BOWLING: Jared Bundy throws 25 strikes in a hard-hitting 736 series and 300 game in Mesquite bowling

Jared Bundy is a great illustration of how the league bowling landscape in both Mesquite and St. George is still being impacted from the closure of Sunset Lanes two years ago.

Most St. George bowlers already know the impact, and need no further explanation here. Fortunately, Dixie Bowl has done a great job trying to accommodate as many bowlers as possible including going to five people on a team in one league.

However, now let’s turn to Mesquite where the biggest impact has been the influx of approximately 80 St. George bowlers traveling to Nevada’s fastest growing city in order to continue bowling. So, with that said, Bundy, who still bowls in the Dixie Ten Pins League has always bowled in two leagues, but with Sunset gone and with no openings in another league, he was also able to join the Monday Scratch League in Mesquite which led to him being the featured bowler this week, which in turn also led to him joining an exclusive club of just three bowlers, again, as a result of Sunset closing.

But first, and yes, finally, we now turn to his actual bowling in which he tossed a strike in his first frame of the night, and as the game unfolded, he continued mowing down 10 pins in each frame for a nine-bagger before stepping on the approach for a pulse-pounding 10th frame with a legit shot at reaching the pinnacle of bowling success.

Next, needing three more strikes, he knew what was a stake and the pressure involved, but thanks to having been in that situation multiple times before, and radiating confidence on each delivery, he hammered the 1-2 pocket with three strikes en route to his first 300 game in Mesquite.

And he followed up his perfecto with games of 245 and 191 for a standout 736 series with 25 total strikes, only two open frames, and also raised his MS League average two pins to an eye-popping 214.

And with his perfecto, he now joins Jeremy Telford and Dalton Smith as the only bowlers in St. George and Mesquite who’ve now tossed a 300 in both places and that’s impressive.

Bundy’s resume now sports a career-high 768 series, a pair of 300s games, a 296, a 290, four games with 11 strikes in a row, and a career-best 215 average.

Away from bowling Bundy said, “it’s all about my kids now, not me.” So, being as passionate as he is about bowling he has his youngest daughter, Bella Bundy in Sharon Reading’s standout youth bowling program where she’s bowled a season-high scratch 490 series.

Bundy is a huge fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and as a pitcher on his high school’s baseball team his best pitch was a nasty curve, and he excelled at working the corners and keeping his pitches low resulting in lotsa ground balls leading to a pitcher’s best friend, a 6-4-3 double play.

In other pin action, Austin Finster’s set the week’s scoring pace with a 737 set on games of 267, 245, 225, and Milan Carr ended a short scoring funk in convincing fashion with a 733 series on games of 266, 238 and 229, and a recalcitrant 10 pin in the first game derailed Scott Mattingly’s clean series bid, but fueled by 23 strikes including a 10 bagger in a 278 he still finished with a standout 728 set.

Meanwhile, Michael “Smurffzzz” Ramirez served up his umpteenth 700 this season, a 724 with 25 total strikes including an eight-bagger in a clean 276, and in Mike Saldivar’s highly anticipated return to the lanes he didn’t disappoint as he bookended a seven-bagger in a 267 with games of 214 and 209 along with a total of 21 strikes to finish with a gratifying 690 series. Amazingly, after almost three months away from the lanes, his strike ball was hitting with as much pop as ever.

And without much fanfare, Bob Wells (686-257) continues cranking out top-notch scores, while Mike Yoder’s 680 included 19 strikes and clean games of 256 and 233, and Mike Foote’s standout 671 outing included 18 strikes, only two open frames and a clean 255.

In other action, Jacoby Ford continued his journey on the way to becoming a legit scoring juggernaut with 20 strikes in a 661 effort, and Frank Addamo hit the rewind button to his top-notch game of roughly five years ago with a fist-rate 654 series on games of 228, 226, 200.

And Harold Hendrick, a perennial deuce average bowler in the Gamblers 4 Aces League fired a 652 with a seven-bagger in a 254 game, and Ernie Kala keeps piling up the 600s with his latest two days ago, a 651 in the MS League.

And Mike Gentry’s 650 raised his King & Queens League average two sticks to 201, and Tim Brandt who makes the weekly trek from Cedar City, Utah to bowl on Monday nights put together his best scoring production since knee replacement surgery this past summer with 19 strikes in a 647 effort on games of 223, 213 and 211.

Southpaw Steve Uhrig’s 640 included 20 strikes and a clean 248, Dale Knight fired 18 strikes in a 639 outing with consistent games of 214, 214, 211, and Bob Marget (636-233) is a heckuva good bowler and look for his scores to rocket higher in the coming weeks.

Dean Sheppard did terrfic work in getting marks on 10-of 10 spare attempts in a 629 outing that also included a clean 238, Jim Lytle’s 621 and games like his 235 are further validation of the fact he’s still a heckuva good bowler, and Mark Brackelsberg merits ink for a 616 outing which featured seven strikes in a clean 235, and Dan Aslin’s 612 came out from games of 204, 204 and 204.

And Stan Benally may not have topped his season-high 646 from just before Christmas, but he still delivered his umpteenth 600 of the season, a 609 with 19 strikes including a six-bagger in a season-high 258 game. And he also has two sons who bowl on his team. One of them, Myles, tossed a 279 game with 11 strikes earlier this season, and the other, Terrull, has a season-high 199 game. Benally’s team is in it’s second season, and has been a great addition to the Mesquite Merchants Men’s League.

