Hendrickson and Fisher wow Mesquite bowlers with 600 series scores in return

The 2022-23 bowling season in Mesquite has witnessed some compelling story lines. It began with Bruce Hooley becoming the first bowler from Mesquite to ever throw a 300 game in the Huntsman World Series Games.

And as the season unfolded, whether it was 90-year-old Bob Morgan’s inspirational 679 series, Cher Erhart’s first game of all spares bowled in at least six years, Mike Saldivar throwing his first 300 game, or the emergence of talented young bowlers capturing headlines, interesting story lines emerged.

And another one has this week with the scoop about both Ron Hendrickson and Jedd Fisher’s return to bowling after not touching a bowling ball for a combined almost 55 years, and yet, each fired a 600 series.

For starters, Hendrickson was a good bowler decades ago with multiple 600s including a career-high 690 series and career-high 299 game.

However, for multiple reasons, including a booming towing business in Idaho falls, Idaho where he would get calls at all hours of the day and night, he gave up bowling for 35 years.

And after selling his successful towing business and the 17 heavy duty towing trucks with it, he retired and moved to Mesquite where he’s been creating mayhem for the pins ever since.

And that includes his first 600 in 35 years, a 615 on games of 213, 204 and 198 that featured 20 strikes. And he enjoyed the adrenaline rush so much from his 615 he followed it up with two more, a 603 and 600 on the nose.

Away from bowling, he golfs, is a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Braves and the Bronx Bombers, aka New York Yankees. And if you’ve seen the TV documentary series on the Weather Channel, Highway Thru Hell, he also developed a friendship with Jamie Davis, one of the stars of the show who also owns a heavy vehicle towing company.

Hendrickson has been married for 52 years to his high school sweetheart, Diane.

Next, Jedd Fisher returned to the lanes this season after not bowling for almost 20 years, he also blistered the lanes with a 600 series that turned into a nail-biter after an open in the 9th frame of his third game. But, with his still pretty darn powerful strike ball, he delivered two clutch strikes in the 10th and six pins on his fill ball giving him a 602 series on games of 231, 199 and 172 with 16 strikes and marks on an impressive 4-of-4 on his 10 pin spare shots.

His bowling resume includes a career-high 693 series and personal-best 268 game, and his favorite pro bowlers, Mark Roth, Don Carter and Johnny Petraglia are all legends in the sport.

Away from bowling, an interest in cars has always been a hobby, including working with, and on classic cars. He’s also a fan of the Utah Jazz, and an interesting side note on this is across the street from the Utah house where Fisher lived was the home where current PGA Tour golfer Tony Finau grew up.

Another interesting info nugget about Fisher is his daughter married the drummer in Wayne Newton’s band, at the top of his bucket list is to cruise Route 66 and the Pacific Coast Highway, and he’s been married for 35 years to his wife, Cheryl.

In other abbreviated league pin action, while we don’t know the reasons for it,  what we do know is in a repeat of the previous week, bowlers who’ve received little or no ink during the season, put up really good scores again and will be receiving the majority of the ink in this column again

For starters, Bill Funk tossed a season-high 661 series on games of 229, 226, 206, and in a Pro Am Tournament in Idaho years ago, he defeated PBA bowler Marshall Holman in a game.

And Mark Brackelsburg delivered a superb outing by putting together 20 strikes and marks on 10-of-11 non-split spare attempts for a 646 set on games of 248, 224 and 174.

And Mike Bock loves both golf and fishing, but also loved rolling his fist-ever scratch 600 series, a 617, on games of 247, 196 and 174, while Mitch Fletcher (612-221) also had a good week.

Randy Kezior’s 608 is his 4th straight 600, and over the last 21 games has averaged196, and Bob Ballard, a sprinter on his high school track team gets ink for a 603 series and 256 game raising his City High Rollers League average a pin to 180.

And believe it or not, but Mike Rossi actually ordered an adult beverage immediately after rolling his first-ever 600 series, a 601 on games of 220, 205 and 176, and Brian Collins (598-227) finished two pins shy of his first 600 of the season in a darn nice effort.

In single game action, catapulted by 10 strikes, Dylan Kesl tossed a season-high 279, and his dad, Britt Kesl (596) uncorked a 243, and Jon Fjeld is an Air Force veteran who posted a 226 and has a resume showing he’s bowled a pair of 800s and four 300 games.

Larry Willis booked a 224 and he’s one top-notch poker player, while southpaw Larry Moultrie worked the lanes for  a 223, and he can also work magic with wood when building things in his workshop, and Dale Davidson booked a 215.

And it was great seeing Paul LeVan who does an absolutely superb job as secretary of the Mesquite Merchants Men’s league toss a 213 game along with a season-high 549 series, Doug Heiden is a huge Golden State Warriors fan who tallied a 211, and Dell Cammack received an Association 200 Game Award for his first deuce of the season, a 208

Jake Noll saved his best for the end of the season with a 205 game and season-high 524 raising his average two pins to 153, while both Jim Rappe and Michael Donovan chucked 204 games.

Finally, Phil Goulding from the Country Club of the World team which won the league championship last season tossed a season-high 190 game, and along with a 486 raised his average to 130. He was born in England where he played soccer on Saturdays and rugby on Sunday’s and was in the real estate business. And in 1982 he moved to the United States, and while he doesn’t play golf, he can watch golfers from his deck located on one of the most popular golf courses in Mesquite.

In women’s bowling, Reiko Schultz set the scoring pace with a season-high 581 series and super 255 game, and Maria Tristan-Flynn’s legion of fans at the Eureka will be happy seeing she booked a season-high 564 series on clean games of 201 and 184, along with a 179.

Molly Gomes 518-199) is finishing the season with some good outings, while  LeeAnn Harmes 516-187) and Cindy Petersen (517) also put up solid scores.

In single game play, Ashlee Yokoyama-Kesl (513) had the week’s only deuce game, a 204.

Rob Sedgley delivered his best all around bowling with a season-high 569 series on really consistent games of 193, 190 and 186 with a total of 16 strikes … Kelly Arriaza had an impressive week of bowling with both a season high 424 series and 177 game … Cathy Hamilton received a 175 Game Award for a 179 … Nancy Kleinhans easily blew past her 133 average in a 181 game … Gail Heller’s180 game fell two pins shy of surpassing her season-high 181 and which actually bowled just the week before.

John Hollaway 681-257; Scott Mattingly 663-258; Mike Saldivar 661-246; Milan Carr 628-238; Dean Baum 623-235; Darren Simonds 621-231; Koa Pak Ned 615-219p; Bruce Hooley 612-225; Wayne Donnafield 605-212; Jim Lytle 604-240; Dean Sheppard 254; Orlyn Meyer 222; Bob Robbins 222; Ed Hoepfner 221; Angel Hernandez 219; Logan Hendrick 214; Mike Gentry 212; Dan Aslin 208; Robert Melendez 208; James Hartley 207; Dave Harris 205; Shaun Edwards 204; Dick Lonick 203; Frank Addamo 203; Ken Meacham 202; Michael “Smurffzzz” Ramirez 201; Carlos Baeza 200; Bev Cormani 533-192; Debbie Hansen 523.