BOWLING: Pam Jacobson’s clutch 10th frame strikes clinched her first 600 series

Pam Jacobson is the only bowler I’ve met in either Mesquite or St. George who’s pen pal initiative as a young girl set in motion a relationship which eventually led to her taking multiple trips to Europe.

But before we shed more light on her pen pal experience let’s break down her latest awesome bowling venture in the Monday Gamblers 4 Aces League. It all began with a four-bagger to open her first game and she finished it with a strike and spare in the 10th for a 210.

Next, she tossed a 199, and followed by throwing a strike to start her third game after which her game experienced some turbulence leaving her shot at her first 600 in doubt. However, she picked up a key spare in the 8th, followed by a strike in the 9th, and put an exclamation point on a great effort with three more strikes in the 10th for a 193 paving the way for her career-first 600 series, a 602 with 18 total strikes.

Her resume now sports a career-high 602 series, a personal-best 237 game and she’s won three gold medals bowling in the Mesquite Senior Games along with multiple silver and bronze medals

In high school she bowled in her school-sponsored bowling league and was also active with the ski and art clubs, and after high school she continued to ski for many years.

And after marrying her husband, Alan, she was busy raising their four sons, they would camp frequently in Colorado, would also try catching as many Colorado Rockies baseball games as possible, and also try to squeeze in as much time as possible for her art hobby.

On her bucket list is to eventually travel more, and to New Zealand in particular.

She loves art, is especially passionate about glass, particularly fused glass. She has many tutorials on YouTube,  and is now teaching at the new glass studio at the Mesquite Fine Arts Center where she works and also sells items online, (PJ’s Glass creations).

And now a little more info on the aforementioned pen pal experience.

When Jacobson was in the 5th grade, on her own initiative, she sent a letter addressed to a post office in Stockholm, Sweden seeking a girl pen pal in the 5th grade.

Well, as time went on, she heard from a young girl in Sweden and they frequently exchanged letters, became good friends, and all these years later Pam has taken multiple trips to see her friend in Sweden, and in turn, he Swedish friend has made multiple trips to the U.S. visiting her.

In other women’s action, we’re gonna give practically all of the coverage here to other’s, who, like Jacobson had previously received little if any ink this season, but will this week because they delivered their best scoring production of the season.

And it begins with Karyl Moeller who’s bowled very little this season, but in Gamblers 4 Aces League two days ago on Monday she bookended a 169 with games of 225 and 212 for a 605 series while throwing a total of 16 strikes and converted 13-of-16 non-split spare attempts.

And Tiffany Monfore merits major kudo’s for her terrific effort in a season-high 539 series with 12 total strikes during games of 187, 179 and 173 which raised her Kings & Queens League average to 144 from 141. Also, impressively, she and her doubles partner are in 3rd place (hdcp) in her division in the Southern Nevada USBC Doubles Tournament in Las Vegas.

Monfore played softball in high school and away from bowling loves fishing and off roading.

Meanwhile, Laurie Dillree averaged 175 in her 525 series in the Ladies Trio League, and MaryAnn Davis popped a 207 game in a 520 series, and in her prime bowling years in the Beehive State she once threw a 300 game and after leaving the bowling center on her way home her car hit a moose which paid the ultimate price for darting in front of her vehicle, and while she sustained no injuries, her vehicle ended up in a body shop,

And Ann Weast was understandably stoked after a terrific effort led to her best scoring output of the year in the LT League with a season-high 516 and also her highest game of the year, a 190 which helped raised her average to 137 from 135, and her 516 also blew away her previous high series, a 473.

Sheila Green booked a 517 in her Early Risers League, while Judy Heileson’s fifth 500 of the season, a 510 with a season-high 199 game elevated her ER League average to 154 from 153, and Gayle Parison continued a blistering run of 500-plus series scores with a 510.

And Barb Field enjoyed a heckuva good week as she pushed her City High Rollers League average to 147 from 145 with a season-high  505 series on games of 183, 167, 155. And no bowler in Mesquite of either gender did a better job of picking up spares as she did in a clean 183 game with her sole strike coming in the 6th frame, and spares in the other nine, with one even picking up the challenging 3-5-6-9 leave. Her previous high game was a 203 in January and her previous high series was a 502 in week six.

