2024 Junior Gold Notebook - Round 1
July 16, 2024
DETROIT – Qualifying at the 2024 Junior Gold Championships got underway Monday for all three age-based divisions (U18, U15 and U12) in Detroit as the first of four four-game blocks were completed across eight different bowling centers.
U18 BOYS
Last year’s U15 Boys winner Ernesto Reynoso of Folsom, California, started his quest for back-to-back titles with a four-game block of 967, using games of 194, 258, 278 and 237 to lead.
The rest of the top five are close behind, as Josh Hammons of Topeka, Kansas (963), Kenneth Mcreynolds of Kingsport, Tennessee (958) and Ethan Caruso of Channahon, Illinois, and Quinn Tillman of Clermont, Florida (957) are within 10 pins of Reynoso.
U18 GIRLS
Eliana Occhino of Fulton, New York started her day with 213 and 203 before going 259 and 253 to end at a 928 total and leading the pack.
Gianna Varano of Stony Point, New York (920), Sydney Bohn of Jackson, New Jersey (919), Taylor Kretz of Erie, Pennsylvania (917) and Keira Magsam of Gretna, New England (906) round out the rest of the top five, respectively.
U15 BOYS
Two boys in U15 went +200 on the day, as Ewan Oaster of Portland, Oregon and Peyton Schley of Hegins, Pennsylvania shot four-game blocks of 1,012 and 1,005, respectively.
Jackson Alexander Veitch of Edinburg, Virginia (983), Brady Proveaux of Elgin, South Carolina (981) and Dylan Beck of Port Saint Lucie, Florida (955) round out the top five.
There was also the day’s only 300 in U15 Boys, Mithrandir Loutan of Rosedale, New York, bounced back from a 161 in Game 3 to end the block with perfection and at an 878 total.
U15 GIRLS
Baylie Massingill started her day off with a 279 before going 228, 194 and 196 to finish Round 1 leading the U15 Girls. Layna Linker of Kannapolis, North Carolina (873), Lindsay Greim of Poway, California (863), Zoe Skinner of Crystal, Minnesota (861) and Savannah Portillo (831) all hold top five spots, respectively.
U12 BOYS
Tyce Wilds out of Three Rivers, Michigan, led the way in U12 Boys with games of 220, 173, 235 and 220 for a total of 848, and one of three boys who ended the day at even or better. Eil Franco of Fishers, Indiana (834) and Nehemiah Keefer of Bellwood, Illinois (800) were second and third, respectively.
Ivan Alejandre of Houston, Texas (788) and Vincent Cintron of Jacksonville, Florida (781) rounded out the top five. Alejandre recovered from a 126 start to climb up the standings with games of 184, 233 and 245.
U12 GIRLS
Alyssa Randisi of Brooklyn, New York, was the only one in U12 Girls to go plus on the day, shooting games of 215, 201, 234 and 211 to end up at 861.
Aliyana Debina-Gasper of Mililani, Hawaii (794), Lea Besevic of Machesney Park, Illinois (739), Emelia Fowler of Saginaw, Michigan (726) and Bryonna Camp of Brick, New Jersey (724) rounded out the top five, respectively.
TWO-HANDED BOWLING MAKES PRESENCE KNOWN IN GIRLS DIVISIONS
The rise of the two-handed bowling style over the past 10+ years has mainly been dominated by boys, with many youth bowlers opting for that style over the one-handed delivery. Lately however, some of the nation’s female bowlers are adopting to two-handed deliveries for a variety of reasons.
During one squad of U18 Girls and U15 Girls, there were at least six bowlers who were using the two-handed style. Three of these bowlers were Viktoriya Berger of Lubbock, Texas, and Faith Roper of Woodstock, Georgia, both of whom are in the top 40 in the U18 Girls standings, along with Grace Zuerner of Terre Haute, Indiana in U15 Girls.
For Berger, it was her dad who nudged her and her brother towards the delivery that many of the top players in the professional ranks use.
“It’s something different that most of the other girls are doing, it gives me more revs and ball speed,” said Berger. “I think two-handed bowling is only going to get more popular on the girl’s side quickly.”
Roper tried the two-handed style after Junior Gold in 2019, citing thumb issues and wanting to see how it would feel.
“I decided to switch to two-handed and it stuck,” said Roper. “It felt a lot more natural throwing two-handed. It was also easier on my wrist, helping me getting underneath the ball instead of staying on top of the ball.”
Zuerner made the switch quickly after starting her bowling career, saying that she was a fan of professionals like Kyle Troup.
“I started getting more coaching for my new form and started bowling sport shot leagues about a year and a half ago,” said Zuerner. “Every year I see more and more people going two-handed, compared to before when there was like no one on the girls side doing that style.”
