Prospector Rolls to Success with Talent to Spare
AJHS student is number one junior division bowler in the state and 41st in the nation
- By Sally Marks, Apache Junction USD. Story And Photo Courtesy Of AJUSD. Pictured Is: Hunter Mayes.
Apache Junction High School, 2525 S. Ironwood Dr., has a top-ranked athlete in Hunter Mayes. The high school junior is currently number one in the state and 41st in the U.S. in his sport. At 6’3” one might assume he shoots over the heads of opponents in basketball or knocks down passes with his outstretched arms in football, but the Apache Junction resident’s expertise is bowling.
Mayes’ average score is an impressive 230 a game and he has won numerous championships. He recently competed in a Junior Bowler Tournament and finished first. The top spot helped him bag $500 in winnings that are placed in a Junior Bowlers Scholarship Fund that will help pay for Mayes’ college tuition and expenses.
Colleges and universities are already recruiting him. He intends to bowl on a college team, but at this point, he is undecided on which school he will attend. He is more certain about his field of study: engineering.
Mayes puts his love of engineering and mathematics to good use in his construction technologies class where he serves as lead foreman. Now that he is in the advanced class, he and his classmates are able to go to actual job sites and work on a wider range of projects. His favorite teacher is Enrique Reyes, who teaches EVIT construction classes at AJHS.
“Mr. Reyes is my favorite teacher, because he is very involved and really cares about his students’ futures,” said Mayes, who was named student of the month in October. “I cannot say enough good things about this man.”
Outside of the classroom, Mayes’ father, Mike, served as a strong role model through his work as a manger of Brunswick Zone bowling center in Gilbert. The younger Mayes spent a lot of time in the bowling alley with his dad and joined a bowling league at age 10. Over the past seven years, Mayes ramped up his game more seriously. He travels to compete in competitions throughout the U.S.
Bowling in competition carries a heavy burden. Mayes’ ball is 15 pounds, and he generally uses nine different balls in a tournament. Much like how golfers use different clubs depending on circumstances and the terrain, the same is true for the bowling landscape. In addition to pin setup, external factors include oil patterns on the lane. Previously, oils were used to preserve the wood in the alley, but now that the lanes are constructed from synthetic wood, the main purpose is to reduce spark and friction on the ball as it rolls toward the pins. Knowing how to adjust your roll depending on how the ball reacts to the oil is an important part of the game.
When not at school, Mayes has a part-time job in the pro-shop of Virtue Bowling Supplies in East Mesa. He is able to use his experience as a bowler, as well as many things he learned while attending Apache Junction Unified School District schools, on the job and in the classroom. He attended Gold Canyon and Peralta Trail elementary schools, Cactus Canyon Junior High and Apache Junction High School.
He is proud of his community and the friendships he has made. He admits that some of his friends from other cities are critical of Apache Junction, but he finds their misguided assumptions akin to calling a gutter ball a strike.
“I find it ironic how bad the reputation of Apache Junction is, but I have lived here all my life and it isn’t that way at all.”
Mayes’ next in-state competition is Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at Bowlero, 1754 W. Southern Ave. in Mesa. For more information about the competition, call 480-834-0588. The public is invited to attend the tournament and cheer the local champion to another victory.
For more information about AJUSD schools, call 480-982-1110, or visit www.ajusd.org. #WeAreAJ