Finally, Sherry Williamson who served in the U.S. Air Force booked a 502, and Kerri Roberts also mowed down 502 pins with 201 sent flying in a game which included five total strikes, and in her prime softball playing years as a shortstop in The Badger State she was often referred to as a ‘human vacuum cleaner’ on any softball hit her way.

In single game play, Cheryl Carr tossed a 221 that featured six strikes, including a four-bagger in a season-high 221, and she religiously rides a bike at least five miles day, and Maria Tristan-Flynn delivered a clutch strikes in the 9th followed by two more in the 10th along with nine pins on her fill ball for a 199 game.

And Tillie Armijo captured her first ink this season for a darn nice 179 game in which she peppered the lanes with a four-bagger with strikes in the 8th and 9th frames followed by two more in the 10th, and Patsy Burtchett merits ink for picking up the 6-7-10 split in a 161 game.

Finally, while Kathy Baylor may not have been all that thrilled with her final game of the night, a 149, but a deeper analysis of her 149 shows it can potentially be the beginning of a turnaround in her game going forward. And the reason is beginning in the 3rd frame she changed her angle of attacking the pocket by throwing over the 7 or 8 board resulting in a nice hook ball with solid revs for strikes in the 3rd and 4th frames, and in each of the next six frames using that same attack angle over the 8 board, she KO’d 9 pins on her first ball after her first ball leaving her with easier spare shots.

In men’s action, Scott Mattingly set the scoring pace with a monster 755 series with one open, 27 strikes and seven spares during games of 278, 266 and 211. And two nights later in CHR League play, he punched out games of 268, 236 and 212 for a clean 716 with 22 strikes and 11 spares.

Meanwhile, Milan Carr raised his Kings & Queens League average to 208 with a standout 717 series including a 257 with nine strikes, and Michael “Smurffzzz” Ramirez powered by 24 strikes including 10 in a 288 uncorked his umpteenth 700, a 713.

In other action, Mike Saldivar sent his K&Q League average a stick higher to 216 with a hard-hitting 706 along with a pair of 258 games, Sal Diaz hammered out 22 strikes in a 706 effort which raised his Mesquite Merchants Men’s League average to 210 from 208, and Jared Bundy also tossed a heckuva standout 706 with only one open and 24 strikes during games of 255, 227 and 224.

And Dave Harris followed a 678 from the previous week with an even better 690 last week with 21 strikes on consistent games of235, 235, 220, and John Martin booked a clean 6578 set with 18 strikes and 15 spares in games of 248, 224, 206, and Tony Urias pounded out an impressive 675 with 22 strikes including nine in a 256. Even more impressive is the fact that beginning with his first 700, a 716 in week 15, until his 675 in week 21, Urias has been lighting up the scoring monitors be mowing down 3,712 pins, and over that stretch of 18 games he’s averaged an impressive 206 in his MMM League.

And Jeff Harmes authored a 673, Mike Gentry (669-242) had another good week, while Dave Pershing had 22 strikes in a 654, and sparked by a 243, Doug Schaan logged a 651.

Bruce Hooley’s 667 featured an Andy Varapapa 300 game by ending a 247 with a nine-bagger and beginning his next game, a 203 with four strike strikes, and Ernie Kala is a heckuva good bowler who logged a 674 with 24 strikes, and it’s super seeing Angel Hernandez end a scoring funk in convincing fashion with a top-notch 661 series on games of 235, 222 and 204.

Jadon Borges is an impressive young bowling talent with first-rate bowling mechanics and he fired 16 strikes in a 657 outing, and Tim Brandt’s 641 had eight strikes, and Kelly Williamson who’s averaging 208 booked a 630 in G4A League action.

Dave Castro upped his CHR League average to 194 with a 645 effort, Dave Cirbo’s 621 on games of 222, 200, and 199 had only one open, and Dale Knight’s 620 included 15 strikes and 12 spares.

Ken Meacham’s 620 had only two opens, a clean 225 and 16 total strikes, and Fred Emmons had a great month of February which he began with a 610 in week 19, followed by a 670, 582 and last week’s 609. Add ’em all up, and in his February’s 12 games he knocked down 2,471 pins for a 204 average for the month.

