2026 Junior Gold Notebook - Day 5
July 18, 2026
FULL RESULTS
MINNEAPOLIS – Stepladder finalists emerged in the U12 divisions and fields narrowed in U14, U16 and U18 on Friday at the 2026 Junior Gold Championships.
While the U12 stepladder finalists have been determined, match play will continue in the U14, U16 and U18 fields on Saturday until just three athletes remain in each division. The finalists will then make their way to Cedarvale Lanes for stepladder finals action later in the day.
All stepladder finals at the 2026 Junior Gold Championships will be streamed live on BowlTV and on Bowling TV, the new 24-hour channel dedicated entirely to bowling, which can be found on Prime Video, LG Channels, Xumo Play, DISH TV, Bonusview, Sling Freestream, Plex, Free Live Sports and Bowling TV’s Roku app.
This year’s live Junior Gold streams will take place on Saturday at noon Eastern (U12), 3 p.m. Eastern (U14), 6 p.m. Eastern (U16) and 9 p.m. Eastern (U18).
Because the stepladder finals will not be under live national television time constraints, each top seed will have to be beaten twice during stepladder competition in order to be denied their division’s title.
NEWTON NAILS DOWN TOP SEED FOR U12 GIRLS STEPLADDER
U12 Girls stepladder finalists (from left to right) Kailynn Melvin of Tonganoxie, Kansas; Stevie Newton of Hanover, Pennsylvania; and Lila Bollman of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Stevie Newton of Hanover, Pennsylvania, reached the U12 Girls stepladder finals at the 2025 Junior Gold Championships in Green Bay, Wisconsin, finishing third.
The 12-year-old two-hander guaranteed herself no worse than second place at this year’s tournament by going 3-0 during match play at Cedarvale Lanes on Friday to earn the top seed for Saturday’s U12 Girls stepladder finals.
Newton’s run to the No. 1 seed began with a 410-316 victory over Ava Flaningam of Roscoe, Illinois, during the opening round of match play, which used a two-game total-pinfall format.
Next, Newton took down Hannah Black of Butte, Montana, by a final score of 407-302. The win over Black was of particular importance because it guaranteed Newton a place in Saturday’s stepladder. The only question was whether she would go there as the No. 1 seed or No. 2.
Newton’s opponent in the top-seed match was Lila Bollman of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who earned her place in the bout thanks to wins over Kailynn Melvin of Tonganoxie, Kansas (331-279), and Madelynn Miodynski of Elmhurst, Illinois (351-304).
The battle between Newton and Bollman was competitive throughout, but Newton emerged with a 363-316 victory to secure the stepladder’s top seed while forcing Bollman to settle for No. 2.
As the top seed, Newton will have to be beaten twice on Saturday in order to be denied the 2026 U12 Girls title. It’s an advantage that Newton is very pleased to have.
“Being the top seed is crucial,” Newton said. “The reassurance of knowing that I don’t necessarily have to get it done in just that one game is awesome.”
Another thing Newton already knows is what it feels like to perform in the pressure-packed environment of a Junior Gold stepladder finals.
“I think it’s a huge advantage for me to have been in the finals before because the other two girls might not be used to the bright lights and how quiet it is,” Newton said. “I have that experience from last year, so I think I’ll do pretty well tomorrow.”
Bollman hopes her family and friends will be able to help her settle in so that she can be at her best when the pressure is on.
“All my friends that I bowl with and the encouragement of my family is what’s helped me get this far,” Bollman said. “They’ll be here cheering me on, so I think that will make me more comfortable knowing they are there for me.”
Bollman would love another shot at Newton on Saturday, but to get it, she’ll need to win the opening match against No. 3 seed Melvin.
Melvin took the long way to the stepladder finals, losing her opening-round match against Bollman but then ripping off three consecutive victories in the Elimination Bracket – 398-371 over Taylor Morgan of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 304-276 against Black and 345-326 versus Percila Garcia of Porter Ranch, California – to keep her national title hopes alive.
