2023 Junior Gold Notebook - Round 4
July 21, 2023
FULL STANDINGS
INDIANAPOLIS – Qualifying came to an end and the first cuts were made in all three age-based divisions (18-and-under, 15-and-under and 12-and-under) at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships on Thursday.
U18 Boys
The U18 boys division has typically been the largest at the Junior Gold Championships, and this year’s tournament was no exception as 1,313 bowlers took to the lanes in U18 boys action. After four days and 16 games of qualifying, only 189 remain.
Aidan Furukawa of Sunbury, Ohio, walked away with first-place honors at the end of qualifying. Furukawa used games of 252 and 245 to put up an 879 set on Thursday, giving him 3,595 for the tournament (a 224.69 average).
Daniel Robertson of Jackson, New Jersey, bested Furukawa on Thursday, rolling games of 214, 209, 259 and 235 to put up a block total of 917. It wasn’t enough to overtake Furukawa, however, leaving Robertson to settle for second place with 3,580.
Christian Liquori of Merritt Island, Florida, finished third with 3,550 while Traeten Henrichsmeyer of Eau Claire, Wisconsin (3,429), and Elias O’Hollaren of San Diego (3,427) completed qualifying in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Spots six through nine went to Robert Oakleaf Jr. of Fairdale, Kentucky (3,425); Joshua Abigania of San Diego (3,422); Braden Mallasch of Waupaca, Wisconsin (3,411); and Joseph Merz of Davison, Michigan (3,401).
There was a tie for 10th place with Harrison Davis of Fall City, Washington, and Nicolas Trentler of Phoenix, Maryland, coming in with matching 16-game totals of 3,389 (a 211.81 average).
The final cut number for U18 boys wound up being 3,068, and it was shared by four bowlers, Zachary Wentzel of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania; Gavin Hart of Cape Coral, Florida; Riley Speer of Beech Grove, Indiana; and Evan McDermott of Harrisburg, Illinois.
All four finished strong to get to the magic number with last-game scores ranging from 191 to 219. They needed every bit of it too as there were 13 bowlers who finished within 20 pins of the final cut number.
Nevertheless, moving on from qualifying does not afford these 189 bowlers an opportunity to relax as now they must attempt to make it through two five-game advancers rounds at Royal Pin Western on Friday. The first five-game block will start at 7:30 a.m. Eastern, and the second takes place at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Cuts will take place after each advancers round, paring the field down from 189 bowlers to start the day to just 16 who will go on to match play. The 16 survivors will do battle in two-game, total-pinfall matches in a true double-elimination bracket.
Royal Pin Western will host all six rounds of U18 boys match play, the first two rounds of which will take place Friday night at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Eastern. The remaining four rounds of matches are scheduled for Saturday morning at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Eastern.
Once match play is completed, the three boys who have survived will have qualified for the stepladder finals, which will be contested at Royal Pin Western at 6 p.m. Eastern on Saturday evening.
The stepladder finals will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network and will air on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 9 p.m. Eastern.
U18 Girls
There were 588 bowlers in the U18 girls field at this year’s Junior Gold Championships; now, just 84 remain.
Katelyn Abigania of San Diego, winner of the 2018 and 2019 U12 girls title, authored the top qualifying score, using a 937 set (222, 235, 258 and 222) on Thursday to finish with 3,459 (a 216.19 average).
Kaitlyn Stull of Raleigh, North Carolina, was close behind, qualifying second with 3,436.
Defending U18 girls champion Erin Klemencic of Powder Springs, Georgia, was third with 3,377.
Brooke Salzman of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota (3,375), and Gianna Brandolino of Joliet, Illinois (3,357), finished in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Victoria Varano of Stony Point, New York (3,352); Karina Capron of Fremont, Nebraska (3,312); and Haley Lindley of Greenwood, South Carolina (3,253); secured spots six through eight.
Ashtyn Woods of Santa Rosa, California, and Natalie Kent of Newark, New York, tied for the final spot in the top 10 at 3,249 (a 203.06 average).
Both Junior Team USA and the Junior Team USA Developmental Team were well represented during U18 girls qualifying with seven Junior Team USA members (Abigania, Brandolino, Klemencic, Lindley, Salzman, Varano and Woods) and two Junior Team USA Developmental Team members (Abigania and Stull) finishing in the top 10.
