MV Resident Competes In Bowling Nationals

By NICK YAMASHITA

The Progress

Overton resident Rob Hartman was selected to be a member of one of the Virgin River Bowling Lane teams to compete in the USBC Open Championships at the South Point in Las Vegas. The championship series runs from May 4 until July 17.

“I got asked to be part of the team for the 2020 Nationals in Reno,” Hartman said. “Unfortunately the COVID shutdown ended the chance of that. I am beyond proud to be a part of the experience this year and be at Nationals.”

Rob Hartman, 40, has only been bowling regularly and competitively since 2016. He moved to Overton then and joined the Virgin River leagues.

On May 30, 2019, Hartman bowled his first-ever sanctioned perfect game. In bowling, a perfect game score is 300.

Hartman then continued to play in the leagues on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays – and even on Fridays and Saturdays – raising his scores even more.

On August 13, 2020, he bowled his highest 3-game set ever with scores of 266, 247, 268 for a total score of 781. This was the third-highest series score ever bowled at the Virgin River.

“It was a special night,” said Hartman. “It was also the 15th year anniversary of my father’s death. I had dedicated my bowling to my father earlier that night.”

So far this season, Hartman has been averaging his best score ever with a 209 average that continues to improve.

Hartman is originally from North Carolina. He was born in Winston-Salem to Scott Hartman and Cindy Foster.
“I never got along with my mother so I spent more time with my grandparents on my father’s side,” Hartman said. “My grandfather, every Saturday, would take me to go bowling, play mini-golf, or to the driving range from the ages of 5 to 11. Out of those 6 years, he only missed two weekends.”

After his grandfather died from cancer, just after middle school, Hartman made the decision to live with his father. “My father remarried and my stepmom Nikki Hartman was more of a mother to me than my birth mom was,” Hartman said.

He attended Parkland High School in Winston-Salem where he was in JROTC and wrestling. But he didn’t do the “normal” wrestling. He traveled on an independent circuit for pro wrestling while taking classes to be a professional wrestler. After graduating high school in 2000, he joined the Army proudly served from 2000-2010. He was stationed in Germany at Babenhausen Kaserne from 2001-2006.

“I do have one tour in Iraq for Operation Iraqui Freedom for the start of the war in 2003,” Hartman said. “My unit was deactivated in 2006 and I was sent to Fort Bragg, NC, where I did the remaining of my time in the Army.”

“I am blessed to be a part of the Overton community and all those who support me,” Hartman added. “I am thankful for the opportunity to be in the Nationals. I don’t know how I will do but I will try my best.

The Nationals is a whole other game when it comes to bowling.”