Bowling: Air Force vet Kelly Williamson throws inspirational 700 series in Mesquite bowling

Kelly Williamson continues winning accolades at the Virgin River Bowling Center for his bowling skills and passion for the sport.

And after this column is published in the Mesquite Local News online newspaper he will also become an inspiration for many.

And that’s because prior to this season he didn’t bowl for two years because his time and focus were on the treatments and doing what he needed to do to cure his cancer.

And with that now behind him, along with moving to Mesquite from Arizona, he began bowling again this past September and after a sluggish first few weeks of the season, his scores increasingly gained altitude, and have surged higher in the last 21 games averaging 211 over that span and raised his Gamblers 4 Aces League average to 194.

His most explosive scoring in those 21 games was a season-high 700 series featuring 23 total strikes including an 8-bagger in a 253 game, followed by a 7-bagger in a 242, before finishing with a 205.

His bowling resume sports a career-high 782 series, a career-high 296 game, a personal-best 215 average, 16 games with 11 strikes, and a 3rd place finish in the 1992 Korean Masters Tournament.

Away from bowling he enjoys going to the gym and is an avid golfer. And that’s the perfect segue into mentioning at the top of his bucket list is to golf all 26 golf courses that make up the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail throughout the state of Alabama.

He’s a huge fan of the Minnesota Vikings, Nebraska Cornhuskers and Caroline Panthers, while Chris Barnes and Wes Malott are his two favorite bowlers, and in high school he was on the basketball and track and field teams.

Williamson served in the United States Air Force for 26 years, and likes to wear red on Friday’s as a way of showing support for those military members who are deployed away from home and overseas.

Meanwhile Jim Lytle also has a connection to the Air Force, but first let’s look at this bowling game. He has all the shots in his arsenal to maintain a deuce average, and his bowling mechanics check all the boxes.

His latest explosion was a 702 series on games of 246, 240 and 216 with a total of 26 strikes. Currently, his average is 204, and his season’s high scores are a 727 series and 269 game.

His resume includes a career-high 801 series, numerous 290 games, umpteen 700s, and has carried a deuce average or close to it for 40 years.

And with a dad who was in the Air Force and stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany, he spent some of his formative years in Germany, and was on the baseball team that played in the 1968 Little League World Series and also in the Senior Little League World series as the representative team from Europe.

Away from bowling, Lytle loves to play golf and is an fan of the Montana State Bobcats athletic teams.

In other pin action and with few exceptions, the rest of this column will focus on bowlers who have received little or no ink this season.

For starters, Frank Ferreira tossed 15 strikes in a season-high 618 series on games of 214, 214 and 190 and raised his King & Queens League average to 178, and propelled by a 5-bagger in a clean 257, Harry Uncles logged a 614, Robin Drury tossed a 618, and Randy Kezior’s 607 included a 244 game.

In single game action, Ricky Trujillo fired a clean 256 with a 7-bagger and he just won 2nd Place in a USBC Bowling Tournament in Sin City, Angel Hernandez threw a 6-bagger in a 248, and Rod Averett’s 245 featured eight strikes and he was a Utah High Patrolman for 21 years. Also, while serving in the U.S. Navy and stationed in New York, he was listening on the radio to the game when Roger Maris hit his 61st home run to break Babe Ruth’s record and he’s been a Yankee fan ever since. Averett also enjoys golf, and has bragging rights to nailing a hole in one while golfing in Riverdale, Utah.

And Garth Turner merits ink for a 244, Michael “Smurffzzz” Ramirez (610) booked a 240 game with eight strikes, Steve Serrano (591) smacked a 225, and earlier this season tossed a 288 gem, Raul Macias threw 7 strikes in a 224, Steve Kenyon who had a career in air traffic control posted a 219, and Dick Lonnick  pocketed a 216.

Wally Posey’s 214 edged out a previous high 213, Jimmy Webb’s clean 207 included five strikes, Tim McNees bagged a 206, and hard throwing right-hander Brian Collins tossed a 202.

In women’s action, euphoria filled the air on lanes 23 and 24 where a celebration broke out as a tribute to Gina Stabenow for bowling her first-ever 200 game, a 204. And to her credit, after opening in the 9th frame, she made a clutch spare in the 10th to nail down her 204. She was a cheerleader at her California high school, misses the beaches in California, but also loves living and working in Mesquite.

Meanwhile, Molly Gomes is having a breakout season and tossed a season-high 555 series with games of 214, 175 and 166, and Mel Ray snared some ink for a season-high 542 series and 201 game with six strikes, and Frances Harper the super secretary of the Early Risers League and lives in Apple Valley, Utah rolled a season-high 537.

Patsy Burtchett captured her first ink with a standout effort rolling a season-high 531 series and 193 game increasing her average to 135, Cindy Petersen is a humungous fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and chalked up a 515 in Ladies Trio League action, and Barb Windberg also merits kudos for throwing her first 500 series of the season, a 515 including a season-high 192. She’s a Chicago native, was an admissions supervisor at a Chicago area hospital, and is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan who married a Chicago White Sox fan, her husband, John. Finally Nancy Egge’s 501 topped her previous high this season, a 463.

In single game play, Lee Ann Harmes (575) led the scoring charge with a 258 with a 7-bagger, Jan Quinn racked up a season-high 209 in Early Risers League action, and Barb Russell who also plays golf, tossed a career-high 196 game which featured five strikes.

Jan Wellman booked a season-high 189 game and 474 series. She hails from Chowchilla, California which is probably best known for when a school bus with 26 students was kidnapped and buried for a day, but fortunately had a happy ending…Judy Heilson’s nice 181 game has only been topped this season by a 189 in February…Maury Hardman converted the 4-7-10 split…Suzie Fehseka is doing a standout job as secretary of the Friday Trio League and picked up the 6-10…Amy Kesl’s 181 was her second highest game this season in King & Queens League play, with a 188 her highest.

Scott Mattingly 730-279; Dennis Craft 721-253; Bob Marget 695-268; Bruce Hooley 663-237; Doug Love 656-233; Mike Rogers 651-226; Mike Gentry 648-2432; Dave Newman 646-258; John Hollaway 644-258; Milan Carr 626-216; Dave Harris 629-237; Mike Saldivar 628-233; Gil Niimi 624-237; Al Gans 620-216; Darren Simonds 618-221; Dan Aslin 617-220; Dave Pershing 617-246; Bill Funk 615-212; Dean Baum 613-236; Ron Hendrickson 246; Dean Sheppard 235; Britt Kesl 235; Rick Jones 225; Jeff Branche 222; Mitch Fletcher 221; Alan Jacobson 216; Rob Cormani 216; Dale Davidson 213; Sal Diaz 212; Harvey Scow 211; Orlyn Meyer 211; Ken Meacham 210; Logan Hendrick 210; Mardon Connelly 209; Bob Morgan 205; Bryan Pierce 203; Ernie Kala 202; Austin Finster 201; Larry Willis 201; Anthony Ramirez 200; Lori Jo Turner 646-257; Bev Cormani 593-254; Diane Marget 565-192;  Sandy Sheppard 564-201; Ashlee Yokoyama-Kesl 519-207; Cheryl Rogers 500.