BOWLING UPDATEFrom Tenpins & More NM GAMES WRAPS UP BOWLING WINNERS AT STATE Reigning “King of the Hill” winner, Jacob Gill added the Men’s Open scratch division gold medal at the State Finals of the New Mexico Games held at Tenpins & More in Rio Rancho last weekend. Gill was solid throughout his six-game set putting together 215, 209, 244, 204, 210 and a closing 258 (which included ten strikes from twelve deliveries) to beat East Mountain’s Land Matthies 1,340 to 1,297, followed by former Rams bowler, Tyler Grier with 1,250. Matthies’ father, Josh had a handicap-added 1,433 to capture Men’s A gold with local Andrew Carver second 70 pins behind then Socorro’s Joseph Paterson thirty pins back in third. Ward Stoffer saved his best till last in Men’s B throwing eleven strikes and an open frame for 262 in game six and 1,456 – more than 100 pins ahead of Aaron Rivera with improving Martin Neal next for silver and bronze medals respectively. Three-times a week league and practice bowling has helped Scott McDonnell win both Center and State Finals, carding 1,425 to win Men’s C by 46 over Trevor Anderson 1,379 and first=time tournament finalist Phil Forbert with 1,363. Robin Prioleau of Rio Rancho started with 258 and closed with 247, needing every pin to stave off Becky Fisher by sixteen pins 1,379 to 1,363 with Native American bowler, Karen Coffey third in Women’s A. Shannon Lastyona included a 210 and two other games above average to win Women’s B by 68 pins from Teri Paterson and Josie Herson next. Vanessa Griego has taken to bowling more since her twin boys, Aubrey and Gavin started their high school bowling career last month. Griego bowled five of six above her league average, including a 185 to take Women’s C by six pins from Yollie Allen and “newbie”, Monica Archibeque in third for bronze. Steve Shultz opened strong with 235/259 for a commanding win in Senior Men’s A over Rio Rancho’s Steve Quintana, followed two pins back by Espanola’s Kenneth Friedrich. John Waldschmidt overcame a low second game with 204, 173 and 171 for the Senior Men’s B gold with leftie, Jeff Brumfield Sr and William Eash trailing for minor placings. Shultz’s wife, Laurie eked out the Senior Women’s A win over Troian Donnachaidh and Evelyn Trujillo, while Tiffiney Archuleta was consistently over her regular league average for the B gold from best friends, Lynn Robb and Nita Stull. Cibola High School student, Xavier Provencher, arguably the most improved youth bowler at Tenpins & More this year, threw 196, 265, 173 and 227 for 1,005 (with handicap added) beating Shane Muller’s stellar 970 and Alex Blair third in Boys A action. Ethan Loudenback’s entering average of 106 was easy pickings as he rolled strings of 150, 133, 117 and 157 to win by sixty from the Griego twins, Gavin and Aubrey in Boys B. Naomi Seiler was her consistent best with 177, 184, 192, 179 for 928 ahead of Mia Medina 909 and Lucia Griego 855 in Girls A and Genesis Bajonero’s dedication to practice as well as league bowling gained her gold in Girls B with a 48-pin margin from sisters, Annie and Evelyn Alvarado next. * A new short-season mixed team of four league starts this Saturday night at 5pm, with designer bowling balls the prize for all at season’s end. Nine other 12 and 17- week seasons start between January 5 and February 27, all at Tenpins & More.