Bowling: Ashlee Yokoyama breaks ground with a two-handed delivery in Mesquite bowling

Ashlee Yokoyama made history at the Virgin River Bowling Center by becoming the first woman bowler using a two-handed delivery to roll a 600 series in Mesquite league play. She’s been on the cusp of a 600 before with some 590-plus series scores, but broke new ground with a 608 series.

And after beginning Kings & Queens league action with games of 237 and 182, followed by a hard-hitting four-bagger in the third game, it looked like she had a 600 in the bag, until an open in the 9th frame made it a nail-biter. However, a clutch strike in the 10th and eight pins on her fill ball led to a 189 and paved the way for a 608 series which included 18 strikes and marks on 8-of-12 non-split spare shots.

When she first began bowling toward the end of 2021 she used a traditional delivery. But after realizing the benefits of a two-handed style, she made the switch in late 2023 and has become passionate about it to the point where she is coaching that style when working with the Virgin Valley High School bowling group who practice twice a week. In fact, another illustration of her conviction of two-handed bowling is she’s now a USBC bronze level coach and going for her silver coaching certificate in April, 2024. Her favorite pro bowlers are Nora Johansson, a Swedish two-handed bowler and Packy Hanrahan who uses a unique two-handed delivery shovel-style with a dominant left hand and has already won two PBA events.

In high school she was active in volleyball, soccer, tennis and student government, and away from bowling she’s a fan of the North Carolina Tar Heels, San Francisco Giants and Dylan’s favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles.

On her bucket list is to shoot a 300 game, an 800 series, and become a gold level coach.

In other women’s pin action, Krista Kilpatrick continued building on the momentum of a 610 series in her last outing of 2023, by beginning 2024 with a first-rate 585 effort which included showcasing her ability to throw strikes with a 6-bagger in a season-high 258 gem. And one day later in the Friday morning Ladies Trio League, she continued giving the scoring monitors a workout with a 583 set on games of 199, 196 and 188.

And Gayla Ruesch continued her robust scoring of late with with a competitive 571 effort and 211 game, and during her years bowling in St. George she compiled ten 700 series scores including a career-high 760.

Meanwhile, the hallmark of Kim Marshall’s game this season has been consistency, and it continued last week as she maintained her City High Rollers League 186 average with a 562 series and 202 game. And with her skill set, she has the game to orchestrate a monster 600 series before the clock runs out on the 2023-24 season.

And Reiko Schultz delivered another solid outing with a 528 score and 202 game, Lynae Page ended a minor scoring funk as she KO’d 522 pins, and bolstered by a 203, Georgia “GG” Godfrey tallied a 522 in the Monday Scratch League.

And Sandy Sheppard’s game didn’t lose a beat while away from bowling over the holidays as she put an exclamation mark on an already strong effort with a 243 game in a 622 and raised her CHR League average a pin to 191.

And amazingly, for the third straight week, Bev Cormani fired identical 540 scores keeping her CHR League average at 180, and two days ago in the Monday Scratch League she rolled a 556 with a 200 game and currently averages 182. She throws the most explosive strike ball in women’s bowling and here’s betting another monster scoring outburst is on the horizon.

In single game action, Cindy Petersen delivered a 204 in the Friday morning Ladies Trio League, Chrissy Davis gets her first ink this season for a 202 in the TGIF League, and in the same league as Davis, Evelyn Hooley tossed a 202.

On the men’s front, fueled by 24 strikes and marks on nine of his 10 spare shots, Darren Simonds raised his Mesquite Merchants Men’s League average to 205 with a 729 series on games of 256, 248 and 225, while Mike Saldivar returned from the holiday break with a stellar 729 and 279 game on Monday, and in the MMM League popped another 700, with a 718 and monster 278 game, and the other half of the big hit brigade, Scott Mattingly chucked a 275 en route to his gazillionth 700, a 714.

Larry Willis also joined the 700 scoring feast with a standout effort in a 705 set. For starters, in his clean 248 and 226, he had either a strike or a spare the seven times when he left a 10 pin, and along with 23 strikes on the night, his sole open came in a 233 game.

Meanwhile, Doug Love (697-268) just missed the 700 mark, no surprise here, but Mike Rogers (683-245) had another good week, Mike Gentry (674) bookended a clean 238 with games of 233 and 203, and Jim Lytle raised his MMM League average to an eye-popping 216 with another hefty 600, a 668 with a 244 game.

Dean Sheppard lit up the scoring monitors in Monday’s Scratch League play with a 652 and 259 game, Jerry Holloway’s (646-245) first outing in 2024 was a darn good one, and Todd Koller is a heckuva good bowler who also ushered in 2024 with a 646 set and 235 game.

John Gerger’s 625 included 18 strikes and he has a career-high 739 series, Frank Addamo (620-222, 206, 192) added to his collection of 600s in the last month, and Al Legan’s bowling game on Friday night displayed more pop than his Chicago Bears did in a loss on Sunday as he spanked the lanes with a 6-bagger in a 233, and along with games of 188 and 187 finished with a 608 series.

In single game action, Milan Carr (663) racked up a 279, John Holloway (668) smacked a 267, Sal Diaz (629) always has at least one big game a week and this time it was a 266, while Mike Yoder (674) had nine strikes in a 255, and Bruce Hooley (634) logged a 248.

Jeff Branche (604) rolled a 245, and like all Ohio State fans, he can’t wait until his Buckeyes play Michigan next season, Chance Evans fired nine strikes in a 245, Bob Morgan (546) who just turned all of, 91, chucked a 232 and raised his MMM League average to 170.22, while Dennis Craft (588) tallied a 223, and Norm Ritchie (599) bagged a 222.

Mark Brackelsberg threw seven strikes in a 219, Dick Lonick is an avid fan of the Denver Broncos and Colorado Avalance he put up another deuce with a 219, Harry Uncles came right from the golf course to bowling where he uncorked a 212, and  Monte Dibble logged a 210 and is happy his Buffalo Bills beat the Miama Dolphins on Sunday.

Michael “Smurrffzzz” Ramirez fired a 207 in his first league outing this season, Tony Arias had six strikes and only one open in a 206, and Steve Roberts put together seven strikes with the rest all spares on single pin shots in a 204 effort.

Finally, Stan Benally’s 203 included six strikes and only one open frame, Josue Mendoza and his big hook ball uncorked a 202, and Bob Monson Sr. finished with a 200 on the nose.

Autumn Telford 510-189; Jeremy Telford 654-259; Austin Finster 646-258; Orlyn Meyer 637-236; Bob Ballard 635-225; Jeremy Turlington 632-224; Dan Aslin 623-223; Mike Dunlop 606-235; Al Gans 600-215; James Hartley 255; Ernie Kala 233; Angel Hernandez 231; Ricky Trujillo 228; Dave Johnson 226; John Martin 226; Chase Evans 225; Darrell Moffett Sr. 224; Tim McNees 224; Russ Marshall 222; Harold Hendrick 218; Dave Pershing 213; Miguel Soto 213; Dylan Kesl 211; Brent Schlesinger 210; Jeff Harmes 209; Ted Mickelson 208; Gary Smith 206; Gil Niimi 205; Larry Moultrie 205; Dave Castro 204; Louis Dilisio 204; Bill Funk 202.