But every qualifying spot was valuable, and Megan Redmond of Marysvile, Michigan, got the very last one, closing with a 191 to establish a four-day total of 2,934 (a 183.38 average), which gave her the 84th and final place inside the U18 girls cut line.
Now that qualifying-round action has been completed, the 84 bowlers that remain will hit the lanes for two five-game advancers rounds at Strike Force Lanes on Friday. Round 1 will begin at 7:30 a.m. Eastern with Round 2 following it up at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Cuts will take place after each advancers round, meaning that the U18 girls field will start the day with 84 bowlers but be taken down to 16 by the time match play is set to begin. The 16 girls who advance to match play will take part in two-game, total-pinfall matches in a true double-elimination bracket.
Strike Force Lanes will host all six rounds of U18 girls match play, the first two rounds of which will take place Friday night at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Eastern. The remaining four rounds of matches are scheduled for Saturday morning at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Eastern.
Once match play is completed, the three girls still in contention will move on to the stepladder finals, which will be contested at Royal Pin Western at 6 p.m. Eastern on Saturday evening.
The stepladder finals will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network and will air on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 9 p.m. Eastern.
U15 Boys
A field of 100 bowlers remains in contention for the U15 boys title, down from an original cast of 700.
Ernesto Reynoso of Folsom, California, used a steady closing set to walk away with first place at the end of qualifying. Reynoso shot 208, 209, 183 and 213 on Thursday. That gave him 813 for the block and 3,504 overall (a 219 average).
Braden McDonough of Coppell, Texas, broke 200 during three of his four games in Round 4 (219, 221 and 226), and that allowed him to record a final-round 843 that helped him secure second place with 3,484.
Dylan Harnden of Shelby Township, Michigan, qualified third with 3,463.
Adam Wakelee of Farmington, New York, used games of 258 and 267 to get to 923 on the day and 3,347 overall, which was good enough for fourth place.
Matteo Quintero of Smyrna, Tennessee, the 2021 U12 boys champion, qualified fifth with 3,341 (a 208.81 average).
Anthony Swanson of Des Plaines, Illinois (3,322); Emmanuel Guevara of Largo, Florida (3,313); William Cunningham III of Newark, New Jersey (3,291); Tristan Perham of Bakersfield, California (3,281); and Jacob Dunbar of Milford, Massachusetts (3,275) claimed spots six through ten.
The score needed to move on to the advancers round for U15 boys was 2,986, and it was put up by Dominic Danneffel of Comstock Park, Michigan.
The 100 bowlers who advanced will now bowl two five-game advancers rounds at Championship Lanes on Friday. The first is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. Eastern, and the second is slated for 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Cuts will take place after each advancers round, bringing the total number of U15 boys competitors down from 100 bowlers at the start the day to the final 16 who will earn the right to participate in match play. Those 16 bowlers will square off in two-game, total-pinfall matches in a true double-elimination bracket.
Championship Lanes will host all six rounds of U15 boys match play, the first two rounds of which will take place Friday night at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Eastern. The remaining four rounds of matches are scheduled for Saturday morning at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Eastern.
Once match play is completed, the three competitors that remain will have qualified for the U15 boys stepladder finals, which will be contested at Royal Pin Western at 2 p.m. Eastern on Saturday afternoon.
The stepladder finals will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network and will air on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
U15 Girls
When qualifying got underway Monday morning, 326 girls had hopes of winning the U15 girls national championship. Once Thursday’s final round of qualifying was finished, only the top 47 remained in contention.
Bella Castillo of Odessa, Texas, was rock solid during Round 4, putting up games of 203, 202, 212 and 232 for a block total of 849. That gave Castillo a four-day, 16-game total of 3,331 (a 208.19 average), which made her the qualifying leader and the only U15 girls competitor to average 200 or better over the first four rounds.
Anna Antony of Farmington, Connecticut, last year’s U12 girls qualifying leader, settled for second place with 3,174.
Clara Campbell of McKinney, Texas, was third with 3,157 while Elena Weinstok of Costa Rica, placed fourth with 3,128. Malayna Calo of Riverview, Florida, secured fifth place with 3,091.
