Bowling: Austin Finster joins an elite club with his 800 series

Austin Finster used lanes 13 and 14 as his own personal octagon where he was relentless in beating up on pins like he never had before.

Competing in the Wednesday Mesquite Merchants Men’s League, he began his pummeling of the furniture with a 266 game, followed with an electrifying 289 gem, and finished a spectacular adrenaline-filled outing with a 252 en route to the signature achievement of his career, a gargantuan 807 series.

And with his 807, he joins Dalton Smith (845), Jeremy Telford (816 & 813), Scott Mattingly (809 & 804) and Jacoby Ford (809) as the only bowlers in the storied history of league bowling in Mesquite with bragging rights for throwing an 800 series. And for added perspective, league bowling began at the V.R.B.C. in 1998.

His 807 series blew away his previous high of the season, a 773, and the 289 game in his 800 series has only been topped this season by a 295 game on February 2nd.

Finster is another of the talented young Mesquite bowlers tearing up the lanes and delivering hard-hitting impressive scores on an almost weekly basis.

His bowling journey really began taking flight when he was on the varsity bowling team at his high school in Hawaii where his dad was stationed while serving in the U.S. Army. And that’s where he first showed flashes of potential bowling brilliance in a HHSAA State Tournament taking 3rd Place competing against the top high school bowlers in Hawaii.

Finster also played football at his high school in Hawaii, and several years later also played on a semi-pro football team in Richmond, Virginia.

He’s a fan of the Las Vegas Raiders, and two items on his bucket list include trips to Paris and Rome.

And as mentioned in my post several days ago this column will feature scores from the April 1st Wednesday Men’s League and the April 2nd City High Rollers League, and leading the action for those two leagues was a 701 by Dylan Kesl on consistent games of 246, 230 and 225.

In other action Scott Mattingly did what he almost always does, destroy pins, and this time is was to the tune of a 689 with two good games of 253 and 247, and Michael Ramirez is another superb young bowler with a powerful two-handed delivery with lotsa revs leading to a 688 and two good games of 248 and 247.

Meanwhile, Dean Sheppard thumped the lanes with another top-notch scoring production, a 688, and fueled by 267, Bruce Hooley fired a 687, and if he’s gonna be bowling in the Huntsman Games this fall, he’d love to throw his second 300 game at Dixie Bowl in St. George.

And Mike Saldivar barbecued the lanes with11 strikes in his umpteenth 279 with 11 strikes helping pave the way for a hard-hitting 676, and Mike Rogers who’s as consistent as they come tattooing the 1-3 pocket and tallied a 656 including a 255 game.

Mike Gentry was a former outstanding softball player who also does mighty good work mowing down pins like his 651 in his C.H.R. League on April 2nd, and Gage Hughes is another young bowler who’s game continues improving in his sophomore season with another 600 set, a 629.

In single game action, Nick Paul (604) definitely merits ink for a season-high 269 and he’s also high on UNLV football for the coming season, and John Martin (610) spanked the lanes with a 268 and he’s already fired up about Ohio State football this coming season.

Dan Aslin (655) navigated his way around the lanes for a 258, Milan Carr (668) pounded out a 257, and Dean Baum (648) chucked a 255.

Riley Clayton (615) is a new bowler this season who racked up a 248, John Gerger tossed a 225 and he witnessed some great baseball players in his youth days going to Chicago Cubs baseball games at iconic Wrigley Field.

And southpaw Jerry Holloway checked in with a 215, Raul Macias pounded out a 209, Fotu Soliai is super nice young man from St. George now bowling in Mesquite and booked a 208, and Bob Ballard tossed a 204 and he was a sprinter on his high school track team.

In women’s action limited to the City High Rollers League, Diana Marget led the scoring charge with a 591 and 208 game and her resume includes an eye-popping ten 300 games and a career-high 216 average.

Linda Holloway merits ink for one of her best outings of the season in her C.H.R. League with a 556 and 212 game, Ronnie Tsuhako also did a heckuva nice job with a 639 including a 202, and Jane Burgoyne mowed down 536 sticks including 189 in her second game.

In single game action, Lee Ann Harmes (549) peppered the lanes with a 203, and Georgia Godfrey (535) uncorked a 199.

Finally, Bobby Robbins (527) tossed a 193, Gayla Parison (511) fell a stick shy of a deuce with a 199 and she’s a heckuva super poker player, and Ashlee Yokoyama (506) pocketed a 193.

HIGH MEN’S SCORES

James Hartley 666-236; Jacoby Ford 655-227; Russ Marshall 646-224; John Hollaway 625-234; Mark Burkhardt 625-233; Ernie Kala 618-234; Austin Finster 616-246; Mike Dunlop 616-223; Max Snyder 615-222; Gary Smith 607-215; Jim Lytle 605-213; Mike Sullivan 234; Bob Robbins 226; Brian Collins 225; Frank Addamo 224; Ricky Trujillo 222; Dave Cirbo 222; Logan Hendrick 220; Logan Hendrick 220; Mike Johnson 219; Jeff Harmes 2126; Mark Brackelsberg 216; Chris Scott 215; Darren Simonds 214; Dave Pershing 214; Al Gans 213;Sampson Miller 213; Dave Harris 212; Robin Drury 212; Steve Uhrig 212; Josh Kaschmitter 211; Mike Yoder 211; John Steagall 210; Ted Carter 210; Randy Kezior 206; Doug Schaan 204; Alan Jacobson 203; Andy Robinson 203; Doug Love 203; Jimmy Webb 204; Orlyn Meyer 203; Dave Castro 201; Gil Niimi 200; Jim Dyke 200.