Hankey, Jedlicki capture U15 wins at Junior Gold
August 11, 2015
ADDISON, Illinois - Tom Hankey of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and Danielle Jedlicki of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, took home the titles in the 15-and-under division at the 2015 Junior Gold Championships presented by Storm, Roto Grip and Master at Stardust Bowl.
In the finals, aired nationally on CBS Sports Network, both Hankey and Jedlicki overcame deficits in their two-game matches en route to their titles. Hankey finished with a 259 game to defeat Jorge Rodriguez of Yauco, Puerto Rico, 445-387, while Jedlicki held on for a 343-334 win over Emily Schrader of Orland Park, Illinois.
The championship round of the 20-and-under division will air Aug. 18 at 10 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network. To locate CBS Sports Network on your cable or satellite provider, click here.
In the boys U15 division, Hankey and Rodriguez paced the field throughout qualifying at the 2015 event before making their way through the double-elimination match-play bracket and into the title match.
Rodriguez held the early advantage in the finals, but Hankey made a key ball change in the ninth frame and cut Rodriguez's lead to 11 pins heading into the second game. Hankey settled in during the last game, and delivered the final seven strikes to win the title.
"During match play I had a pretty good look with one ball, but I didn't have a great look with it on the TV pair," said Hankey, a 15-year-old right-hander. "I decided to use a ball with a little more surface and strong drilling to create a little more response down lane. This is the best I've ever bowled in my life. This is one of the hardest tournaments for a junior bowler to win, and to come out on top means the world to me."
In the girls U15 championship match, Jedlicki felt some nerves after starting with three opens in her first five frames, but bounced back with four consecutive strikes to narrow Schrader's lead to seven pins after the first game. Jedlicki took over the lead early in the second game and outlasted Schrader to earn the title.
"I was nervous to start," said Jedlicki, a 14-year-old right-hander. "Winning this title means a lot."
Hankey and Jedlicki also earned spots on the U15 Developmental Team along with Jonathan Cummins of Independence, Kentucky, and Katherine Corbin of Romney, West Virginia.
The 2015 Junior Gold Championships saw a record field of 3,191 bowlers travel to DuPage County, Illinois, to compete for part of the $275,000 in total scholarships.
All competitors participated in three rounds of qualifying before the field eventually was narrowed down to the top 16 players in the U15 and U20 divisions and top eight in U12 for the double-elimination match-play bracket. Each round featured two-game matches with total pinfall determining the winner.
For more information on the Junior Gold Championships, visit BOWL.com/JuniorGold.
In the finals, aired nationally on CBS Sports Network, both Hankey and Jedlicki overcame deficits in their two-game matches en route to their titles. Hankey finished with a 259 game to defeat Jorge Rodriguez of Yauco, Puerto Rico, 445-387, while Jedlicki held on for a 343-334 win over Emily Schrader of Orland Park, Illinois.
The championship round of the 20-and-under division will air Aug. 18 at 10 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network. To locate CBS Sports Network on your cable or satellite provider, click here.
In the boys U15 division, Hankey and Rodriguez paced the field throughout qualifying at the 2015 event before making their way through the double-elimination match-play bracket and into the title match.
Rodriguez held the early advantage in the finals, but Hankey made a key ball change in the ninth frame and cut Rodriguez's lead to 11 pins heading into the second game. Hankey settled in during the last game, and delivered the final seven strikes to win the title.
"During match play I had a pretty good look with one ball, but I didn't have a great look with it on the TV pair," said Hankey, a 15-year-old right-hander. "I decided to use a ball with a little more surface and strong drilling to create a little more response down lane. This is the best I've ever bowled in my life. This is one of the hardest tournaments for a junior bowler to win, and to come out on top means the world to me."
In the girls U15 championship match, Jedlicki felt some nerves after starting with three opens in her first five frames, but bounced back with four consecutive strikes to narrow Schrader's lead to seven pins after the first game. Jedlicki took over the lead early in the second game and outlasted Schrader to earn the title.
"I was nervous to start," said Jedlicki, a 14-year-old right-hander. "Winning this title means a lot."
Hankey and Jedlicki also earned spots on the U15 Developmental Team along with Jonathan Cummins of Independence, Kentucky, and Katherine Corbin of Romney, West Virginia.
The 2015 Junior Gold Championships saw a record field of 3,191 bowlers travel to DuPage County, Illinois, to compete for part of the $275,000 in total scholarships.
All competitors participated in three rounds of qualifying before the field eventually was narrowed down to the top 16 players in the U15 and U20 divisions and top eight in U12 for the double-elimination match-play bracket. Each round featured two-game matches with total pinfall determining the winner.
For more information on the Junior Gold Championships, visit BOWL.com/JuniorGold.