BOWLING: Harold Hendrick tosses season-high 682 series in Mesquite bowling

Harold Hendrick is having his best season since he began mowing down pins at the Virgin River Bowling Center in 2019-20 season when he finished with a 181 average over 69 games.

And this season he’s currently carrying a 193 average, and fueled by 23 strikes, including 10 in a 268, along with games of 226 and 188 he finished with a season-high 682 series which surpassed his previous highs of the season, a 671 and 255 game bowled back in September.

He sports a career-high 823 series bowled in a state tournament in Idaho, has a pair of 279s with 11 strikes, and has both met and interacted with pro bowlers Parker Bohn III and Pete Weber, and spoke highly of the first pro bowler mentioned here.

Hendrick served in the United States Air Force for 23 years, including tours in Germany, England and five times to the Middle East.

Away from bowling, he plays golf every Monday morning, and also periodically will play his guitar.

And as a fan of the Michigan Wolverines, he was in the stands and still recalls the energy and excitement that filled the air when his Wolverines played Notre Dame and set an attendance record with 115,109 screaming fans in The Big House.

In other pin action, Scott Mattingly (722 & 703) delivered the week’s only 700s, Mike Saldivar (699-258) put up some top-notch scores after not bowling for a good month due to a nasty bout of sciatica, while Alan Jacobson still has the VRBC reeling from a standout 694 set from throwing games of 267, 225 and 201, and Robin Drury’s strong 681 effort with games of 236, 234 and 211 fell three pins shy of topping his season-high 683 from early October.

This column recently predicted Mike Yoder’s Monday Scratch League average would be going higher, and his  680 series two days ago on Monday helps validate that prediction, and also in that same Monday League Gil Niimi was a pillar of consistency with games of  226, 225and 223 for a 674 set, and Chase Evans averaged 216 between his two league outings (666 & 657) and in just his fourth season of bowling already has a 300 game on his resume.

Meanwhile, fueled by 20 strikes and marks on an impressive 12-of-13 non-split spare shots during games of 236, 225 and 202, Shaun Edwards rolled his first-ever 600 series, a 663.

Edwards retired from the military after a lengthy career in the United State Army which included a tour of duty stationed near the DMZ separating North and South Korea. And he’s been a tremendous positive asset to this area since changing his zip code to here, because like Doug Love, he’s a doer who actually gets things done, whether it’s in Scenic, Mesquite, or as Sports Director for the Huntsman World Senior Games.

Jeff Harmes has been bowling up a storm for the last month, with his latest standout effort an impressive clean 657 series with marks on all 16 of his spare shots during games of 235, 221 and 201, and Ken Riswick is a first-rate athlete in multiple sports going back to his days in high school and in T.G.I.F. League play he navigated the lanes for a season-high 654 set and 246 game.

And Chance Evans, a brother of Chase, is a good young bowler in just his sophomore season who uncorked a 650 series with a 279, while Orlyn Meyer is from Minnesota and fired a 627 and 242 game, and Ernie Kala continued an impressive scoring run which began with a 625 set on November 6, 2023, and since that date has averaged 213 in his Monday Scratch League up to, and including last week’s 626 and 242 game.

Bob Ballard thumped the lanes with a 623 on games of 225, 216 and 182, John Gerger (621-233) is also back pounding the 1-3 pocket with competitive scores, and Rob Hartman delivered an inspiring 621, including a 242 game, and now that he’s back bowling will be aiming to roll his third 300 game.

Frank Adamo delivered a good outing with a 614 set and 212 game, Ken Thompson used a combination of 16 strikes, a clean 227, along with games of 199 and 188 with only three open frames all night en route to his fist 600 this season, a 613. He originally hailed from Colorado where he was a huge fan of the Denver Broncos and the great John Elway, and Thompson has a career-high 697 series and 268 game.

Dale Knight (610-223) enjoyed a great deal of success during his heyday on the lanes in Sin City and can still put up numbers either as a two-handed bowler or with his traditional delivery used over the years. And Dave Harris (610-220) continues to have competitive outings and he’s a humongous fan of both baseball and football.

