Junior Gold U15 titles up for grabs on CBS Sports Network
August 01, 2016
ARLINGTON, Texas - Growing up in Anchorage, Alaska, Mabel Cummins looked forward to Sunday nights because that's the day her father, before he would head off to work, would take her bowling. Through her weekly outings, Cummins discovered she had a love for the sport and has continued to pursue her passion ever since.
Now, that passion will be on display Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network as Cummins will look to claim the girls 15-and-under title against Sarah Sanes of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, as part of the U15 TV finals of the 2016 Junior Gold Championships presented by Storm, Roto Grip and Master.
In addition to the girls' title match, the 15-and-under boys' championship match between Solomon Salama of Beverly Hills, California, and Nick Archacki of Saegertown, Pennsylvania, will be televised. The finals in each division, held at Western Bowl, will be two-games, total-pins matches.
Cummins recognized she had some natural talent, and when she moved from Alaska to Elburn, Illinois, in 2009, she began to seek out ways to enhance her talent. She eventually began working with several coaches, including Del Warren of the Kegel Training Center, and Gregg Zicha of Fox Bowl. But, the first professional bowler she saw was Diandra Asbaty, from whom she also would seek guidance. Asbaty, who lives in Chicago, quickly became an inspiration to Cummins.
"She was one of my first coaches and I would take lessons with her at her home house," said Cummins, who is a two-time United States Bowling Congress Youth Open champion. "I bowled her first Elite Youth Tour event a few years ago in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Since then, I've gotten a lot closer with her. She's always there to give me advice when I need it, help me learn new things and help me meet new people."
Some of the advice Asbaty passed along included how to handle the rigors of long tournaments, which certainly came in handy during the 32 games at Junior Gold. Cummins earned the top seed in the U15 girls division after qualifying, but lost her second match and had to come back through the elimination bracket.
"I met Diandra at a PBA tournament and she was bowling with the guys," Cummins said. "I think she was my first real inspiration in bowling because she showed me that you just got to keep going and how to handle the grind that is bowling through qualifying, advancers' rounds and match play."
As Cummins began to compete in several youth events across the state, she encountered a few moments where she recognized her talent level.
"The first moment may have been at Diandra's first ever EYT and I was an 11-year-old," said Cummins, who is a sophomore at Kaneland High School in Maple Park, Illinois. "She didn't have a U15 (division) back then and I actually qualified for the U20. I didn't make it past that point, but I did get into that next round.
"When I bowl Patti Maurerman's Illinois State Scholarship Tour events, there is no U15 at all, just U20 boys and girls scratch. When I was able to compete with the U20s regularly, I realized that if I just kept working on my game and making good shots and having fun, that I could be a really good bowler."
Although Cummins spends most of her time on the lanes, she enjoys helping people when she's off the lanes, spending time with her dog, Gizmo, and volunteering at her church. She also works as a sound technician for plays and musicals at her high school.
Cummins is not short-sighted and realizes bowling has given her many opportunities. While her goals include earning an education and bowling collegiately, she also plans to do her part to continue to build a future for the sport.
"I want to get through college and get a really great education," Cummins said. "And then I want to go and give back to bowling. I have been so grateful for all the help, coaching and advice that I've received since I started bowling. I want to give back to the sport because it has done so much to help me. I can see either coaching or volunteering. It'd be really cool to volunteer at Junior Gold. I love watching all the kids bowl."
For more information on the Junior Gold Championships, visit BOWL.com/JuniorGold.
Now, that passion will be on display Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network as Cummins will look to claim the girls 15-and-under title against Sarah Sanes of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, as part of the U15 TV finals of the 2016 Junior Gold Championships presented by Storm, Roto Grip and Master.
In addition to the girls' title match, the 15-and-under boys' championship match between Solomon Salama of Beverly Hills, California, and Nick Archacki of Saegertown, Pennsylvania, will be televised. The finals in each division, held at Western Bowl, will be two-games, total-pins matches.
Cummins recognized she had some natural talent, and when she moved from Alaska to Elburn, Illinois, in 2009, she began to seek out ways to enhance her talent. She eventually began working with several coaches, including Del Warren of the Kegel Training Center, and Gregg Zicha of Fox Bowl. But, the first professional bowler she saw was Diandra Asbaty, from whom she also would seek guidance. Asbaty, who lives in Chicago, quickly became an inspiration to Cummins.
"She was one of my first coaches and I would take lessons with her at her home house," said Cummins, who is a two-time United States Bowling Congress Youth Open champion. "I bowled her first Elite Youth Tour event a few years ago in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Since then, I've gotten a lot closer with her. She's always there to give me advice when I need it, help me learn new things and help me meet new people."
Some of the advice Asbaty passed along included how to handle the rigors of long tournaments, which certainly came in handy during the 32 games at Junior Gold. Cummins earned the top seed in the U15 girls division after qualifying, but lost her second match and had to come back through the elimination bracket.
"I met Diandra at a PBA tournament and she was bowling with the guys," Cummins said. "I think she was my first real inspiration in bowling because she showed me that you just got to keep going and how to handle the grind that is bowling through qualifying, advancers' rounds and match play."
As Cummins began to compete in several youth events across the state, she encountered a few moments where she recognized her talent level.
"The first moment may have been at Diandra's first ever EYT and I was an 11-year-old," said Cummins, who is a sophomore at Kaneland High School in Maple Park, Illinois. "She didn't have a U15 (division) back then and I actually qualified for the U20. I didn't make it past that point, but I did get into that next round.
"When I bowl Patti Maurerman's Illinois State Scholarship Tour events, there is no U15 at all, just U20 boys and girls scratch. When I was able to compete with the U20s regularly, I realized that if I just kept working on my game and making good shots and having fun, that I could be a really good bowler."
Although Cummins spends most of her time on the lanes, she enjoys helping people when she's off the lanes, spending time with her dog, Gizmo, and volunteering at her church. She also works as a sound technician for plays and musicals at her high school.
Cummins is not short-sighted and realizes bowling has given her many opportunities. While her goals include earning an education and bowling collegiately, she also plans to do her part to continue to build a future for the sport.
"I want to get through college and get a really great education," Cummins said. "And then I want to go and give back to bowling. I have been so grateful for all the help, coaching and advice that I've received since I started bowling. I want to give back to the sport because it has done so much to help me. I can see either coaching or volunteering. It'd be really cool to volunteer at Junior Gold. I love watching all the kids bowl."
For more information on the Junior Gold Championships, visit BOWL.com/JuniorGold.