The remaining spots in the U15 girls top ten were taken up by Arden Han-Wei of Bellevue, Washington (3,081); Carly Wireman of Yorktown, Virginia (3,038); Jayna Yockman of Kapolei, Hawaii (3,037); Carly Rhodes of Largo, Florida (3,023); and Lindsay Greim of Poway, California (2,990).
It took a four-day total of 2,793 (a 174.56 average) to advance out of U15 girls qualifying. Juliann Amende of Sheridan, Wyoming, used a Round 4 set of 702 to get set that mark and hold off five competitors who finished less than 20 pins behind.
The roster of 47 bowlers who moved on from U15 girls qualifying will face two five-game advancers rounds Friday. The first will be held at Royal Pin Expo starting at 7:30 a.m. Eastern The second will be hosted by Royal Pin Western starting at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Cuts will take place after each advancers round, whittling the U15 girls field down from 47 bowlers to the final 16. Those 16 athletes will engage in two-game, total-pinfall matches in a true double-elimination bracket.
Royal Pin Western will host all six rounds of U15 girls match play, the first two rounds of which will take place Friday night at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Eastern. The remaining four rounds of matches are scheduled for Saturday morning at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Eastern.
At the conclusion of Round 6 of match play, the three girls still in contention will have qualified for the U15 girls stepladder finals, which will be contested at Royal Pin Western at 2 p.m. Eastern on Saturday afternoon.
The stepladder finals will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network and will air on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
U12 Boys
A U12 boys field that started with 226 bowlers has now been whittled down to the final 33 after the first cut was made following Thursday’s final four-game qualifying block.
Miles Gordon of Columbus, Ohio, who qualified second in the U12 boys standings last year in Grand Rapids, reached the top of the ladder this time around.
Gordon shot 225, 194, 203 and 165 on Thursday to come in with a 787 set that moved his final qualifying total to 3,287 (a 205.44 average).
Tatum Lee of Minot, North Dakota, shot 707 to finish in second place with 3,250.
Noah Wood of Mount Morris, Michigan, placed third with 3,158, and Kristofer Wagner of Deland, Florida, was fourth at 3,153.
Ryan Campbell of Clinton, South Carolina, snagged the final spot in the U12 boys top five for the second year in a row. Campbell shot 824 on Thursday to finish qualifying at 3,073, which was good enough for fifth.
Eason Taylor of Chicago (3,008); Brennan Brandel of Saginaw, Michigan (2,994); Jashur Winski of Montgomery, Texas (2,957); Ezekiel Trejo of Las Vegas (2,954); and Aaron Cabiness of Columbus, Ohio (2,929), also landed in the U12 boys top ten.
Jon Abigania of San Diego set the cut number as his four-day total of 2,730 (a 170.63 average) put him in 33rd place and gave him the final ticket to the advancers round.
The 33 bowlers who survived qualifying have moved on to a four-game advancers round at Mike Aulby’s Arrowhead Bowl Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Once those four games are completed, the top eight bowlers will advance to match play.
Match-play will feature two-game, total-pinfall matches and will follow a true double-elimination format. The match-play portion of the U12 boys event will be held at Mike Aulby’s Arrowhead Bowl on Friday afternoon with rounds scheduled to start at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Eastern.
When match play is completed Friday evening, three boys will remain. Those bowlers will compete in the U12 boys stepladder finals, which will take place at Royal Pin Western at 10 a.m. Eastern on Saturday morning.
The stepladder finals will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network and will air on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
U12 Girls
Now that qualifying-round competition is completed, 15 bowlers remain in contention for the U12 girls title.
Alexandra McCowan of Anaheim, California, remained in first place as qualifying came to an end. Her four-day total of 2,885 (a 180.31 average) put her nearly 200 pins ahead of second-place finisher Kennedi Spears of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, who came in at 2,695 to qualify second among U12 girls for the second year in a row.
Jayne Juhasz of Ormond Beach, Florida (2,668); Alivia Portillo of Bellevue, Michigan (2,649); and Isabella Jones of Edinburgh, Indiana (2,599), rounded out the top five.
Karissa Kamada of Mililani, Hawaii (2,596); Alyssa Randisi of Brooklyn, New York (2,593); Lydia Gordon of Columbus, Ohio (2,573); Aliyah Dent of Hagerstown, Maryland (2,554); and Bryonna Camp of Brick, New Jersey (2,509) grabbed the remaining spots in the top ten.
