BOWLING: Sandy Sheppard throws 24 strikes in an eye-popping 693 series in Mesquite bowling

And the way she smoked the lanes in her last City High Rollers League outing it may not even happen this season.

So, having said that, it’s not surprising the reigning high-average champ began league play with a double before finishing with a four-bagger and a total of eight strikes in a 234.

Next, she tattooed the 1-3 pocket for eight more strikes in a 216, and followed with a five-bagger to begin her third game before finishing with eight strikes en route to a 243 game which paved the way for the highest series rolled this season by a woman in Mesquite bowling, an electrifying 693 series.

And her 693 also eclipsed the previous women’s season high, Autumn Telford’s 682. Sheppard’s personal-best series in Mesquite bowling is a 706 series rolled on October 24, 2023.

And there’s no question that even after lotsa years of hurling a bowling ball down the lanes her polished delivery and top-notch scoring production show little if any signs of slowing down. And that belief is supported by the fact she’s having one of her best seasons in Nevada’s fastest growing city when looking at her averages and outstanding scores.

You want specifics? How’s this? Here current 197 average in her CHR league is her highest ever in Mesquite this deep into the season. And she’s also sitting on a 191 average in her Kings & Queens League. And in her 693 series, two missed 10 pins and a 7 pin likely derailed a determined bid to roll the highest series ever by a woman in Mesquite.

And that’s the perfect segue to mention that Bev Cormani has already cemented her legacy in Mesquite bowling lore by being the first woman to ever roll a 700 series in Mesquite bowling with a 716 series in November, 2021 and she still throws the most explosive strike ball in local women’s bowling.

And going forward, while Sheppard’s game will see an inevitable handful of hiccups all good bowlers will have, but overall, look for her to continue heating up the scoring monitors with more mouthwatering scores before bidding adieu to the 2024-25 season.

In other abbreviated league action due to no bowling on Presidents Day, Lee Ann Harmes peppered the lanes with 11 strikes in the next best series, a 575 which included a clean 212, and Sheila Green put together her best outing this season with a first-rate 579 set including a season-high 237 in Ladies Trio League action.

Meanwhile, Diane Marget chalked up a 568 and after throwing a jaw-dropping ten 300 games in her years bowling in Minnesota she’s still optimistic of rolling a perfecto in Mesquite and certainly has the game for it, and Frances Harper, the outstanding league secretary of the Early Risers League who lives in Apple Valley, Utah was stoked after blowing away her previous 531 high series with a season-high 563 set which included 15 total strikes and her second best game of the season, a 193.

And Gayle Parison, a former accountant and poker player extraordinaire may soon need a calculator to count all the 500 series scores she’s been racking up since she began throwing a hook ball which includes her latest, a heckuva nice 559 with a 216 game.

Ashley Yokoyama’s 539 included a 194 with one open, Georgia Godfrey’s 536 came with consistent games of 184, 182, 170, and Molly Gomes delivered a solid 512 with a pair of solid 179 and 178 games.

In single game action, Mary Posey (548) smacked a 212, Lynae Page ended a 200 game drought with a four-bagger in a 203, and Kathy Baylor’s season-high 165 game eclipsed a previous high 156 and before changing her zip code to Mesquite she lived in Illinois, and these days is a valued employee at the Eureka.

Finally, Ronnie Tsuhako’s season-high 193 game also led to a season-high 482 series, Tiffany Monfore booked a season-high 183, and Sandi Scheiderer’s 182 is her best game since a 199 in October.

On the men’s side of the ledger, John Hollaway is a terrific bowling talent out of The Evergreen State and he swept high-scoring honors with a 727 series and monster 297 game.

Milan Carr delivered a rare Clean 30 Series in a 724 outing which included running the front eight in a 262 game, and Dean Baum just missed a clean series with a single open coming on a split as he finished with 23 strikes in a 704 set.

Amazingly, Al Gans also missed a clean series with his only open by missing a 10 pin leave in the 2nd frame of a 268 game with, get this, 11 strikes as he finished with a 700 on the nose.

And after Duane Sullivan opened his Mesquite Merchants Men’s League play with a so-so 160 he engineered a tremendous turnaround in his game by throwing a 256, and followed with a nine-bagger in a 278 gem to finish with a 694 set with 22 strikes and just missing back-to-back 700 series scores.

