Champions crowned at inaugural USBC U22 Masters and Queens in Detroit
May 27, 2024
From left to right: Dannielle Henderson, U22 Queens champion; Brandon Bohn, U22 Masters champion
FULL STANDINGS
DETROIT – The first champions in United States Bowling Congress U22 Masters and U22 Queens history were crowned at Strobl Arena inside Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan, on Monday.
When the dust settled, Dannielle Henderson of Jacksonville, Alabama, emerged as the inaugural U22 Queens champion, while Brandon Bohn of Jackson, New Jersey, became the first bowler to win a U22 Masters title.
The fact that Henderson walked away with the U22 Queens title on Monday almost seemed fitting; after all, the powerful two-hander was dominant throughout much of the event, leading the 76-player field at the end of 14 games of qualifying and authoring the tournament’s highest game with a 289.
However, despite all that success, Henderson entered Monday’s stepladder as the No. 3 seed. That’s because she was defeated during match play on Sunday by eventual top seed Morgan LiCausi of Crest Hill, Illinois.
That meant that if Henderson was going to leave Strobl Arena as the 2024 U22 Queens champion on Monday, she’d not only have to take down No. 2 seed Hope Bunk of Billings, Montana, but she’d also have exact revenge by beating LiCausi not once but twice. That’s because LiCausi entered the stepladder finals as the tournament’s only undefeated player.
The task may have seemed daunting to some, but once the lights came on, Henderson made it look easy.
She started her afternoon with a 177-125 victory over Bunk, who never appeared to get comfortable on the championship pair, suffering five splits and leaving six open frames compared to just one strike.
Henderson left two splits of her own during the opening match, but her five strikes more than made up for them and allowed her to easily advance to the title tilt with LiCausi.
Once there, Henderson only got stronger.
She struck six times in the first eight frames and stayed clean to post a solid 233 during the first game of the championship match.
LiCausi did her best to remain close, recording five strikes of her own during the opener; however, three open frames kept her in chase mode the entire time, and when the final ball had been thrown, Henderson had collected a 233-175 victory to force a deciding game for the 2024 U22 Queens title.
Both players came out of the gate strong during the second game with Henderson starting with a turkey while LiCausi began with a double and spare.
Henderson used a double of her own in the fifth and sixth frames to take a 14-pin lead just past the halfway point, but a 4-6-7-10 split and open frame in the seventh suddenly appeared to swing the door back open for LiCausi.
Unfortunately, the talented left-hander just couldn’t walk through as after posting a strike in the sixth frame, LiCausi wouldn’t strike again the rest of the match.
Henderson, meanwhile, recovered from the open with a double in the eighth and ninth frames before staying clean in the 10th to secure victory yet again, this time by a final score of 220-190.
The win allowed Henderson to collect the $3,000 top prize, the championship trophy and the honor of becoming the first U22 Queens champion in history. That’s not bad considering the fact that Henderson wasn’t even originally planning on bowling the event.
“If I wouldn’t have been here bowling this tournament today, I’m sure I would’ve been back home working on my game,” Henderson said. “To bowl this and win, it definitely builds confidence in myself.”
In addition to confidence, Henderson also dropped another key word when discussing what it took to get to the winner’s circle.
“I’ve said it like a million times now, but truly patience was one of the biggest keys for me all week long,” Henderson said. “Not only patience in the bad moments but in the good moments too. I just needed to wait on it and stay patient, and when I did that, good things happened.”
LiCausi’s runner-up effort earned her $2,200. Bunk placed third and took home $1,800.
Once the ladies cleared the lanes, it was time for Bryce Oliver of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; Dale Horstmann of Yorkville, Illinois; and Bohn to make their own run at glory during the U22 Masters stepladder finals.
Despite the new cast of characters, that stepladder played out in eerily similar fashion to that of the U22 Queens.
Bohn kicked things off with a 207-165 semifinal win over Horstmann, who started with a double but then wouldn’t strike again until the fill ball. In between, he left three splits, which led to a trio of open frames that allowed Bohn to breeze to the win and a berth in the title match.
There, he would face Oliver, a close friend and the only bowler to hand him a loss during match play at this year’s U22 Masters.
That meant that, like Henderson, Bohn would have to defeat the top seed twice in order to bring home the tournament title.
Given the scores that Bohn and Oliver put up throughout qualifying and match play, the fans inside Strobl Arena were likely expecting some fireworks during the title match with the two talented left-handers tossing strings of strikes back and forth at one another from start to finish.
What they saw was slightly different.
Bohn started the first game with a double, but he would record eight consecutive spares thereafter before finally striking on the fill ball to post a score of 195.
Most of the time, that wouldn’t be nearly enough firepower to hold off a talented player like Oliver; however, as it turned out, it was more than enough during that affair as despite striking four times, Oliver opened three times, including the 10th frame, which allowed Bohn to take Game 1 by a final score of 195-160.
That meant that just as it had during the U22 Queens finals, the U22 Masters championship would come down to one final game.
That contest brought more of the same.
Bohn started with three spares in a row before a Brooklyn strike led to a turkey in frames four, five and six.