Winning would mean a lot to Melvin, who is dedicating this week’s performance to the memory of a lost loved one and to all the people cheering her on back home in Kansas.
“I just lost my aunt to cancer, so it would mean a lot to win because I want to go out and do it for her,” Melvin said. “Also, my entire hometown basically said, ‘Go win it for us,’ so I’ve got a lot of pressure.”
SPOKANE’S GARSKE GARNERS TOP SPOT FOR U12 BOYS FINALS
U12 Boys stepladder finalists (from left to right) Gleason Garske of Spokane, Washington; Daniel Wiseman of Bassett, Virginia; and Colin Park of San Jose, California.
Anyone who’s perused the U12 Boys standings at the 2026 Junior Gold Championships is used to seeing the name Gleason Garske. That’s because the 12-year-old from Spokane, Washington, had his name at or near the top of the division’s leaderboard during each of the first four days of competition at this year’s tournament.
As such, it was no surprise when Garske turned in another outstanding effort on Friday, moving into first place after the morning’s Advancers’ Round and then going undefeated during match play to earn the No. 1 seed for Saturday’s U12 Boys stepladder finals.
Garske opened bracket play with a 342-313 win over Nolan Randisi of Brooklyn, New York – all matches followed a two-game, total-pinfall format. Then, Garske collected a 370-271 victory over Cooper Powell of Allen, Texas, to secure a place in the stepladder finals and a 345-332 triumph against Daniel Wiseman of Bassett, Virginia, to earn the top seed.
Being No. 1 is an enviable position as it means Wiseman or No. 3 seed Colin Park of San Jose, California, will have to defeat Garske twice on Saturday in order to win this year’s U12 Boys title.
Garske knows he’s in a favorable spot; nevertheless, his plan is to try to keep things business as usual.
“Being the top seed is a pretty big advantage, but, honestly, I’m just focusing on having fun and doing my thing,” Garske said. “I’m to go to bed early tonight, get a good night’s sleep and just have fun with it.”
Although he wants to stay in the moment and focus on the task at hand, Garske admitted it would feel good to win.
“Winning would mean the world to me,” Garske said. “I have so many supporters back home in Spokane cheering me on, like my coach who’s helped me through all this. It would mean so much to me and them if I could pull it off.”
Wiseman, who earned the No. 2 seed by beating Japan’s Taiga Minagawa (421-370) in Round 1 and Park (405-399) during second-round action before falling to Garske in the top-seed match, will be looking to pull off a pretty incredible feat of his own: winning a Junior Gold title despite having bowled competitively for less than a year.
“I’ve only been bowling for eight months, so I came here this week hoping maybe to make the top 30,” Wiseman said. “I’m really proud of myself for making it this far.”
According to Wiseman, his ability to do so was heavily influenced by an attitude adjustment he made during the early stages of qualifying.
“I didn’t have the greatest of mindsets the first few days, but after Round 3, I just started telling myself I was going to come in here, shoot high scores and have a good day,” Wiseman said.
The positive thinking worked, and now Wiseman sits just three wins away from a national title. If he’s to get it, the first step will be taking down Park in Match 1.
Park opened match play on Friday with a 374-304 victory over Robert Zeiger III of Bristol, Pennsylvania, before falling to Wiseman in Round 2.
Undaunted, Park battled his way through the U12 Boys Elimination Bracket, taking down Randisi (373-319) and Powell (471-436) to secure the third and final spot in the stepladder.
Park expects to be a bit anxious when the lights come on for competition on Saturday; nevertheless, he’s going to do his best to keep his emotions in check so that he can put his best foot forward on the lanes.
“I’m sure I’ll be nervous, but I’ll to try to calm down by taking deep breaths and just taking my time,” Park said. “If I’m going to win, I need to make my spares, throw a couple strikes and try not to get mad.”
