Former PBA champion racks up high scores as Mesquite bowling house pro

Mesquite bowlers hit the jackpot over the summer when Matt Surina was hired as the new pro shop and house pro at the Virgin River Bowling Center.

As a touring pro with the Professional Bowlers Association from 1971 to 1981, Surina won three televised PBA National Championships, one Senior PBA National Championship and 10 Regional Championships. And you can view all of his winning performances on YouTube.

Nationally recognized for his expertise at professionally fitting and drilling bowling balls for both beginner and experienced bowlers, he also excels at giving individual or group lessons for bowlers of all ages and experience. Amazingly, he has drilled over 40,000 bowling balls. 

And away from the pro shop, he's still a top-notch bowler. In fact, in King & Queens League action, Surina blistered the lanes with an electrifying 784 series that included 28 strikes during games of 279, 259 and 246 which eclipsed the house high series 777 mark long held by bowler extraordinaire Darwin Wimer. Not surprisingly, the same week Surina threw his record-setting 784, Wimer smoked the lanes without a single hiccup en route to a 755 set on games of 289, 247 and 219.

In other lane action, Alan Jacobson (623-235), an outstanding baseball player in high school, delivered another first-rate performance, Mike Saldivar (622) nabbed his umpteenth 600 that included a clean 265, and Josh Howland (609-212) ended a multi-week scoring funk.

Meanwhile, thanks to a darn nice outing by Brian Collins (600-215, 193, 192) that featured quality shots, consistent scores, 14 strikes and a clean 192, I'm giving him a mulligan on his uncharacteristic slow start to the season.

On the single-game front, Ronn Karr will take a six-bagger and clean 258 every day of the week, Ricky Trujillo used a borrowed bowling ball and also threw an outstanding 258 gem, while Robert Melendez tattooed the pocket with a five-bagger in a clean 241 affair edging out Dale Davidson's 240.

It was also a week in which Jack Northover popped a 223, Ken Meacham, aided by a "frosting high" chucked a 222 after staking claim to the four corner pieces with the most icing on his birthday cake, Dave Castro rolled a clean 208 and John Gerger bagged a 207. And Dylan Kesl, a recent graduate of Moapa High School rolled his first league deuce with a 203 that included five strikes and a conversion of the 2-4-10 split.

Finally, Bob Ojack, a humongous Michigan Wolverines fan racked up a 200 in T.G.I.F. League play, Danny Barker also fired a 200 using his plastic spare ball and in somewhat similar fashion,  Dave Keil drilled a 200 on the nose. Incidentally, Ojack has a home located one mile from the huge stadium where his Wolverines play.

And in women's bowling, Bev Cormani (552-215) and Gayle Ruesch (543-202) set the scoring pace, Frances Harper (529-190) delivered another darn good performance, and propelled by a clean 222, Donna Voyles (525) posted the next best score.

One day later, Kerri Roberts (519-199) brought her A-game and peppered the lanes with her initial 500 of the season, Kim Finnegan (518-197) resuscitated her game in nice fashion after it barely showing a pulse for several weeks, and a great effort by Joyce Surina (501) was an impressive 135 over her series average (366).

In single-game play, Donna Evans smacked a 203 and Elfriede Lesnick tossed five strikes in a clean 193.

Oh, bay-bee!

Martin Carrillo is a passionate fan of the great game of baseball who tossed a season-high 160 game ... Erick Soto merits ink as he narrowly missed his first 500 with a 495 series and also fired a season-high 175 game ... George Huston fired a season-high 197 in Early Risers League play. 

High scores

John Hollaway 663-254; Doug Love 646-241; Mike Rogers 638-235; Dallas Archibald 630-222; Jim Lytle 520-230; Bill Oatts 611-213; Mike Yoder 609-213; Ray Schultz 242; Dave Maves 238; Phil Hayden 237; Jan Kusy 233; Joe Keim 225; Bob Field 222; James Hartley 216; Orlyn Meyer 215; Rob Cormani 215; Andrew Christensen 214; Dan Aslin 214; Steve Cominski 213; Bill Funk 213; Joe Jaxon 209; John Collins Sr. 209; Bob Monson Jr. 207; Ken Kaylor 204; Bob Monson Sr. 203; Brian Rasha 203; Don Smalley 203; Darrell Moffatt Sr. 201; Jeff Jacobson 201; Dan Erhart 2090; Johnny Harper 200; Wayne Reeter 200; MaryAnn Davis 516-215; Dee Day 504-199; Sue Astley 502-192.