Finally, Steve Serrano’s 603 also included an Andy Varipapa 300 by throwing 12 straight strikes with five coming to end a 205 and began his next game, a 215 with seven straight before finishing with a 215, Bob Robbins (593-211) narrowly missed a 600, and Chad Klein’s solid 589 effort included a clean 216, but a hiccup in the10th frame of his third game torpedoed any hope of shooting his first 600, but here’s betting he’ll reach that goal before the clock runs out on the 2024-25 season.

In single game action, Dennis Craft )639) put together an eight-bagger in a 267, Bob Marget (646) chucked nine strikes in a 266, Darren Simonds (684) fired nine strikes in a clean 263, and Steve Roberts delivered a turbocharged season-high 254 with an eight-bagger.

Roman Perez rolled eight strikes in a 247, Dean Sheppard tossed a six-bagger in a 246, Al Gan’s cruised to a 244, Shaun Edwards (600) added to his considerable collection of deuce games in recent weeks with a 238, while Orlyn Meyer (618) pocketed a 237, and Alan Pearson (593) rolled a clean 241 with a six-bagger.

And Roger Durant also registered a 237, Logan Hendrick tallied a 236, Jacoby Ford blasted seven strikes in a 229 but you can be sure he’ll have a bigger game next week, and Nick Paul is a huge UNLV fan who tossed a five-bagger in a 225 with one open, Al Oliveira IV rolled six strikes in a 224, and Chuck Youngdale also shot a 224 and it’s great seeing him back in Mesquite and bowling again.

Jess Dixon fired seven strikes in a 222, John Steagall had a six-bagger in a 222, Britt Kesl tossed eight strikes in a 220, and Raul Macias has really polished up his bowling mechanics which are really fundamentally sound now and his 217 is just a preview of even higher scores that will inevitably follow.

Jim Rappe tossed seven strikes in a 214, Mike Rosenlof of beaver, Utah tallied a 213, while Jerry Bundy delivered a 212 and he’s a U.S. military veteran who travels to Mesquite from St. George for bowling twice a week.

And Dennis Woolsey rolled an impressive clean 204 with four strikes and six spares, Efrain Carrillo is in his first year of league bowling and rolled a season-high 204 with five strikes, and avid hockey fan Paul Buntin also logged a 204.

Finally, Jedd Fisher claimed a 203, Nick Medina popped a 204, Chris Eyre combined three strikes and six spares in a 200, and Phillip Oyler peeled off six straight strikes in a 199.

Sandy Sheppard 591-212; Bev Cormani 567-203; Ashley Yokoyama 565-216; Autumn Telford 554-203; Cathy Gardner 538-189; LeeAnn Harmes 546-185; Lynae Page 528-191; Mary Posey 525-181; Georgia “GG” Godfrey 510-200; Reiko Schultz 510-207; Cheryl Rogers 203.

Austin Finster 686-257; Dean Baum 649-226; Dan Aslin 648-248; Doug Love 646-234; Dylan Kesl 644-227; Ricky Trujillo 641-234; David Walker 640-236; Mike Yoder 623-227; Harold Hendrick 623-223; Jim Bice 614-246; Jess Dixon 608-222; Frank Addamo 604-221; Jeremy “JT” Turlington 604-220; Larry Willis 604-211; Ed Hoepfner 600-231; Duane Sullivan 600-225; Steve Uhrig 253; Skip Hayzlet 231; John Hollaway 659-225; Ken Thompson 224; Jerry Holloway 222; Vic Reading 221; Josue Mendoza 221; Britt Kesl 217; Bob Wells 216 warren Ferber 214; Jake swingler 214; Jim Rappe 214; Randy Carter 213; Mike Rosenlof 213; Rob Cormani 212; Randy Brown 210; Larry Moultrie 210; Wally Posey 210; Felix Cruz 209; Bob Davis 207; Mike Bock 207; Brian Collins 205; Bryan Pierce 205; Mike Foote205; Chris Westwood 204; Harry Uncles 204; Mark Brackelsberg 204; David Johnson 203; Mike Johnson 203; George Huston 202; James Hartley 202; Robin Drury 202; Gary Smith 200; Robert Melendez 200.