Coastal South Region wins 2024 USA Bowling National Championships U12 title on CBS Sports Network
July 16, 2024
ALLEN PARK, Mich. – The team representing the Coastal South region swept their way to the title in the 12-and-under division at the 2024 USA Bowling National Championships. The taped finals aired on CBS Sports Network Tuesday night.
The Coast South region’s Stars and Strikes team defeated the South Central region’s No Lane No Gain team, in a 3-0 sweep.
The championship round in each division featured a four-person Baker format with the lead-off bowler bowling the first, fifth and ninth frames, the second bowler bowling the second, sixth and 10th frames, the third bowler bowling frames three and seven, and the fourth bowler bowling frames four and eight.
Bowling for the Coastal South region’s Stars and Strikes team in the U12 finals were Nico Candelero, Vincent Cintron, Kristopher Koehler, Presley Raine and Colton Takas. In charge of the team was head coach Ryan Waters.
Comprising the South Central region’s No Lane No Gain team were head coach Matt Dorsett, assistant coach Rachel Toney, and athletes Matthew Dorsett (coach’s son), Caleb Ebner, Henry Mann, Treavor Mason, Tripp Perkins and Cooper Powell.
Game 1 of the U12 finals saw the Coastal South team, comprised of players all from Florida, overwhelm their South Central region opponent, featuring players all from Texas, 266-172.
Coastal South started the match with a double, then converted a pair of spares, before reeling off seven strikes in a row to put the opening match away.
The situation didn’t improve for South Central in Game 2 as the team suffered opens in the first, third and fifth frames. Conversely, Coastal South sandwiched a pair of three-baggers around a spare in the fourth frame and, despite a late four-bagger by South Central, cruised to a 219-188 victory that put them one win from the championship.
Game 3 was a bit closer. Despite open frames in the second and fifth frames, South Central remained within striking distance, aided by a missed single-pin spare by Coastal South in their second frame. A string of three consecutive strikes in frames six through eight gave South Central some hope, but a foul on the first delivery in the ninth frame, despite the subsequent spare conversion, slowed their momentum.
Coastal South slammed the door with a strike in their ninth frame, followed by a spare and strike in the 10th, that put the icing on a 204-166 win.
It was an outstanding team effort, with Presley Raine and Nico Candelero authoring standout performances. Raine, the only female in the U12 championship match, bowled lead-off in Games 1 and 2 and struck on seven of her eight shots over the three games. Candelero, who bowled anchor in Games 1 and 2, struck on seven of his 11 shots.
Candelero was asked if he felt any pressure being the anchor bowler for the first two games.
“No, I feel no pressure at all,” Candelero said, his voice hoarse from yelling encouragement to his fellow teammates. “I feel comfortable, and I just get up there and make my shots.”
That comfort extended to Raine, and it showed in her performance.
“I was hitting the pocket a lot in practice, so that gave me a lot of confidence,” Raine said. “I was able to use the same ball and the same line, and from there I just knew I had it.”
“They were locked in,” said Coach Waters, when asked if anyone on his team showed any signs of nervousness before or during the televised finals. “It was unbelievable. Even during warm-ups, they were hitting the pocket. They were comfortable and relaxed, just like they’ve been all year long. The TV lights and cameras, nothing seemed to bother them.”
The end result was a performance they will all remember, and one enhanced by the fellowship of the team.
“This team, they really enjoy each other’s company,” Coach Waters said. “They have fun together and are a true team in every sense of the word. You just can’t put people together and expect anything better.”
The 2024 USA Bowling National Championships in Detroit featured 14 regions that competed in U12 and 16 in U15. Each team that competed in Detroit earned their spot by winning their regional event.
Qualifying and match play rounds leading up to the CBS Sports Network finals were streamed live on BowlTV.com.
The finals of the U15 division will be televised on CBS Sports Network Tuesday, July 23, at 7 p.m. Eastern.
To learn more about the USA Bowling National Championships, visit BOWL.com/youth/usa-bowling.
The Coast South region’s Stars and Strikes team defeated the South Central region’s No Lane No Gain team, in a 3-0 sweep.
The championship round in each division featured a four-person Baker format with the lead-off bowler bowling the first, fifth and ninth frames, the second bowler bowling the second, sixth and 10th frames, the third bowler bowling frames three and seven, and the fourth bowler bowling frames four and eight.
Bowling for the Coastal South region’s Stars and Strikes team in the U12 finals were Nico Candelero, Vincent Cintron, Kristopher Koehler, Presley Raine and Colton Takas. In charge of the team was head coach Ryan Waters.
Comprising the South Central region’s No Lane No Gain team were head coach Matt Dorsett, assistant coach Rachel Toney, and athletes Matthew Dorsett (coach’s son), Caleb Ebner, Henry Mann, Treavor Mason, Tripp Perkins and Cooper Powell.
Game 1 of the U12 finals saw the Coastal South team, comprised of players all from Florida, overwhelm their South Central region opponent, featuring players all from Texas, 266-172.
Coastal South started the match with a double, then converted a pair of spares, before reeling off seven strikes in a row to put the opening match away.
The situation didn’t improve for South Central in Game 2 as the team suffered opens in the first, third and fifth frames. Conversely, Coastal South sandwiched a pair of three-baggers around a spare in the fourth frame and, despite a late four-bagger by South Central, cruised to a 219-188 victory that put them one win from the championship.
Game 3 was a bit closer. Despite open frames in the second and fifth frames, South Central remained within striking distance, aided by a missed single-pin spare by Coastal South in their second frame. A string of three consecutive strikes in frames six through eight gave South Central some hope, but a foul on the first delivery in the ninth frame, despite the subsequent spare conversion, slowed their momentum.
Coastal South slammed the door with a strike in their ninth frame, followed by a spare and strike in the 10th, that put the icing on a 204-166 win.
It was an outstanding team effort, with Presley Raine and Nico Candelero authoring standout performances. Raine, the only female in the U12 championship match, bowled lead-off in Games 1 and 2 and struck on seven of her eight shots over the three games. Candelero, who bowled anchor in Games 1 and 2, struck on seven of his 11 shots.
Candelero was asked if he felt any pressure being the anchor bowler for the first two games.
“No, I feel no pressure at all,” Candelero said, his voice hoarse from yelling encouragement to his fellow teammates. “I feel comfortable, and I just get up there and make my shots.”
That comfort extended to Raine, and it showed in her performance.
“I was hitting the pocket a lot in practice, so that gave me a lot of confidence,” Raine said. “I was able to use the same ball and the same line, and from there I just knew I had it.”
“They were locked in,” said Coach Waters, when asked if anyone on his team showed any signs of nervousness before or during the televised finals. “It was unbelievable. Even during warm-ups, they were hitting the pocket. They were comfortable and relaxed, just like they’ve been all year long. The TV lights and cameras, nothing seemed to bother them.”
The end result was a performance they will all remember, and one enhanced by the fellowship of the team.
“This team, they really enjoy each other’s company,” Coach Waters said. “They have fun together and are a true team in every sense of the word. You just can’t put people together and expect anything better.”
The 2024 USA Bowling National Championships in Detroit featured 14 regions that competed in U12 and 16 in U15. Each team that competed in Detroit earned their spot by winning their regional event.
Qualifying and match play rounds leading up to the CBS Sports Network finals were streamed live on BowlTV.com.
The finals of the U15 division will be televised on CBS Sports Network Tuesday, July 23, at 7 p.m. Eastern.
To learn more about the USA Bowling National Championships, visit BOWL.com/youth/usa-bowling.