Presley Raine of Morriston, Florida (2,504); Sofia Trujillo of Cocoa, Florida (2,487); Kylie Oppedisano of Trumbull, Connecticut (2,485); Izzabella Dixon of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (2,484); and Emily Dirksen of Lakeville, Minnesota (2,481); secured the remaining spots in the U12 girls advancers round by claiming spots 11-15.
Those 15 bowlers will participate in a four-game advancers round at Mike Aulby’s Arrowhead Bowl Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. At the end of those four games, the top eight bowlers will advance to match play.
Match-play will consist of two-game, total-pinfall matches and will follow a true double-elimination format.
Competition will be held at Mike Aulby’s Arrowhead Bowl with rounds scheduled to start at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Eastern on Friday afternoon.
When match play is completed Friday evening, three competitors will remain. Those three will have qualified for the U12 girls stepladder finals, which will take place at Royal Pin Western at 10 a.m. Eastern on Saturday morning.
The stepladder finals will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network and will air on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Capron cashes in for the seventh 300 game of 2023 Junior Gold qualifying
Karina Capron of Fremont, Nebraska, saved her best for last, rolling a perfect game on Thursday night during her 16th and final game of 2023 Junior Gold qualifying.
Capron’s 300 was the seventh recorded at this year’s tournament, but it was the first authored by a competitor outside the U18 boys division.
The bowlers with perfect games at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships are as follows:
• Garrett Andrus; Austin, Texas; U18 boys; Round 1; Game 2
• Harcourt Husbands; Titusville, Florida; U18 boys; Round 1; Game 3
• Raiden Nakagawa; Kaneohe, Hawaii; U18 boys; Round 1; Game 3
• Benjamin Mikolajczak; Kenosha, Wisconsin; U18 boys; Round 2; Game 1
• Zach Olson; Neenah, Wisconsin; U18 boys; Round 2; Game 4
• Kyle Dunne; Hinckley, Ohio; U18 boys; Round 3; Game 2
• Karina Capron; Fremont, Nebraska; U18 girls; Round 4; Game 4
INDIANAPOLIS – Qualifying came to an end and the first cuts were made in all three age-based divisions (18-and-under, 15-and-under and 12-and-under) at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships on Thursday.
U18 Boys
The U18 boys division has typically been the largest at the Junior Gold Championships, and this year’s tournament was no exception as 1,313 bowlers took to the lanes in U18 boys action. After four days and 16 games of qualifying, only 189 remain.
Aidan Furukawa of Sunbury, Ohio, walked away with first-place honors at the end of qualifying. Furukawa used games of 252 and 245 to put up an 879 set on Thursday, giving him 3,595 for the tournament (a 224.69 average).
Daniel Robertson of Jackson, New Jersey, bested Furukawa on Thursday, rolling games of 214, 209, 259 and 235 to put up a block total of 917. It wasn’t enough to overtake Furukawa, however, leaving Robertson to settle for second place with 3,580.
Christian Liquori of Merritt Island, Florida, finished third with 3,550 while Traeten Henrichsmeyer of Eau Claire, Wisconsin (3,429), and Elias O’Hollaren of San Diego (3,427) completed qualifying in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Spots six through nine went to Robert Oakleaf Jr. of Fairdale, Kentucky (3,425); Joshua Abigania of San Diego (3,422); Braden Mallasch of Waupaca, Wisconsin (3,411); and Joseph Merz of Davison, Michigan (3,401).
There was a tie for 10th place with Harrison Davis of Fall City, Washington, and Nicolas Trentler of Phoenix, Maryland, coming in with matching 16-game totals of 3,389 (a 211.81 average).
The final cut number for U18 boys wound up being 3,068, and it was shared by four bowlers, Zachary Wentzel of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania; Gavin Hart of Cape Coral, Florida; Riley Speer of Beech Grove, Indiana; and Evan McDermott of Harrisburg, Illinois.
All four finished strong to get to the magic number with last-game scores ranging from 191 to 219. They needed every bit of it too as there were 13 bowlers who finished within 20 pins of the final cut number.