U14 GIRLS
Going undefeated on Friday and moving just one win away from the U14 Girls stepladder finals were Averie Bourne of Kansas City, Missouri; Isabella Jones of Edinburgh, Indiana; Gabriella Jackson of Pittsburgh and Olivia Titus of St. Charles, Missouri.
Eight athletes dropped a match on Friday but remain alive in the division’s Elimination Bracket. That list includes the following competitors: Katelyn Belcher of Graham, North Carolina; Lea Besevic of Machesney Park, Illinois; Emma Gearlds of Indianapolis, Daisy Newton of Hanover, Pennsylvania; Cadence Oakes of Martinsville, Virginia; Alyssa Randisi of Brooklyn, New York; Caitlin Stahl of Mankato, Minnesota; and Kendall Styer of Chesapeake, Virginia.
U14 BOYS
Four young men got through two rounds of U14 Boys match play without a loss on Friday night. That list included Vincent Cintron of Jacksonville, Florida; Eli Franco of Fishers, Indiana; Treavor Mason of Mabank, Texas; and Arryn Odujebe of Manassas, Virginia. Each athlete can reach the division’s stepladder finals with one more Winners Bracket victory on Saturday.
Still alive and hoping to reach the finals via the U14 Boys Elimination Bracket are Jon Abigania of San Diego, Brennan Brandel of Saginaw, Michigan; Thomas Carter of Attleboro, Massachusetts; Andrew Crook of Yakima, Washington; Nehemiah Keefer of Bellwood, Illinois; Griffin Roseberry of Davison, Michigan; Jakob Schermuly of Wichita, Kansas; and Eason Taylor of Chicago.
U16 GIRLS
Remaining undefeated through two rounds of U16 Girls match play on Thursday were Anna Antony of Farmington, Connecticut; Jayne Juhasz of Ormond Beach, Florida; Makayla Pressley of Vale, North Carolina; and Laelah Tiquia of Auburn, Washington. With those performances, each young woman now sits just one victory away from earning a spot in the division’s stepladder finals.
The following eight players are still alive in the U16 Girls Elimination Bracket: Zoe Chompff of Knoxville, Tennessee; Briar Graham of Norton Shores, Michigan; Emma Lester of Daleville, Alabama; Ava Mazza of Utica, Michigan; Erica Schwartz of Mechanicsville, Virginia; Autumn Strode of Munster, Indiana; Candace Van Tine of Spokane, Washington; and Jennie Vasquez of Hollister, California.
U16 BOYS
Harper Burnett of Jackson, Missouri; Ryan Campbell of Clinton, South Carolina; Lucas Drisdel of Chicago and Donaven Kline of Manasquan, New Jersey, head into Saturday’s final rounds of match play undefeated (2-0) and one win away from a guaranteed U16 Boys stepladder finals berth – Campbell rolled a perfect game during Advancers’ Round competition earlier in the day on Friday.
Still vying for a spot in the finals via the U16 Boys division’s Elimination Bracket are Ryder Baisac of Waipahu, Hawaii; Ryan Carmichael of South Bend, Indiana; Miles Gordon of Columbus, Ohio; Jason Grothus of Bettendorf, Iowa; Caleb Litt of Charlotte, North Carolina; Sebastian Vetter of Oak Lawn, Illinois; Kristofer Wagner of Deland, Florida; and Jackson Wordekemper of Omaha, Nebraska.
U18 GIRLS
Taylor Kretz of Erie, Pennsylvania; Madison Smith of Elmira, New York; Ashlin Teves of Machesney Park, Illinois; and Larielle Tharps of Orlando, Florida; have yet to lose through two rounds of U18 Girls match play.
Still alive in the Elimination Bracket are the following athletes: Bella Castillo of Odessa, Texas; Trishna Desai of Nesconset, New York; Addison Harvey of Nixa, Missouri; Layna Linker of Kannapolis, North Carolina; Baylie Massingill of Troy, Ohio; Maggie Porter of Cambridge, Wisconsin; defending champion Elena Weinstok of Costa Rica and Grace Zuerner of Terre Haute, Indiana.
