by JACOB CHANEY
Jesse Hawkins is a prominent figure in the Pikeville bowling community. He is now a nationally recognized bowler! Earning the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) National High Average Award for the 2021-2022 season; he has an impressive average of 257.47 over 90 games during the Gary Stepp Memorial league at the Hatfield McCoy Recreation Center in Williamson, West Virginia. This accomplishment places him fourth on the all-time average list in the men’s division and marks the highest average recorded in a four-player league.
Hawkins continues to give back to his community through coaching and organizing various local bowling events such as the WV/KY Open Championships. These events allow local bowlers to compete and fall in love with the sport of bowling.
Jesse started coaching at the University of Pikeville as an assistant coach for the women’s bowling team from 2011 to 2016. In 2023, Hawkins was hired as the head coach for the Pikeville High School bowling teams. Coaching both boys and girls, he had to build the program from the ground up. In his first season as head coach the boys finished fifth out of 18 teams in their region and the girls finished 12th out of 16 teams. He also just had his first high school bowler sign to bowl in college. Keyton Looney committed to Midway University to continue his bowling career on February 27, 2025.
This is a huge accomplishment for a first-year head coach, and the future is bright for the Pikeville High School Bowling Team.
Hawkins’ most recent milestone came just a few days ago, participating in the 2025 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Masters in Allen Park, Michigan. The USBC Masters is one of the most prestigious and challenging tournaments in professional bowling. It is part of the PBA Tour’s Majors and attracts a diverse field of top professionals, talented amateurs, collegiate stars, and international competitors. Over the course of three days and
15 games, Jesse proved he belonged – bowling with the best and not afraid of the spotlight. He finished tied for 147th out of 400 bowlers.
His game score was:
Round 1: 197, 187, 228, 181, 233 (Total: 1,026)
Round 2: 246, 179, 171, 192, 202 (Total: 990)
Round 3: 162, 182, 204, 201, 192 (Total: 941)