Nevertheless, moving on from qualifying does not afford these 189 bowlers an opportunity to relax as now they must attempt to make it through two five-game advancers rounds at Royal Pin Western on Friday. The first five-game block will start at 7:30 a.m. Eastern, and the second takes place at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Cuts will take place after each advancers round, paring the field down from 189 bowlers to start the day to just 16 who will go on to match play. The 16 survivors will do battle in two-game, total-pinfall matches in a true double-elimination bracket.
Royal Pin Western will host all six rounds of U18 boys match play, the first two rounds of which will take place Friday night at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Eastern. The remaining four rounds of matches are scheduled for Saturday morning at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Eastern.
Once match play is completed, the three boys who have survived will have qualified for the stepladder finals, which will be contested at Royal Pin Western at 6 p.m. Eastern on Saturday evening.
The stepladder finals will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network and will air on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 9 p.m. Eastern.
U18 Girls
There were 588 bowlers in the U18 girls field at this year’s Junior Gold Championships; now, just 84 remain.
Katelyn Abigania of San Diego, winner of the 2018 and 2019 U12 girls title, authored the top qualifying score, using a 937 set (222, 235, 258 and 222) on Thursday to finish with 3,459 (a 216.19 average).
Kaitlyn Stull of Raleigh, North Carolina, was close behind, qualifying second with 3,436.
Defending U18 girls champion Erin Klemencic of Powder Springs, Georgia, was third with 3,377.
Brooke Salzman of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota (3,375), and Gianna Brandolino of Joliet, Illinois (3,357), finished in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Victoria Varano of Stony Point, New York (3,352); Karina Capron of Fremont, Nebraska (3,312); and Haley Lindley of Greenwood, South Carolina (3,253); secured spots six through eight.
Ashtyn Woods of Santa Rosa, California, and Natalie Kent of Newark, New York, tied for the final spot in the top 10 at 3,249 (a 203.06 average).
Both Junior Team USA and the Junior Team USA Developmental Team were well represented during U18 girls qualifying with seven Junior Team USA members (Abigania, Brandolino, Klemencic, Lindley, Salzman, Varano and Woods) and two Junior Team USA Developmental Team members (Abigania and Stull) finishing in the top 10.
But every qualifying spot was valuable, and Megan Redmond of Marysvile, Michigan, got the very last one, closing with a 191 to establish a four-day total of 2,934 (a 183.38 average), which gave her the 84th and final place inside the U18 girls cut line.
Now that qualifying-round action has been completed, the 84 bowlers that remain will hit the lanes for two five-game advancers rounds at Strike Force Lanes on Friday. Round 1 will begin at 7:30 a.m. Eastern with Round 2 following it up at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Cuts will take place after each advancers round, meaning that the U18 girls field will start the day with 84 bowlers but be taken down to 16 by the time match play is set to begin. The 16 girls who advance to match play will take part in two-game, total-pinfall matches in a true double-elimination bracket.
Strike Force Lanes will host all six rounds of U18 girls match play, the first two rounds of which will take place Friday night at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Eastern. The remaining four rounds of matches are scheduled for Saturday morning at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Eastern.
Once match play is completed, the three girls still in contention will move on to the stepladder finals, which will be contested at Royal Pin Western at 6 p.m. Eastern on Saturday evening.
The stepladder finals will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network and will air on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 9 p.m. Eastern.
U15 Boys
A field of 100 bowlers remains in contention for the U15 boys title, down from an original cast of 700.
Ernesto Reynoso of Folsom, California, used a steady closing set to walk away with first place at the end of qualifying. Reynoso shot 208, 209, 183 and 213 on Thursday. That gave him 813 for the block and 3,504 overall (a 219 average).
Braden McDonough of Coppell, Texas, broke 200 during three of his four games in Round 4 (219, 221 and 226), and that allowed him to record a final-round 843 that helped him secure second place with 3,484.
Dylan Harnden of Shelby Township, Michigan, qualified third with 3,463.
Adam Wakelee of Farmington, New York, used games of 258 and 267 to get to 923 on the day and 3,347 overall, which was good enough for fourth place.
Matteo Quintero of Smyrna, Tennessee, the 2021 U12 boys champion, qualified fifth with 3,341 (a 208.81 average).
