BOWLING: Dylan Kesl wows bowlers with first 300 game and 700 series

Dylan Kesl is having an October to remember. And the first of two memorable feats happened during City High Rollers League action when he discovered beginning a game with 9 straight strikes results in an uplifting adrenaline rush, but it also quickly becomes a pressure-packed affair in the 10th.

Well, I’m betting you already guessed it. So yes, just like the great New York Yankee Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera who was so great at closing out games, Kesl, in similar fashion, closed out the 10th frame by tattooing the pocket with three more strikes paving the way for his first 300 game.

And with his perfecto, he became only the 15th bowler to roll a 300 at the Virgin River Bowling Center. Additionally, after tacking on games of 233 and 179, he finished with his first-ever 700 series, a 712 with 24 total strikes.

Amazingly, he only took up bowling in the 2019-20 season and finished with a 147 average. However, with all the practice time he put in, combined with his focus and determination to improve both the physical and cerebral parts of his game, his scores since have improved tenfold to where he’s now averaged 190-plus in each of the last two seasons.

Meanwhile, he has a real passion for bowling, and after seeing the pro shop closed for well over a year, he quit his job with the U.S. Postal Service in Mesquite in order to attend two weeks worth of instruction in ball drilling at the USBC certified International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association training center located in Arlington, Texas.

And ever since the pro shop opened again in March he’s been doing an outstanding job drilling bowling balls and all matters related to it. And I’ve never seen the pro shop better stocked with bowling balls and related items, and he also deserves a ton of credit for that.

Kesl’s favorite pro bowler is Kris Prather, is an avid fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, and a hobby away from bowling is taking care of the fish and shrimp he has in multiple aquariums.

In other pin action, the VRBC is still reeling from a shellacking delivered by Milan Carr’s 26 strikes and going 8-for-8 on spare shots during games of 267, 256 and 234 in a “Clean 30” 757 series.

And the two leaders of the big-hit brigade, Scott Mattingly (727-247) and Mike Saldivar (721 (258) thumped the lanes with the next best scores and you can pencil in at least one 700 from each next week.

Meanwhile, Todd Mulholland was both happy and pleasantly surprised with his first night of T.G.I.F. League play last week when his impressive 676 series blew away his previous 582 high series from last season, and it’s never a surprise when a really good bowler like Mike Rogers (675-243) delivers a top-notch effort. After all, he averaged 223 over 98 games in his last season in Oregon, and has averaged over a deuce in all his Mesquite leagues

And it looks like Bryan Pierce (663-226,221,216) could be on the path to a banner season when considering the fact he only had three 600s all of last season, and his 663 is already his third this season, and look for John Hollaway (654-236) to pop a 700 before Veterans Day.

And Dan Aslin (652-221) is a bowler who loves both hiking and putting up good scores, and sparked a clean 243 with eight strikes, Jeff Branche added a 203 and 201 for a 647 set, and he’s looking to eclipse his career-high 697 before bidding adieu to the 2023-24 season.

And Ricky Trujillo’s 627 on really consistent games of 214, 213 and 210 raised his average to 193, while Dennis Craft is a St. George bowler who’s 635 and 631 were the best of his impressive four 600s for the week, and Bob Marget (618-235) continues throwing 600s every single week.

In single game play, Scenic resident Tim McNees (628) put together a 6-bagger in a season-high 256, Wally Posey chalked up a clean 235, Angel Hernandez chucked a 229, and Johnny Harper rolled a clean 228.

Ken Riswick is a first-rate tennis player and world traveler who booked a 225 in T.G.I.F League play, Dave Johnson who hails from Beave Dam also tossed a 225, Jamie “Jimmy” Ruvalcaba threw an impressive  224, while Shaun Edwards booked a career-high 223, southpaw Jerry Bundy dialed up 8 strikes in a 223, and Chris Eyre also joined the 223 game action.

