By Breven Honda
The 2025 Spring Season for the Mesquite Senior Games has officially begun. 
Over the first few weeks, there was plenty of action, competition and fun among the different sports and activities.
“Overall, as a whole, they went really well. I have no complaints,” Mesquite Senior Games President Sandy Tudor said on March 22. “I’m pleased with the attendance that we’ve had at most of the events. I’m pleased with the results and the participation that we have. It has been really good.”
Table tennis kicked off the season at the Mesquite Recreation Center. In the Open Division, Steven Nelson took the gold medal. Louis Krupnick followed that up with silver and Dan Brown placed third.
In the women’s division, Renae Willer took first place honors. Julianna de Batz and Jan Brown rounded out the podium with second and third place medals.
Then, the golf skills event and the golf tournament took place. The Golf skills event, which took place on March 11 between the Mesquite Sports Event complex and the Sun City Pioneer Center, was filled with competition.
Over the last few years, the planning for the golf skills event has changed so the weather is not as big of an impact for the long drive and the closest to the pin events.
“We got through with the event before it really started to get too windy, so that helped a lot,” Tudor said. “I think, two years ago, we used to do putting in the morning and long drive in the afternoon. Well, that’s when it gets really windy.
“So, I think it was two years ago, maybe even three, that we switched it and did the long drive in the morning. So, we got all of the long drive in, we got closest to the pin in before it got very windy.”
One of the highlights of the day came during the closest to the pin. In the 85+ age group, Curtis Dassonville had one of the best shots of the entire day by getting his shot to five inches to claim the gold medal.
During the tournament the next day at Coyote Willows, another standout performance ensued. Ben and Jill Stanley recorded a two-person scramble score of 58 to take the gold medal in their respective age groups. That beat the second-best score by seven strokes.
“The golfers just really have a good time when they play,” Tudor said. “I know some of the courses here in town are more challenging than Coyote Willows. Coyote Willows is only a nine-hole course, so they play it twice. But that works really well, because as they make the turn and go back and do it the second time so they can grab lunch on their way by.”
A couple days after golf was bowling with doubles on March 15 and singles the next day at the Virgin River Lanes.
Both days were finished by 2 p.m. as both sessions were nearly sold out.
“Everybody had a good time. We had some good high scores,” Tudor said.
In the 60-64 age group in mixed doubles, Bobbie Robbins and Robert Robbins recorded the highest scratch series of the day at 1137 while also posting a 426 for the highest scratch game.
In the women’s doubles session, the highest scratch series belonged to Evelyn Hooley and Veronica Tsuhako in the 70-74 age range, bowling a 921. Lois Hand and Jane Smith from the 50-54 age range combined to record the best scratch game score at 360.
During the men’s single session, Ron Vandevanter, from the 65-69 age group, recorded the highest scratch series, bowling a 630. Alan Jacobson, from the 70-74 age group, bowled the highest scratch game at 247.
Although event director Toni Gans was not present, due to having surgery, Tudor said both days of the event went smoothly because of the volunteers and those who pitched in while she was absent.
“Everything was done as if she was there,” Tudor said.
The history tour and the fitness hike took place simultaneously on March 22.
Tudor, who was at the history tour, said the attendance was a little bit down due to a lack of walk-ups, despite it being a great time, led by tour guide, Mary Phalan.
“We were kind of light on the amount of people on the history tour, although it was a great event,” she said. “In past years, for some reason, we’ve had maybe 10-12 walk ups. We didn’t get those this time.
“But we had a nice time. The ladies are so knowledgeable about the history and all of the other stuff that is going on. It was interesting.
The fitness hike was led by Clint Bostwick. He led those in attendance, explaining about the different plant and animal wildlife in the area, in addition to the terrain. It turned out to be about a four-mile hike as it is the first two hikes with the next one coming on April 5.
To end the month, the Mesquite Senior Games held pickleball, basketball and track and field.
Throughout the opening part of the schedule, there have been some minor improvements that have been made, especially from a logistical standpoint.
The box truck, which was acquired last summer, has been out at most of the events.
“It’s been awesome and everyone’s been commenting on it,” Tudor said. “It’s so nice that we don’t have to go to storage and get all the stuff out and put it all away that night. We just take the truck to the event.
“Somebody says, ‘Oh, we (forgot) this. Well, you know what? It’s right in the back of the truck. Let me go get that for you.’ So, it works very well.”
In addition, the Mesquite Senior Games purchased a set of battery-powered walkie-talkies to improve communication.
During the golf skills event, the set of rechargeable walkie talkies went out during the long drive event.
Thus, the purchase was made, especially ahead of track and field so someone can easily relay the results from the field to the press box at Virgin Valley High School as well as keep constant communication easily for anything.