In single game play, John Martin (684) fired a eight-bagger in a clean 267 and finished the night with a seven-bagger in a 247, Dave Harris (640) popped an eight-bagger in a 266, and Jim Bice (628) punched out eight strikes in a clean 257.

And for the second straight week, Duane Sullivan’s (610) fired a big game, and last week it was a 254 with eight strikes, and Alan Jacobson (604) rolled seven strikes in a clean 247.

Meanwhile, former marathon and Iron Man competitor Dale Davidson (616) tossed seven strikes in a clean 246, Jimmy Webb’s (606) clean 239 included eight strikes from his killer strike ball,  while Gil Niimi uncorked six strikes in a 237, and Robin Drury connected with the 1-3 pocket for eight strikes in a 225.

Jack Northover wasn’t taking any chances on his wife throwing a higher game and so he smacked a 222, Nick Paul’s 219 included a five-bagger and only one open frame, Max Snyder hails from St. George and he punched out seven strikes in a 216, and Bob Ballard a former sprinter on his high school track team tossed a 213.

Dick Lonick had six strikes including a four-bagger in a 203 and here’s an example of just how much of a nice guy he is. Get this, after rolling his 203 he felt bad about it because he beat his favorite bowler in the league and even offered to buy him an adult beverage for beating him. Humor aside, Lonick was born in Michigan but his favorite pro football and hockey teams are in Colorado.

Finally, Brian Collins chucked a 202, Ken Meacham tossed a clean 201 with seven strikes and three spares, and Jim Rappe picked up the 6-7-10 split in a 191 game.

On the women’s side of the ledger, Ashley Yokoyama finished atop the scoring food chain with another 600, a 605 on games of 221, 204, 180 and while her 16 strikes were impressive, getting marks on 10-of-11 spare attempts is also mighty impressive. She’s a two-handed bowler with lotsa potential to continue hanging up 600s.

Meanwhile, Sandy Sheppard who’s throw a zillion 600s over over her long bowling career fell a mark short of another one with a 590 score including a pair of 212 games, and Lee Ann Harmes continued her heckuva good season with a clean 215 in a 581 set.

Diane Marget ‘s consistent games of 192, 190 and 188 led to a 570, but here’s betting she’d throw that consistency for her 11th career-high 300 this season, and Bev Cormani put together another solid effort in a 568 outing with a 202 game.

And Overton’s Vickie Martinsen’s rolled a 211 in a competitive 568, and Jane Burgoyne merits congrats on a career-high 554 coming on 10 strikes including a four-bagger in a clean 225 along with games of 166 and 163. Away from bowling she’s a humongous fan of the Vegas Golden Knights, and Minnesota Vikings. Oh, and get this, in earlier years an interesting hobby of hers was training Afghan Hound dogs for competition in dog shows.

Debbie Hansen booked a 521, Maureen McNulty gets ink for a 518, and it’s great seeing Gayle Parson continue her unprecedented weekly run of 500-plus scores, and Mary Posey mowed down 503 pins.

In single game action, the week’s big story is Renee Swall blistering the lanes with eight strikes including a five-bagger in a season-high 255 gem. But Swall wasn’t done throwing strikes as she fired seven more in games of 159 and 158 paving the way for a season-high 572 series.

Reiko Schultz (536) chalked up a 226, Cherly Rogers ( 568) continued a good recent scoring run with a 214, and Marge Mongolo’s 519 in Ladies Trio League action included five strikes with only one open in a 201.

And in case you haven’t heard, Karen Young threw a heckuva party after her Kings & Queens League was finished as she celebrated throwing a season-high 200 game with six strikes and only one open frame which was also her first deuce game in three years. And her second round of beverages was to celebrate the fact her 506 series blew away her previous season-high 463.

Alfred Oliveira V 603-221; Al Oliveira IV 218; Kelly Williams 209; Jacoby Ford 203.

Jered Bundy 681-279; Doug Love 677-243; Kelly Williamson 645-234; Darren Simonds 642-226; Bob Marget 638-233; Al Gans 633-234; Logan Hedrick 625-245; Dean Baum 624-227; John Hollaway 618-222; Jeremy “JT” Turlington 609-206, 204, 200; Bob Robbins 606-221; Josue Mendoza 606-221; Orlyn Meyer    605-247; Sal Diaz 605-225; Angel Hernandez 605-220; Steve Serrano 601-239; Octavia Botello 594-246; Ed Hoepfner 236; Rob Cormani 234; Javier Delgadillo 220; Jesse Dixon 217; Mardon Connelly 216; Tyler Martin 216; Mike Rosenlof 215; Bill Rife 212; Dave Cirbo 212; Robert Melendez 212; David Walker 211; Jan “Kooz” Kusy 211; Dylan Kesl 209; Doug Heiden 208; Chris Westwood 206; Bill Finnegan 205; Jeff Branche 205; Felix Cruz 202; Steve Roberts 201; Tim McNees 201.

Krista Kilpatrick 534-192; Autumn Telford 532-201; Cathy Gardner 500; Sandi Scheiderer 190.