Chris Eyre also reeled in a 223, and 90-year-old Bob Morgan (589) pocketed a 212, and Ken Schloman fired 7 strikes in a 210.

Finally, Dave Cirbo punched out  a season-high 220 with 7 strikes, Humberto Urias gets his first ink for a 208, and Richard Long, a historian on the amazing Alaska Railroad put together a 5-bagger in a 200.

On the women’s side of the ledger, one of the biggest bits of good news is seeing the best scoring this season in the Ladies Trio League which has seen a renaissance in terms of interest and membership led by the efforts of league secretary, Suzie Fehseke.

But first, let’s pivot to Sandy Sheppard who set the scoring pace after throwing 18 strikes during games of 223, 210 and 186 in a hard-hitting 619 effort two days ago in the Monday Scratch League, and combined with a 595 in Kings & Queens League play averaged 202 in her two best outings for the week. There’s no doubt given Sheppard’s proven history of shooting some big scores in the past, coupled with her still top-notch her top-notch bowling mechanics, she still has a legit shot at taking out her highest series score in Mesquite, a 691.

Meanwhile, Diane Marget tossed a total of 15 strikes along with a clean 235 in a 608 set in Monday’s Scratch League, and it was great seeing Bev Cormani snap a scoring funk and punch out a 592 series and her explosive strike ball drilling 7 strikes in a clean 236 game, while LeeAnn Harms was a pillar of consistency with games of 200, 192 and 189 in a competitive 581 outing.

And no bowler was more stoked on the first night of T.G.I.F League play than Darlene Carpenter who tossed her best series in years, a 542 on games of 202, 181 and 159. In fact, she was so fired up about her series and deuce game, she tossed aside her one adult beverage per league outing practice, and ordered a second before bowling was finished. And then, lo and behold, she ordered a third just before exiting the building.

And Kim Marshall (575-204) is a new name that’s surfaced and merits ink for a good outing, Judy Heileson garnered some ink for a season-high 541 set and 206 game, while Debbie Hansen KO’d 538 pins, and Charlene Heiden peppered the lanes with a 521 in Ladies Trio League action.

In single game play, Linda Holloway’s season-high 225 included a 5-bagger and also led all LTL action on Friday morning, Lynae Page (530) uncorked 7 strikes in a 224, while Linda Bonino (511) booked her first deuce of the season with a 206, and Nancy Kleinhans (518) captured ink for a 201.

HIGH SCORES

Darren Simonds 670-238; Mike Gentry 669-245; John Martin 627-231; Austin Finster 619-223; Jeremy Telford 618-226; Jim Lytle 617-246; Larry Moultrie 616-207; Orlyn Meyer 615-222; Bruce Hooley 609-227; David Newman 609-219; Harold Hendrick 608-213; Todd Kohler 604-217; Dean Sheppard 601-225; Rob Cormani 242; Mike Yoder 231; Angel Hernandez 229; Ernie Kala 228; Robin Drury 226; Bill Rife 224; Bob Robbins 222; Frank Addamo 222; Sal Diaz 215; Randy Brown 215; Steve Serrano 214; Bill Paine 214; Dale Davidson 214; Ed Hoepfner 214; Brian Collins 213; Russell Love 213; Red Powell 212; Bill Funk 211; Bob Monson 211; Fred Emmons 211; Mark Maguire 210; Gil Niimi 210; Darrell Moffett Sr. 206; Tim Usher 206; Ken Meacham 204; Mike Bock 204; Myles Benally 204; Josue Mendoza 204; Bobby Dixon 203; Martin Carrillo 203; Brandon Ayon 202; Juan Morgana 202; Mike Dunlop 202; James Hendrick 202; Joe Gillis 201; Jon Fjeld 201; Miguel Soto 200. Autumn Telford 549-188; Cheryl Rogers 513; Reiko Schultz 513; Evelyn Hooley 501; Georgia Godfrey 500-206; Cindy Petersen 500-194.