Hailey’s Jolene Stone has the highest women’s sanctioned averages in league bowling play this winter at Mountain Sun Lanes in Bellevue, but she had never bowled a 300 game before Tuesday, Feb. 15.
Stone, 47, a competitive bowler for 16 years, had come close before. Two years ago at the Bellevue alleys, she rolled her previous best single game, 299, when she left the 10-pin standing in the tenth frame.
“I’d gotten close twice before and had nine strikes in a row several times,” she said this week. “But I had always blown it in the tenth frame.
“You know, those times I missed I don’t remember being nervous. This time, I was so nervous—I was shaking from the seventh frame on. But I really felt this was going to be it, and it turned out it was.”
Going for her 12th and final strike, Stone said she yanked her throw inside and even turned her back on the result—but just momentarily.
She turned back to look and saw the action of the collision, “some pin tripping the 6-pin and it fell.” She added, “You know, the other times I missed the 300s I think I might have deserved it more.”
Bowling for Mahoney’s Bar and Grill in the Tuesday Night Men’s League Feb. 15 at Mountain Sun Lanes, Stone rolled successive games of 213-300-210 for a 723 series. Her best-ever three-game series is 757.
Her teammates that special night were Rosie Soto, T.J. Peterson and Erica Bywater. Another team member is Elisa Tobia, who has a pair of 290 games to her credit this season and, like Stone, has won the prestigious “11 Strikes in a Row” award.
Stone started bowling in earnest with a 140 average in Challis 16 years ago. She has been at the Bellevue house for the last 13 years, with the exception of a three-year hiatus when she was involved with the high school sports of daughters Jamie and Dani.
Competing in three leagues, she has a 214 average in Tuesday Night Men’s League, 212 in Wednesday Night Ladies and 210 in Thursday Night Mixed League in Bellevue.
City bowling tournament wraps up Saturday
Only Jolene Stone and Rosie Soto had thrown 300 games this season at Mountain Sun Lanes before Tuesday night—when Mike Tackett tossed his 20th 300 game in team play on the first night of the Wood River Bowling Association city tournament.
Competing for All Seasons Landscaping, Tackett threw his perfect game in the first game of the evening and tournament. Oddly enough, it came only two days after he rolled 300 Sunday in Travel League action at Magic Bowl in Twin Falls.
The men’s and women’s city tournaments wrap up with team, doubles and singles competition starting at 12 noon Saturday, Feb. 26 at Mountain Sun Lanes in Bellevue. The tournament director is Dena Deckard.
Jolene Stone
