From rodeo queen to the bowling lanes, Utah's Kallie Kee continues to impress

Willie Theis
·5 min read
Kallie Kee is in her first year of bowling but has already tossed her very first 500 series, a 521 on games of 225, 162 and 134 at Dixie Bowl in St. George.
Kallie Kee is in her first year of bowling but has already tossed her very first 500 series, a 521 on games of 225, 162 and 134 at Dixie Bowl in St. George.

Kallie Kee is only midway into her freshman season of bowling and is already showing flashes of real scoring ability.

And it happened with a flurry of strikes at Dixie Bowl where she navigated the lanes for both her first-ever 500 series and 200 game.

Sporting a 135 average, she began league play with a 134, followed with some great spare shooting in a 162 effort, and next, fueled by an eye-popping 6-bagger, rocketed to a 225 game en route to a 521 series.

And on a related note, literally a few days before rolling her 521, she ditched an 11-pound bowling ball for a new 14-pound one purchased from Dave Myers at the Dixie Pro Shop. And just like she credits her mom for much of her success in the rodeo arena, she credits Myers for her 500 series due to a few teaching tips and a top-notch drilling effort on her new bowling ball.

Kee is very competitive, highly motivated and goal-oriented. So, yes, while not a slam dunk, she has a legit shot at reaching her next goal of a 600 series before putting a bow on the 2022-23 season.

Away from bowling, one of her favorite activities is being outdoors doing anything from rock climbing to racing through the desert on the family RZR with her husband Justin, and kids, Colt & Zoey.

Kee grew up on a small ranch near Monroe, Utah where she began riding horses around age 2, and putting her on a path to eventually be on the South Sevier High School rodeo team for four years, and where she was also a cheerleader for four years.

In rodeo, she competed in the Barrell Racing, Goat Tying, Pole Bending, and Queening events.

In fact, she won the Rodeo Queen contest at multiple rodeos while in elementary school, high school and beyond. And the crown jewel was winning the Rocky Mountain Professional Rodeo Association Queen contest in 2007.

These days Kee is passionate about her various job assignments working at the Nuvia Dental Implant Center in St. George.

In other women's pin action, it was great seeing Autumn Telford snap a protracted scoring slump with a clean 220 and 213, along with a 189 for a gratifying 622 series that included marks on 13-of-14 non-split spare shots.

Margie O'Neill threw 20 strikes in a 613 on Monday at Sunset Lanes, and two days later booked a 604 at Dixie, Ann Rasmusen (587-222) had another good week, and Tina Cruz (584-210) lit up the monitors.

Meanwhile, Pat McCabe (566-195) must be bringing both her strike and spare bowling balls to the party these days because she's been on a scoring tear for the last month, while both Annette Chugg (555-196) and Kathy Robbins (549-222) put up competitive scores.

In single game action, Lyn Mariluch tallied a 220, and Katie Fotheringham (517) chalked up a 204, and here's betting she rolls her first 600 this season.

Dawn Thomas (545) pocketed a 203, Kathy Foy (522) dialed up a 202, and Janet Parker (505) registered a 193.

In men's play, the Centerline Energy team led by Mo Davis (779-279) and teammates Cory Choate (665-236), Nick Mace (647-239) and Derek Wallace (545-190) now lead the Industrial League's high team handicap series with a stratospheric 2,999.

John Potter (738) joined Davis with the only other 700 on clean games of 246, 237 and a 255, while Al Oliveira V (676-245) put up really good scores, and Tor Lowry (669-267) keeps mowing down pins.

Devin Werner (640-235) continued a nice scoring run of late, Ben Stang (638-216, 214, 208) was a pillar of consistency, and Patrick Darragh (636-243) is having a true breakout season.

Justin Seegmiller gets ink for a 624 set with a season-high 258, and both IIoa Otuafi (624-237) and Joseph Graham (647-258) have amazingly smooth and an effortless-looking two-handed delivery.

Kyle Kidman (620-235) ended a recent drought of 600s, Shane Wilson (619-234) put up scrumptious numbers and so did Will Hutchinson (612-216).

In single game action, Jorge Grajeda (609) fired 11 strikes in a 279, Brendan Thomas (696) rolled games of 278 and 266, Jeremy Turlington (692) racked up a 267, Michael Garcia (651) bagged a 247, and Phil San Antonio (611) logged a 215.

Finally, Cody Goodrich, Nathan Yowell, Tim Brandt, Jayden Davis and Scott Blue put up games of 220, 210, 209, 205, and 203, respectively.

Senior league scores

Dianna Swart 518-202; Margie O'Neill 507; Bob Lehnen 683-256; Dave Anderson 636-256; Manny Hartmann 623-237; Tim Swigart 610-253; Dean Roberts 603-216; Jeff Anderson 205; Dennis Craft 202.

High scores

Ashley Thomas 603-201; Diana Stauffer 555-231; Diana Scharf 551; Luann Huchins 543-208; Anne Brosier 535-208; Karen Balicki 525-224; Sherri Snarr 523; Stephanie Miller 513; Susan Hill  509; Marcy Thompson 502; Cameo Irvine 501; Lisa Jones 501; Mila Thornton 208; Linda Bonino 203; Jim Bedford 679-247; Todd Thomas 678-235; Tony Zaccheus 667-252; Scott Bowden 666-239; Robert Dickey 657-234; Barry Sustin 652-224; Chuck Irvine 648-248; Lew Agius 647-239; Al Olveira IV 642-232; David Lee 634-231; Tyler Thomas 627-257; Bill Logan 618-247; Chris Ray 618-236; Mike Hallenbeck 618-218; Dalton Smith 617-226; Jackie Syddall 612-216; Dave Crawford 610-254; Jeff Edwards 610-235; Mike Foote 605-211; Larry Rumple 603-225; Ron Floreani 603-221; Scott Ferreira 601-235; Matt Hill 601-234; Jim Mathews 244; Tustan Spendlove 243; Nick Johnson 241; Chance Evans 236; Scott Brosier 233; Jack Rasberry 232; Lindsay May 232; Niko Garcia 231; Ken Schloman 227; Jay Healey 227; Mason Bedford 225; Dave Keller 223; Tim Swigart 223; Bill Echternkamp 222; Stan Rasmussen 220; Dennis Craft 219; Dan Sanzone 217; John Weiss 214; Randy James 213; Cory Ballard 213; Bard Hancock 212; Ed Worden 212; Randall Wilson 211; Bardon Hadlock 211; Paul Sullivan 209; Jim Brooks 209; Max Stayrook 209; Nathan Yowell 209; Tim Brandt 208; A.J. Thomas 208; Matt Polatis 209; Fred Foerster 206; Jeff Rupert 206; Jayden Davis 205; JC Barrow 205; Rick Lesko 205; Doyle Mouser 204; Paul Yssell 204; Shawn Wonder 204; Dale Knight 203; Kyle Clark 203; Steve Ruffin  203; Zac Miller 203; Dave Myers  202; Doug Clarke 202; Rob Carrier 202; Brayden Brooks 201.

Willie Theis covers league bowling in St. George for The Spectrum & Daily News.

This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Utah's Kallie Kee goes from rodeo queen to success on bowling lanes