Competition continues all day Tuesday, with certain centers being live-streamed on BowlTV.
For more information on the Junior Gold Championships, visit bowl.com/juniorgold.
U18 BOYS
Last year’s U15 Boys winner Ernesto Reynoso of Folsom, California, started his quest for back-to-back titles with a four-game block of 967, using games of 194, 258, 278 and 237 to lead.
The rest of the top five are close behind, as Josh Hammons of Topeka, Kansas (963), Kenneth Mcreynolds of Kingsport, Tennessee (958) and Ethan Caruso of Channahon, Illinois, and Quinn Tillman of Clermont, Florida (957) are within 10 pins of Reynoso.
U18 GIRLS
Eliana Occhino of Fulton, New York started her day with 213 and 203 before going 259 and 253 to end at a 928 total and leading the pack.
Gianna Varano of Stony Point, New York (920), Sydney Bohn of Jackson, New Jersey (919), Taylor Kretz of Erie, Pennsylvania (917) and Keira Magsam of Gretna, New England (906) round out the rest of the top five, respectively.
U15 BOYS
Two boys in U15 went +200 on the day, as Ewan Oaster of Portland, Oregon and Peyton Schley of Hegins, Pennsylvania shot four-game blocks of 1,012 and 1,005, respectively.
Jackson Alexander Veitch of Edinburg, Virginia (983), Brady Proveaux of Elgin, South Carolina (981) and Dylan Beck of Port Saint Lucie, Florida (955) round out the top five.
There was also the day’s only 300 in U15 Boys, Mithrandir Loutan of Rosedale, New York, bounced back from a 161 in Game 3 to end the block with perfection and at an 878 total.
U15 GIRLS
Baylie Massingill started her day off with a 279 before going 228, 194 and 196 to finish Round 1 leading the U15 Girls. Layna Linker of Kannapolis, North Carolina (873), Lindsay Greim of Poway, California (863), Zoe Skinner of Crystal, Minnesota (861) and Savannah Portillo (831) all hold top five spots, respectively.
U12 BOYS
Tyce Wilds out of Three Rivers, Michigan, led the way in U12 Boys with games of 220, 173, 235 and 220 for a total of 848, and one of three boys who ended the day at even or better. Eil Franco of Fishers, Indiana (834) and Nehemiah Keefer of Bellwood, Illinois (800) were second and third, respectively.
Ivan Alejandre of Houston, Texas (788) and Vincent Cintron of Jacksonville, Florida (781) rounded out the top five. Alejandre recovered from a 126 start to climb up the standings with games of 184, 233 and 245.
U12 GIRLS
Alyssa Randisi of Brooklyn, New York, was the only one in U12 Girls to go plus on the day, shooting games of 215, 201, 234 and 211 to end up at 861.
Aliyana Debina-Gasper of Mililani, Hawaii (794), Lea Besevic of Machesney Park, Illinois (739), Emelia Fowler of Saginaw, Michigan (726) and Bryonna Camp of Brick, New Jersey (724) rounded out the top five, respectively.
TWO-HANDED BOWLING MAKES PRESENCE KNOWN IN GIRLS DIVISIONS
The rise of the two-handed bowling style over the past 10+ years has mainly been dominated by boys, with many youth bowlers opting for that style over the one-handed delivery. Lately however, some of the nation’s female bowlers are adopting to two-handed deliveries for a variety of reasons.
During one squad of U18 Girls and U15 Girls, there were at least six bowlers who were using the two-handed style. Three of these bowlers were Viktoriya Berger of Lubbock, Texas, and Faith Roper of Woodstock, Georgia, both of whom are in the top 40 in the U18 Girls standings, along with Grace Zuerner of Terre Haute, Indiana in U15 Girls.
For Berger, it was her dad who nudged her and her brother towards the delivery that many of the top players in the professional ranks use.
“It’s something different that most of the other girls are doing, it gives me more revs and ball speed,” said Berger. “I think two-handed bowling is only going to get more popular on the girl’s side quickly.”
Roper tried the two-handed style after Junior Gold in 2019, citing thumb issues and wanting to see how it would feel.
“I decided to switch to two-handed and it stuck,” said Roper. “It felt a lot more natural throwing two-handed. It was also easier on my wrist, helping me getting underneath the ball instead of staying on top of the ball.”
Zuerner made the switch quickly after starting her bowling career, saying that she was a fan of professionals like Kyle Troup.
“I started getting more coaching for my new form and started bowling sport shot leagues about a year and a half ago,” said Zuerner. “Every year I see more and more people going two-handed, compared to before when there was like no one on the girls side doing that style.”
Competition continues all day Tuesday, with certain centers being live-streamed on BowlTV.
For more information on the Junior Gold Championships, visit bowl.com/juniorgold.