U18 BOYS
Kai Strothers of Maplewood, New Jersey; Clayton Washington of Midlothian, Virginia; Will Winkelbauer of Wichita, Kansas; and Hunter Wyszynski of New Boston, Michigan; posted 2-0 records during U18 Boys match play on Friday. Now, each stands just one win away from a guaranteed spot in the stepladder finals.
Meanwhile, eight athletes remain in contention in the division’s Elimination Bracket. That roster includes the following players: Brett Biondo of Carpentersville, Illinois; William Garcia Jr. of Fairfax, Virginia; Elliott Gordon of Columbus, Ohio; Braden Mauro of Birmingham, Alabama; Braden McDonough of Coppell, Texas; Devin McKiski of Marshfield, Wisconsin; Spiros Schenk of Newnan, Georgia; and Jos Weems of Chicago.
TEAM USA IMPLICATIONS
National titles aren’t the only prizes on the line at the 2026 Junior Gold Championships. Spots on Junior Team USA and Futures Team USA 2027 also are up for grabs through qualifying and the stepladder finals at this year’s tournament.
Six boys and six girls will qualify for Junior Team USA through scores bowled in the U18 division. The top four male bowlers and top four female bowlers after 26 games of qualifying and the champions and co-champions in each division earn spots on Junior Team USA. If the champion or co-champion already has earned one of the four spots available in qualifying, the next athlete based on the qualifying standings after 26 games will qualify.
In the U16 division, the top two age-eligible male and top two age-eligible female bowlers at the conclusion of 26 games of qualifying plus the U16 champions and runners-up qualify for Futures Team USA. If the champion or runner-up already has earned one of the two spots available in qualifying, the next athlete based on the qualifying standings after 26 games will qualify.
CLICK HERE for more information on the 2026 Junior Gold Championships.
MINNEAPOLIS – Stepladder finalists emerged in the U12 divisions and fields narrowed in U14, U16 and U18 on Friday at the 2026 Junior Gold Championships.
While the U12 stepladder finalists have been determined, match play will continue in the U14, U16 and U18 fields on Saturday until just three athletes remain in each division. The finalists will then make their way to Cedarvale Lanes for stepladder finals action later in the day.
All stepladder finals at the 2026 Junior Gold Championships will be streamed live on BowlTV and on Bowling TV, the new 24-hour channel dedicated entirely to bowling, which can be found on Prime Video, LG Channels, Xumo Play, DISH TV, Bonusview, Sling Freestream, Plex, Free Live Sports and Bowling TV’s Roku app.
This year’s live Junior Gold streams will take place on Saturday at noon Eastern (U12), 3 p.m. Eastern (U14), 6 p.m. Eastern (U16) and 9 p.m. Eastern (U18).
Because the stepladder finals will not be under live national television time constraints, each top seed will have to be beaten twice during stepladder competition in order to be denied their division’s title.
NEWTON NAILS DOWN TOP SEED FOR U12 GIRLS STEPLADDER
U12 Girls stepladder finalists (from left to right) Kailynn Melvin of Tonganoxie, Kansas; Stevie Newton of Hanover, Pennsylvania; and Lila Bollman of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Stevie Newton of Hanover, Pennsylvania, reached the U12 Girls stepladder finals at the 2025 Junior Gold Championships in Green Bay, Wisconsin, finishing third.
The 12-year-old two-hander guaranteed herself no worse than second place at this year’s tournament by going 3-0 during match play at Cedarvale Lanes on Friday to earn the top seed for Saturday’s U12 Girls stepladder finals.
Newton’s run to the No. 1 seed began with a 410-316 victory over Ava Flaningam of Roscoe, Illinois, during the opening round of match play, which used a two-game total-pinfall format.