Anthony Swanson of Des Plaines, Illinois (3,322); Emmanuel Guevara of Largo, Florida (3,313); William Cunningham III of Newark, New Jersey (3,291); Tristan Perham of Bakersfield, California (3,281); and Jacob Dunbar of Milford, Massachusetts (3,275) claimed spots six through ten.
The score needed to move on to the advancers round for U15 boys was 2,986, and it was put up by Dominic Danneffel of Comstock Park, Michigan.
The 100 bowlers who advanced will now bowl two five-game advancers rounds at Championship Lanes on Friday. The first is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. Eastern, and the second is slated for 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Cuts will take place after each advancers round, bringing the total number of U15 boys competitors down from 100 bowlers at the start the day to the final 16 who will earn the right to participate in match play. Those 16 bowlers will square off in two-game, total-pinfall matches in a true double-elimination bracket.
Championship Lanes will host all six rounds of U15 boys match play, the first two rounds of which will take place Friday night at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Eastern. The remaining four rounds of matches are scheduled for Saturday morning at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Eastern.
Once match play is completed, the three competitors that remain will have qualified for the U15 boys stepladder finals, which will be contested at Royal Pin Western at 2 p.m. Eastern on Saturday afternoon.
The stepladder finals will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network and will air on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
U15 Girls
When qualifying got underway Monday morning, 326 girls had hopes of winning the U15 girls national championship. Once Thursday’s final round of qualifying was finished, only the top 47 remained in contention.
Bella Castillo of Odessa, Texas, was rock solid during Round 4, putting up games of 203, 202, 212 and 232 for a block total of 849. That gave Castillo a four-day, 16-game total of 3,331 (a 208.19 average), which made her the qualifying leader and the only U15 girls competitor to average 200 or better over the first four rounds.
Anna Antony of Farmington, Connecticut, last year’s U12 girls qualifying leader, settled for second place with 3,174.
Clara Campbell of McKinney, Texas, was third with 3,157 while Elena Weinstok of Costa Rica, placed fourth with 3,128. Malayna Calo of Riverview, Florida, secured fifth place with 3,091.
The remaining spots in the U15 girls top ten were taken up by Arden Han-Wei of Bellevue, Washington (3,081); Carly Wireman of Yorktown, Virginia (3,038); Jayna Yockman of Kapolei, Hawaii (3,037); Carly Rhodes of Largo, Florida (3,023); and Lindsay Greim of Poway, California (2,990).
It took a four-day total of 2,793 (a 174.56 average) to advance out of U15 girls qualifying. Juliann Amende of Sheridan, Wyoming, used a Round 4 set of 702 to get set that mark and hold off five competitors who finished less than 20 pins behind.
The roster of 47 bowlers who moved on from U15 girls qualifying will face two five-game advancers rounds Friday. The first will be held at Royal Pin Expo starting at 7:30 a.m. Eastern The second will be hosted by Royal Pin Western starting at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Cuts will take place after each advancers round, whittling the U15 girls field down from 47 bowlers to the final 16. Those 16 athletes will engage in two-game, total-pinfall matches in a true double-elimination bracket.
Royal Pin Western will host all six rounds of U15 girls match play, the first two rounds of which will take place Friday night at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Eastern. The remaining four rounds of matches are scheduled for Saturday morning at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Eastern.
At the conclusion of Round 6 of match play, the three girls still in contention will have qualified for the U15 girls stepladder finals, which will be contested at Royal Pin Western at 2 p.m. Eastern on Saturday afternoon.
The stepladder finals will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network and will air on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
U12 Boys
A U12 boys field that started with 226 bowlers has now been whittled down to the final 33 after the first cut was made following Thursday’s final four-game qualifying block.
Miles Gordon of Columbus, Ohio, who qualified second in the U12 boys standings last year in Grand Rapids, reached the top of the ladder this time around.
Gordon shot 225, 194, 203 and 165 on Thursday to come in with a 787 set that moved his final qualifying total to 3,287 (a 205.44 average).
Tatum Lee of Minot, North Dakota, shot 707 to finish in second place with 3,250.
Noah Wood of Mount Morris, Michigan, placed third with 3,158, and Kristofer Wagner of Deland, Florida, was fourth at 3,153.
