricky Trujillo rolled games of 204, 203, and 200, respectively.

In women’s pin action, Diana Marget is in her first season of bowling in Mesquite and last week tossed a season-high 604 series along with her highest game this season, a 225.

And Bev Cormani’s explosive strike ball and athletic delivery proved pivotal in shooting another 600, a 603, on games of 201, 168 and a clean 234.

Ashley Yokoyama-Kesl’s 558 set and 211 game is another indicator her game keeps gaining altitude, and while her first 600 this season may not be a layup, the rapid ascent in her game points in that direction.

In single game action, Molly Gomes was a pillar of consistency in tattooing the 1-3 pocket for six strikes along with four spares en route to her best game this season, a clean 233, while Georgia Godfrey (517) tossed a 209, and Sandy Sheppard (534) tallied a 201.

Richard Long merits extra ink for a season-high 556 series on games of 188, 184, 184 which proved to be the key factor in allowing his Whoooops team to win six of a possible eight points on the night. Oh, and if you’re thinking about ever visiting Alaska, Long can answer many of your questions about the state where he lived and worked most of his life … Koa Paka Ned threw really consistent games of 179, 178 and 172 … Tillie Armijo’s 168 game almost surpassed her previous season-high 169 … Toni Gans picked up the 4-7-10 split. Actually, she spared two other splits, but her husband wouldn’t mention the other two. Opps, I maybe shouldn’t have revealed that.

Mike Saldivar 667-244; Scott Mattingly 667-258; Dave Pershing 647-236; Al Gans 622-223; Wayne Donnafield 622-266; Mike Gentry 612-220; Maury Hardman 590-223; Gil Niimi 228. Rob Hartman 227; Bruce Hooley 226; Rob Cormani 224; Harold Hendrick 223; Mike Rogers 222; Ken Thompson 220; Ken Kaylor 219; Randy Henderson 218; Frank Addamo 217; Al Legan 214; Frank Ferreira214; Milan Carr 214; Butch Loger 214; John Hollaway 214; Dean Sheppard 212; Dan Aslin 211; Darren Simonds 211; Mike Yoder 210; Jim Rappe 206; Dylan Kesl 204; Kelly Williamson 204; Dale Milligan 203; Jan Kusy 203; Juan Morgana 201; Eddy Elsner 200; Debbie Hansen 520; LoriJo Turner 504.