Next, Newton took down Hannah Black of Butte, Montana, by a final score of 407-302. The win over Black was of particular importance because it guaranteed Newton a place in Saturday’s stepladder. The only question was whether she would go there as the No. 1 seed or No. 2.
Newton’s opponent in the top-seed match was Lila Bollman of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who earned her place in the bout thanks to wins over Kailynn Melvin of Tonganoxie, Kansas (331-279), and Madelynn Miodynski of Elmhurst, Illinois (351-304).
The battle between Newton and Bollman was competitive throughout, but Newton emerged with a 363-316 victory to secure the stepladder’s top seed while forcing Bollman to settle for No. 2.
As the top seed, Newton will have to be beaten twice on Saturday in order to be denied the 2026 U12 Girls title. It’s an advantage that Newton is very pleased to have.
“Being the top seed is crucial,” Newton said. “The reassurance of knowing that I don’t necessarily have to get it done in just that one game is awesome.”
Another thing Newton already knows is what it feels like to perform in the pressure-packed environment of a Junior Gold stepladder finals.
“I think it’s a huge advantage for me to have been in the finals before because the other two girls might not be used to the bright lights and how quiet it is,” Newton said. “I have that experience from last year, so I think I’ll do pretty well tomorrow.”
Bollman hopes her family and friends will be able to help her settle in so that she can be at her best when the pressure is on.
“All my friends that I bowl with and the encouragement of my family is what’s helped me get this far,” Bollman said. “They’ll be here cheering me on, so I think that will make me more comfortable knowing they are there for me.”
Bollman would love another shot at Newton on Saturday, but to get it, she’ll need to win the opening match against No. 3 seed Melvin.
Melvin took the long way to the stepladder finals, losing her opening-round match against Bollman but then ripping off three consecutive victories in the Elimination Bracket – 398-371 over Taylor Morgan of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 304-276 against Black and 345-326 versus Percila Garcia of Porter Ranch, California – to keep her national title hopes alive.
Winning would mean a lot to Melvin, who is dedicating this week’s performance to the memory of a lost loved one and to all the people cheering her on back home in Kansas.
“I just lost my aunt to cancer, so it would mean a lot to win because I want to go out and do it for her,” Melvin said. “Also, my entire hometown basically said, ‘Go win it for us,’ so I’ve got a lot of pressure.”
SPOKANE’S GARSKE GARNERS TOP SPOT FOR U12 BOYS FINALS
U12 Boys stepladder finalists (from left to right) Gleason Garske of Spokane, Washington; Daniel Wiseman of Bassett, Virginia; and Colin Park of San Jose, California.
Anyone who’s perused the U12 Boys standings at the 2026 Junior Gold Championships is used to seeing the name Gleason Garske. That’s because the 12-year-old from Spokane, Washington, had his name at or near the top of the division’s leaderboard during each of the first four days of competition at this year’s tournament.
As such, it was no surprise when Garske turned in another outstanding effort on Friday, moving into first place after the morning’s Advancers’ Round and then going undefeated during match play to earn the No. 1 seed for Saturday’s U12 Boys stepladder finals.
Garske opened bracket play with a 342-313 win over Nolan Randisi of Brooklyn, New York – all matches followed a two-game, total-pinfall format. Then, Garske collected a 370-271 victory over Cooper Powell of Allen, Texas, to secure a place in the stepladder finals and a 345-332 triumph against Daniel Wiseman of Bassett, Virginia, to earn the top seed.
Being No. 1 is an enviable position as it means Wiseman or No. 3 seed Colin Park of San Jose, California, will have to defeat Garske twice on Saturday in order to win this year’s U12 Boys title.
Garske knows he’s in a favorable spot; nevertheless, his plan is to try to keep things business as usual.
“Being the top seed is a pretty big advantage, but, honestly, I’m just focusing on having fun and doing my thing,” Garske said. “I’m to go to bed early tonight, get a good night’s sleep and just have fun with it.”