Ryan Campbell of Clinton, South Carolina, snagged the final spot in the U12 boys top five for the second year in a row. Campbell shot 824 on Thursday to finish qualifying at 3,073, which was good enough for fifth.
Eason Taylor of Chicago (3,008); Brennan Brandel of Saginaw, Michigan (2,994); Jashur Winski of Montgomery, Texas (2,957); Ezekiel Trejo of Las Vegas (2,954); and Aaron Cabiness of Columbus, Ohio (2,929), also landed in the U12 boys top ten.
Jon Abigania of San Diego set the cut number as his four-day total of 2,730 (a 170.63 average) put him in 33rd place and gave him the final ticket to the advancers round.
The 33 bowlers who survived qualifying have moved on to a four-game advancers round at Mike Aulby’s Arrowhead Bowl Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Once those four games are completed, the top eight bowlers will advance to match play.
Match-play will feature two-game, total-pinfall matches and will follow a true double-elimination format. The match-play portion of the U12 boys event will be held at Mike Aulby’s Arrowhead Bowl on Friday afternoon with rounds scheduled to start at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Eastern.
When match play is completed Friday evening, three boys will remain. Those bowlers will compete in the U12 boys stepladder finals, which will take place at Royal Pin Western at 10 a.m. Eastern on Saturday morning.
The stepladder finals will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network and will air on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
U12 Girls
Now that qualifying-round competition is completed, 15 bowlers remain in contention for the U12 girls title.
Alexandra McCowan of Anaheim, California, remained in first place as qualifying came to an end. Her four-day total of 2,885 (a 180.31 average) put her nearly 200 pins ahead of second-place finisher Kennedi Spears of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, who came in at 2,695 to qualify second among U12 girls for the second year in a row.
Jayne Juhasz of Ormond Beach, Florida (2,668); Alivia Portillo of Bellevue, Michigan (2,649); and Isabella Jones of Edinburgh, Indiana (2,599), rounded out the top five.
Karissa Kamada of Mililani, Hawaii (2,596); Alyssa Randisi of Brooklyn, New York (2,593); Lydia Gordon of Columbus, Ohio (2,573); Aliyah Dent of Hagerstown, Maryland (2,554); and Bryonna Camp of Brick, New Jersey (2,509) grabbed the remaining spots in the top ten.
Presley Raine of Morriston, Florida (2,504); Sofia Trujillo of Cocoa, Florida (2,487); Kylie Oppedisano of Trumbull, Connecticut (2,485); Izzabella Dixon of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (2,484); and Emily Dirksen of Lakeville, Minnesota (2,481); secured the remaining spots in the U12 girls advancers round by claiming spots 11-15.
Those 15 bowlers will participate in a four-game advancers round at Mike Aulby’s Arrowhead Bowl Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. At the end of those four games, the top eight bowlers will advance to match play.
Match-play will consist of two-game, total-pinfall matches and will follow a true double-elimination format.
Competition will be held at Mike Aulby’s Arrowhead Bowl with rounds scheduled to start at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Eastern on Friday afternoon.
When match play is completed Friday evening, three competitors will remain. Those three will have qualified for the U12 girls stepladder finals, which will take place at Royal Pin Western at 10 a.m. Eastern on Saturday morning.
The stepladder finals will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network and will air on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Capron cashes in for the seventh 300 game of 2023 Junior Gold qualifying
Karina Capron of Fremont, Nebraska, saved her best for last, rolling a perfect game on Thursday night during her 16th and final game of 2023 Junior Gold qualifying.
Capron’s 300 was the seventh recorded at this year’s tournament, but it was the first authored by a competitor outside the U18 boys division.
The bowlers with perfect games at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships are as follows:
• Garrett Andrus; Austin, Texas; U18 boys; Round 1; Game 2
• Harcourt Husbands; Titusville, Florida; U18 boys; Round 1; Game 3
• Raiden Nakagawa; Kaneohe, Hawaii; U18 boys; Round 1; Game 3
• Benjamin Mikolajczak; Kenosha, Wisconsin; U18 boys; Round 2; Game 1
• Zach Olson; Neenah, Wisconsin; U18 boys; Round 2; Game 4
• Kyle Dunne; Hinckley, Ohio; U18 boys; Round 3; Game 2
• Karina Capron; Fremont, Nebraska; U18 girls; Round 4; Game 4