Michael “Smurffzzz” Ramirez raised his MMM League leading average a pin to 221 after throwing a 682 series with 24 strikes, and Alfred Oliveira V fueled by 21 strikes and only two opens delivered a top-notch  671.

In other pin action, Fred Emmons continued an impressive scoring run when he bookended a season-high 267 with games of 209 and 194 for a standout 670 series which included 22 total strikes and a six-bagger in his 267, and Ernie Kala racked up 24 strikes in a heckuva nice 665 effort.

Scott Mattingly punched out 19 strikes and one open frame torpedoed what would have been a clean 663 set, and Mike Dunlop of the G3 Golf team bumped his MMM League two pins higher to 191 as his 23 strikes paved the way for a terrific 662 series.

Max Snyder’s 20 strikes helped propel him to a season-high 651, Dylan Kesl fired 19 strikes in a 644, and Bob Ballard garners ink after thumping the lanes with a 628 including six strikes in a clean 235.

Tim McNees merits ink for throwing a 627 with 18 total strikes, Bobby Dixon’s 626 raised his Kings & Queens League average two pins to 182, and without much fanfare Gary Smith tossed another 600, a 618 which raised his MMM League average to 191 from 189.

And it’s a guarantee that Jacoby Ford will blow away his 613 in one of his next outings, Brian Collins punched out 17 strikes in a 611, while avid NASCAR fan Robert Melendez tossed a 603 with games of 223, 203 and 177, and Dennis Woolsey rolled 16 strikes in a 592 outing with games of 213, 199 and 180.

In the single game arena, Mike Saldivar’s (687) 267 is no doubt a preview of a bigger game on the way, Dave Johnson )610) popped a 257, and Darren Simonds (607) tossed a clean 248 with a six-bagger.

Jeff Harmes (636) tallied a 242, Harry Uncles (601) booked a 236 with a six-bagger and he’s also a heckuva good golfer, and Ken Schloman cranked out eight strikes in a 235.

Robin Drury who hails from The Evergreen State smacked a 226, Steve Kenyon had a four-bagger in a 219 and he’s a retired air traffic controller from Utah, and Steve Roberts chucked a 216 with six trikes and one open frame and early in his professional business career he worked for the Shopko chain of stores.

And Paul Buntin’s (579) two-handed delivery led to a 211 game with seven strikes, two spares and two open frames, and Tony Urias (587) a really good three-sport athlete at Virgin Valley High School put together a four-bagger in a 210.

And rapidly improving Raul Macias uncorked a six-bagger in a 209, Jose Martinez logged a 205 which included a four-bagger and its his 2nd straight week with a deuce game, and it’s great seeing Chuck Youngdale back in Mesquite again and he snared some ink for his 204.

Finally, Mark Maguire had a four-bagger in a 203, Bob Davis captured his first ink this season for a 201 in Early Risers League action, and Eddy Elsner came oh-so-close to a 200 before finishing with a still nice 197.

Dylan Kesl 573-211; Sal Diaz 566-201; Alfred Oliveira V 556-202; Josue Mendoza 192; Dale Knight 198; Riley Clayton 192.

Cathy Gardner 561-200; Bev Cormani 513-194; Debbie Hansen 507-192; Cheryl Rogers 500-191.

Mike Yoder 662-246; Austin Finster 662-225; Orlyn Meyer 650-235; Dan Aslin 644-246; Sal Diaz 630-256; Bob Robbins 630-224;Bruce Hooley 629-235; Gil Niimi 623-238; John Martin 622-216; Frank Addamo 613-244; Doug Love 601-232; Dave Houghton 244; Steve Uhrig 244; Dennis Craft 232; Mike Rosenlof 226; Steve Serrano 225; Alfred Oliveira IV 224; Mitch Fletcher 222; Butch Loger 221; Dave Cirbo 216; Logan Hendrick 216; Jesse Dixon 216; Dale Davidson 214; Doug Schaan 214; Jim Lytle 214; Ed Hoepfner 213; Mark Brackelsberg 213; Rob Cormani 213; Shaun Edwards 213; Dave Castro 212; Ken Meacham 212; Jim Rappe 211; Max Burgess 211; Wade Heileson 211; Warren Ferber 204; Bob Marget 203; Mike Gentry 203; Dan Johnson 202; Jim Bice 201; Dean Sheppard 200; Ricky Trujillo 200.