Although he wants to stay in the moment and focus on the task at hand, Garske admitted it would feel good to win.
“Winning would mean the world to me,” Garske said. “I have so many supporters back home in Spokane cheering me on, like my coach who’s helped me through all this. It would mean so much to me and them if I could pull it off.”
Wiseman, who earned the No. 2 seed by beating Japan’s Taiga Minagawa (421-370) in Round 1 and Park (405-399) during second-round action before falling to Garske in the top-seed match, will be looking to pull off a pretty incredible feat of his own: winning a Junior Gold title despite having bowled competitively for less than a year.
“I’ve only been bowling for eight months, so I came here this week hoping maybe to make the top 30,” Wiseman said. “I’m really proud of myself for making it this far.”
According to Wiseman, his ability to do so was heavily influenced by an attitude adjustment he made during the early stages of qualifying.
“I didn’t have the greatest of mindsets the first few days, but after Round 3, I just started telling myself I was going to come in here, shoot high scores and have a good day,” Wiseman said.
The positive thinking worked, and now Wiseman sits just three wins away from a national title. If he’s to get it, the first step will be taking down Park in Match 1.
Park opened match play on Friday with a 374-304 victory over Robert Zeiger III of Bristol, Pennsylvania, before falling to Wiseman in Round 2.
Undaunted, Park battled his way through the U12 Boys Elimination Bracket, taking down Randisi (373-319) and Powell (471-436) to secure the third and final spot in the stepladder.
Park expects to be a bit anxious when the lights come on for competition on Saturday; nevertheless, he’s going to do his best to keep his emotions in check so that he can put his best foot forward on the lanes.
“I’m sure I’ll be nervous, but I’ll to try to calm down by taking deep breaths and just taking my time,” Park said. “If I’m going to win, I need to make my spares, throw a couple strikes and try not to get mad.”
U14 GIRLS
Going undefeated on Friday and moving just one win away from the U14 Girls stepladder finals were Averie Bourne of Kansas City, Missouri; Isabella Jones of Edinburgh, Indiana; Gabriella Jackson of Pittsburgh and Olivia Titus of St. Charles, Missouri.
Eight athletes dropped a match on Friday but remain alive in the division’s Elimination Bracket. That list includes the following competitors: Katelyn Belcher of Graham, North Carolina; Lea Besevic of Machesney Park, Illinois; Emma Gearlds of Indianapolis, Daisy Newton of Hanover, Pennsylvania; Cadence Oakes of Martinsville, Virginia; Alyssa Randisi of Brooklyn, New York; Caitlin Stahl of Mankato, Minnesota; and Kendall Styer of Chesapeake, Virginia.
U14 BOYS
Four young men got through two rounds of U14 Boys match play without a loss on Friday night. That list included Vincent Cintron of Jacksonville, Florida; Eli Franco of Fishers, Indiana; Treavor Mason of Mabank, Texas; and Arryn Odujebe of Manassas, Virginia. Each athlete can reach the division’s stepladder finals with one more Winners Bracket victory on Saturday.
Still alive and hoping to reach the finals via the U14 Boys Elimination Bracket are Jon Abigania of San Diego, Brennan Brandel of Saginaw, Michigan; Thomas Carter of Attleboro, Massachusetts; Andrew Crook of Yakima, Washington; Nehemiah Keefer of Bellwood, Illinois; Griffin Roseberry of Davison, Michigan; Jakob Schermuly of Wichita, Kansas; and Eason Taylor of Chicago.
U16 GIRLS
Remaining undefeated through two rounds of U16 Girls match play on Thursday were Anna Antony of Farmington, Connecticut; Jayne Juhasz of Ormond Beach, Florida; Makayla Pressley of Vale, North Carolina; and Laelah Tiquia of Auburn, Washington. With those performances, each young woman now sits just one victory away from earning a spot in the division’s stepladder finals.