Oliver, meanwhile, began with a strike but then left back-to-back high-flush 6-8 splits to immediately fall behind.
The top seed would stay clean during the next six frames, but he was only able to manage a pair of strikes during that stretch, which kept him from erasing the early damage and gaining any serious ground on Bohn.
Therefore, when the final balls had been thrown, Bohn had come out on top by a final score of 197-161 to complete the sweep and bring home the 2024 U22 Masters title.
Although Bohn certainly appreciated the $3,000 first-place prize and beautiful trophy, Monday’s win was special to him for a couple other reasons as well.
“It feels amazing, and it’s even cooler since my mom got to fly in this morning to be here and watch me bowl,” Bohn said. “She’s been really busy the last few weeks, so I haven’t gotten to see her a lot. So, for her to be here in the front row with my dad and my brother cheering me on, it’s really special. Also, my sister got a win yesterday, so it’s a great time to be a Bohn.”
Some would argue that when it comes to bowling, it’s always a great time to be a Bohn as the family’s collective bowling resume is the stuff legends are made of.
Nevertheless, despite the family’s many accomplishments on the lanes, only Brandon Bohn can lay claim to being the inaugural U22 Masters champion, and that’s another thing that makes Monday’s victory particularly special.
“Winning back-to-back U18 titles at Junior Gold will always be near the top of my list, but being the first ever U22 Masters champion has a good ring to it,” Bohn said with a smile. “This was a special win that’s always going to mean a lot to me, and it’s going to make the ride home a lot more fun too.”
Oliver took home $2,200 for finishing second; Horstmann earned $1,800 for placing third.
Back row (from left to right): Jenna Stretch; Michael Anderson II; Brandon Bohn; and Brandon Leavitt. Front row (from left to right): Dannielle Henderson; Connor Pula; and Brooke Salzman. Not pictured: Morgan Brunner
Prize money and titles weren’t the only thing at stake during the 2024 U22 Masters and Queens. Additionally, eight spots on Junior Team USA 2025 were up for grabs as well.
Those spots went to the top three age-eligible finishers after qualifying and to each tournament’s champion.
As such, the spots available at the U22 Masters went to Michael Anderson II of Olathe, Kansas; Bohn; Brandon Leavitt of Novi, Michigan; and Connor Pula of Evergreen Park, Illinois, while the berths up for grabs at the U22 Queens were earned by Morgan Brunner of Gobles, Michigan; Henderson; Brooke Salzman of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota; and Jenna Stretch of Auburn Township, Ohio.
All rounds of competition at the U22 Masters and U22 Queens were streamed live exclusively on BowlTV.
For more information on the 2024 U22 Masters and Queens, visit BOWL.com/U22.
FULL STANDINGS
DETROIT – The first champions in United States Bowling Congress U22 Masters and U22 Queens history were crowned at Strobl Arena inside Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan, on Monday.
When the dust settled, Dannielle Henderson of Jacksonville, Alabama, emerged as the inaugural U22 Queens champion, while Brandon Bohn of Jackson, New Jersey, became the first bowler to win a U22 Masters title.
The fact that Henderson walked away with the U22 Queens title on Monday almost seemed fitting; after all, the powerful two-hander was dominant throughout much of the event, leading the 76-player field at the end of 14 games of qualifying and authoring the tournament’s highest game with a 289.
However, despite all that success, Henderson entered Monday’s stepladder as the No. 3 seed. That’s because she was defeated during match play on Sunday by eventual top seed Morgan LiCausi of Crest Hill, Illinois.
That meant that if Henderson was going to leave Strobl Arena as the 2024 U22 Queens champion on Monday, she’d not only have to take down No. 2 seed Hope Bunk of Billings, Montana, but she’d also have exact revenge by beating LiCausi not once but twice. That’s because LiCausi entered the stepladder finals as the tournament’s only undefeated player.
The task may have seemed daunting to some, but once the lights came on, Henderson made it look easy.
She started her afternoon with a 177-125 victory over Bunk, who never appeared to get comfortable on the championship pair, suffering five splits and leaving six open frames compared to just one strike.
Henderson left two splits of her own during the opening match, but her five strikes more than made up for them and allowed her to easily advance to the title tilt with LiCausi.
Once there, Henderson only got stronger.
She struck six times in the first eight frames and stayed clean to post a solid 233 during the first game of the championship match.
LiCausi did her best to remain close, recording five strikes of her own during the opener; however, three open frames kept her in chase mode the entire time, and when the final ball had been thrown, Henderson had collected a 233-175 victory to force a deciding game for the 2024 U22 Queens title.
Both players came out of the gate strong during the second game with Henderson starting with a turkey while LiCausi began with a double and spare.
Henderson used a double of her own in the fifth and sixth frames to take a 14-pin lead just past the halfway point, but a 4-6-7-10 split and open frame in the seventh suddenly appeared to swing the door back open for LiCausi.
Unfortunately, the talented left-hander just couldn’t walk through as after posting a strike in the sixth frame, LiCausi wouldn’t strike again the rest of the match.
Henderson, meanwhile, recovered from the open with a double in the eighth and ninth frames before staying clean in the 10th to secure victory yet again, this time by a final score of 220-190.