Rob Cormani popped a 608 with a 246 game, Fred Foerster rolled a 607 including a 7-bagger in a 227 during Early Risers League action and his most recent 300 game came in 2022 in St. George, and it is great seeing Mike Foote (602-221) have a good week and he’s another bowler who tossed a 300 game in 2021.

In single game play, Sal Diaz (635) had another big one with a 268 last week, Bill Rife had a 7-bagger in a season-high 247, and Jimmy Webb racked up nine strikes in a 240, southpaw Dave Castro (598) logged a 231,and  Al Legan hammered out a 229 and must be somewhat encouraged by the play of his Chicago Bears in their win over the Colts on Sunday.

And Lefty Jerry Holloway uncorked a 225 and is a retired veteran of the United States Air Force, Steve Serrano tossed a pair of deuce games with a 220 & 217, while Brian Collins (597) pocketed a 216, and while it has not officially been confirmed, word on the street is when Jack Northover got wind his wife Katie may have rolled a 212 game in Kings & Queens League action, he was determined to make sure he’d be the one getting the most ink of the two so he popped a 213.

In other action, Wade Heilson’s missed four pin was his only open frame in a 211 and could mark the beginning of a weekly string of at least one deuce game as in past seasons, Rob Sedgley did good work in his 209, and Vegas Raiders fan Marty Roper tallied a 207.

Dave Cirbo worked the lanes for a 204, Paul Buntin’s 203 gives the former high school football player back-to-back weeks of 200-plus games, Juan Morgana tossed his umpteenth 200 with a 202, and Jack Baker posted a 201 for his “My Drinking Team Has A Bowling Problem” team in T.G.I.F League League play.

On the women’s side of the ledger, Diane Marget had a really good week as she averaged 203 between a 622 in City High Rollers and 598 in Kings & Queens League action, and for the last month Kim Marshall has consistently been bowling in the 580 area, and last week it was a 587 which included a clean 226 with six strikes.

And Krista Kilpatrick is a former high school basketball star in Wyoming who smoked the lanes in her Ladies Trio League on Friday with a 573 series on games of 199, 197 and 177, Mary Posey had her best day this season with a 564 series on games of 210, 207 and 147, Cheryl Rogers has a smooth athletic delivery that helped lead to a quality 558 series and 196 game.

Lynae Page (552-192) continues putting up competitive scores on a weekly basis, and Jane Burgoyne put together her best outing this season with a terrific 547 set including a season-high 213 game. She enjoyed the fact her daughter Amanda paid a visit over the Thanksgiving holidays. Amanda went to the University of Nebraska on a bowling scholarship where she was one of the top college bowlers in the country, and her mom and dad were in the stands along with over 60,000 fans at a University of Nebraska football game when Amanda was inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame.

Lee Ann Harmes (544-193) delivered some solid scores, Sharon Stoneman (517-181) had another good week on the lanes, and Donna Evans gets her first ink of the season for a 509 set and 193 game.

In single game play, Debbie Hansen (504) chucked a season-high 221, Georgia “GG” Godfrey (537) tossed a 201, and Gayla Parison (502) checked in with a 189.

Randy Kezior 675-269; John Hollaway 666-267; Austin Finster 665-236; James Hartley 657-254; John Martin 649-245; Jim Lytle 648-249; Al Gans 645-227; Dylan Kesl 645-227; Jeremy Turlington 638-244; Mike Rogers 623-227; Larry Willis 618-213; Dean Baum 614-249; Darren Simons 613-226; Mike Dunlop 608-227; Rob Cormani 608-246; Milan Carr 607-209; Angel Hernandez 604-218; Bill Funk 600-225; Bob Robbins 235; Mike Rosenlof 234; Jacob Martinez 232; Wally Posey 231; Ed Hoepfner 227; Jerry Holloway 227; Todd Koller 225; Don Gaitan 224; Brian Collins 216; Tim McNees 215; Mike Gentry 213; Bill Smith 212; Dan Aslin 212; Harry Uncles 212; Gary Connelly 208; Brent Schlesinger 207; James Austin 206; Ken Zimmerschied 205; Dean Sheppard 205; Dave Cirbo 204; Robert Melendez 203; Bob Monson Sr. 203; Myles Benally 203; Joe Gillis 202; Juan Morgana 202 Jeff Branche.