The following eight players are still alive in the U16 Girls Elimination Bracket: Zoe Chompff of Knoxville, Tennessee; Briar Graham of Norton Shores, Michigan; Emma Lester of Daleville, Alabama; Ava Mazza of Utica, Michigan; Erica Schwartz of Mechanicsville, Virginia; Autumn Strode of Munster, Indiana; Candace Van Tine of Spokane, Washington; and Jennie Vasquez of Hollister, California.
U16 BOYS
Harper Burnett of Jackson, Missouri; Ryan Campbell of Clinton, South Carolina; Lucas Drisdel of Chicago and Donaven Kline of Manasquan, New Jersey, head into Saturday’s final rounds of match play undefeated (2-0) and one win away from a guaranteed U16 Boys stepladder finals berth – Campbell rolled a perfect game during Advancers’ Round competition earlier in the day on Friday.
Still vying for a spot in the finals via the U16 Boys division’s Elimination Bracket are Ryder Baisac of Waipahu, Hawaii; Ryan Carmichael of South Bend, Indiana; Miles Gordon of Columbus, Ohio; Jason Grothus of Bettendorf, Iowa; Caleb Litt of Charlotte, North Carolina; Sebastian Vetter of Oak Lawn, Illinois; Kristofer Wagner of Deland, Florida; and Jackson Wordekemper of Omaha, Nebraska.
U18 GIRLS
Taylor Kretz of Erie, Pennsylvania; Madison Smith of Elmira, New York; Ashlin Teves of Machesney Park, Illinois; and Larielle Tharps of Orlando, Florida; have yet to lose through two rounds of U18 Girls match play.
Still alive in the Elimination Bracket are the following athletes: Bella Castillo of Odessa, Texas; Trishna Desai of Nesconset, New York; Addison Harvey of Nixa, Missouri; Layna Linker of Kannapolis, North Carolina; Baylie Massingill of Troy, Ohio; Maggie Porter of Cambridge, Wisconsin; defending champion Elena Weinstok of Costa Rica and Grace Zuerner of Terre Haute, Indiana.
U18 BOYS
Kai Strothers of Maplewood, New Jersey; Clayton Washington of Midlothian, Virginia; Will Winkelbauer of Wichita, Kansas; and Hunter Wyszynski of New Boston, Michigan; posted 2-0 records during U18 Boys match play on Friday. Now, each stands just one win away from a guaranteed spot in the stepladder finals.
Meanwhile, eight athletes remain in contention in the division’s Elimination Bracket. That roster includes the following players: Brett Biondo of Carpentersville, Illinois; William Garcia Jr. of Fairfax, Virginia; Elliott Gordon of Columbus, Ohio; Braden Mauro of Birmingham, Alabama; Braden McDonough of Coppell, Texas; Devin McKiski of Marshfield, Wisconsin; Spiros Schenk of Newnan, Georgia; and Jos Weems of Chicago.
TEAM USA IMPLICATIONS
National titles aren’t the only prizes on the line at the 2026 Junior Gold Championships. Spots on Junior Team USA and Futures Team USA 2027 also are up for grabs through qualifying and the stepladder finals at this year’s tournament.
Six boys and six girls will qualify for Junior Team USA through scores bowled in the U18 division. The top four male bowlers and top four female bowlers after 26 games of qualifying and the champions and co-champions in each division earn spots on Junior Team USA. If the champion or co-champion already has earned one of the four spots available in qualifying, the next athlete based on the qualifying standings after 26 games will qualify.
In the U16 division, the top two age-eligible male and top two age-eligible female bowlers at the conclusion of 26 games of qualifying plus the U16 champions and runners-up qualify for Futures Team USA. If the champion or runner-up already has earned one of the two spots available in qualifying, the next athlete based on the qualifying standings after 26 games will qualify.
CLICK HERE for more information on the 2026 Junior Gold Championships.