The win allowed Henderson to collect the $3,000 top prize, the championship trophy and the honor of becoming the first U22 Queens champion in history. That’s not bad considering the fact that Henderson wasn’t even originally planning on bowling the event.
“If I wouldn’t have been here bowling this tournament today, I’m sure I would’ve been back home working on my game,” Henderson said. “To bowl this and win, it definitely builds confidence in myself.”
In addition to confidence, Henderson also dropped another key word when discussing what it took to get to the winner’s circle.
“I’ve said it like a million times now, but truly patience was one of the biggest keys for me all week long,” Henderson said. “Not only patience in the bad moments but in the good moments too. I just needed to wait on it and stay patient, and when I did that, good things happened.”
LiCausi’s runner-up effort earned her $2,200. Bunk placed third and took home $1,800.
Once the ladies cleared the lanes, it was time for Bryce Oliver of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; Dale Horstmann of Yorkville, Illinois; and Bohn to make their own run at glory during the U22 Masters stepladder finals.
Despite the new cast of characters, that stepladder played out in eerily similar fashion to that of the U22 Queens.
Bohn kicked things off with a 207-165 semifinal win over Horstmann, who started with a double but then wouldn’t strike again until the fill ball. In between, he left three splits, which led to a trio of open frames that allowed Bohn to breeze to the win and a berth in the title match.
There, he would face Oliver, a close friend and the only bowler to hand him a loss during match play at this year’s U22 Masters.
That meant that, like Henderson, Bohn would have to defeat the top seed twice in order to bring home the tournament title.
Given the scores that Bohn and Oliver put up throughout qualifying and match play, the fans inside Strobl Arena were likely expecting some fireworks during the title match with the two talented left-handers tossing strings of strikes back and forth at one another from start to finish.
What they saw was slightly different.
Bohn started the first game with a double, but he would record eight consecutive spares thereafter before finally striking on the fill ball to post a score of 195.
Most of the time, that wouldn’t be nearly enough firepower to hold off a talented player like Oliver; however, as it turned out, it was more than enough during that affair as despite striking four times, Oliver opened three times, including the 10th frame, which allowed Bohn to take Game 1 by a final score of 195-160.
That meant that just as it had during the U22 Queens finals, the U22 Masters championship would come down to one final game.
That contest brought more of the same.
Bohn started with three spares in a row before a Brooklyn strike led to a turkey in frames four, five and six.
Oliver, meanwhile, began with a strike but then left back-to-back high-flush 6-8 splits to immediately fall behind.
The top seed would stay clean during the next six frames, but he was only able to manage a pair of strikes during that stretch, which kept him from erasing the early damage and gaining any serious ground on Bohn.
Therefore, when the final balls had been thrown, Bohn had come out on top by a final score of 197-161 to complete the sweep and bring home the 2024 U22 Masters title.
Although Bohn certainly appreciated the $3,000 first-place prize and beautiful trophy, Monday’s win was special to him for a couple other reasons as well.
“It feels amazing, and it’s even cooler since my mom got to fly in this morning to be here and watch me bowl,” Bohn said. “She’s been really busy the last few weeks, so I haven’t gotten to see her a lot. So, for her to be here in the front row with my dad and my brother cheering me on, it’s really special. Also, my sister got a win yesterday, so it’s a great time to be a Bohn.”
Some would argue that when it comes to bowling, it’s always a great time to be a Bohn as the family’s collective bowling resume is the stuff legends are made of.
Nevertheless, despite the family’s many accomplishments on the lanes, only Brandon Bohn can lay claim to being the inaugural U22 Masters champion, and that’s another thing that makes Monday’s victory particularly special.
“Winning back-to-back U18 titles at Junior Gold will always be near the top of my list, but being the first ever U22 Masters champion has a good ring to it,” Bohn said with a smile. “This was a special win that’s always going to mean a lot to me, and it’s going to make the ride home a lot more fun too.”
Oliver took home $2,200 for finishing second; Horstmann earned $1,800 for placing third.
Back row (from left to right): Jenna Stretch; Michael Anderson II; Brandon Bohn; and Brandon Leavitt. Front row (from left to right): Dannielle Henderson; Connor Pula; and Brooke Salzman. Not pictured: Morgan Brunner
Prize money and titles weren’t the only thing at stake during the 2024 U22 Masters and Queens. Additionally, eight spots on Junior Team USA 2025 were up for grabs as well.
Those spots went to the top three age-eligible finishers after qualifying and to each tournament’s champion.
As such, the spots available at the U22 Masters went to Michael Anderson II of Olathe, Kansas; Bohn; Brandon Leavitt of Novi, Michigan; and Connor Pula of Evergreen Park, Illinois, while the berths up for grabs at the U22 Queens were earned by Morgan Brunner of Gobles, Michigan; Henderson; Brooke Salzman of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota; and Jenna Stretch of Auburn Township, Ohio.
All rounds of competition at the U22 Masters and U22 Queens were streamed live exclusively on BowlTV.
For more information on the 2024 U22 Masters and Queens, visit BOWL.com/U22.