N.Y. youth fights blood disorder, makes Junior Gold TV finals
August 03, 2015
ARLINGTON, Texas - A year after making match play at the 2014 Junior Gold Championships, few would have been surprised to see Cameron Hurwitz of Rochester, New York, advance to the 12-and-under championship match at the 2015 event presented by Storm, Roto Grip and Master.
The 12-year-old right-hander went undefeated in match play at Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois, to earn his spot in the finals against Spencer Robarge of Springfield, Missouri. But it is the battle Hurwitz has fought off the lanes that has left many inspired by a determination that goes well beyond his 4-foot-9-inch frame.
The boys and girls U12 title matches will be aired on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 10 p.m. Eastern. Amanda Naujokas of Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, and Aliyah Alleyne of Mooresville, North Carolina, will compete in the girl's title tilt, a two-game match with total pinfall determining the winner. To find out what channel CBS Sports Network is on your cable or satellite provider, click here.
In February 2015, bruises began to develop over Hurwitz's legs, prompting a trip to the emergency room. After several days of testing, Hurwitz was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia, a rare blood disorder that occurs when the body stops producing blood cells.
As Hurwitz began treatment in hopes of getting his bone marrow to correctly function, he was unable to attend school and was quarantined at home for four months. His lone escape during that time were trips to Rochester's Clover Lanes and Rose Bowl Lanes in Newark, New York, owned by USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Doug Kent. Hurwitz was allowed to come in and bowl when the centers were closed to the public.
"It was a little bit harder (coming back). I was sitting around for so long that I lost a lot of muscle, so it's kind of harder to throw the ball fast," said Hurwitz, who's hoping to return to Twelve Corners Middle School as an eighth grader in the fall.
In May, an uptick in his white cell count began to give the family hope that his treatment was beginning to take effect, and another spike in June prompted Hurwitz to see if he could make it to the Chicagoland area for Junior Gold.
"I was pretty excited," Hurwitz said. "I didn't think there was any way that I was going to be able to go. It was a last-minute decision. I just wanted to make it through without getting sick again."
Hurwitz's parents, Caryn and Scott, allowed him to start attending league while wearing an antiviral mask. He could touch nothing but his bowling ball and brought his own chair to avoid any potential infections.
As the family prepared for the trip, they also needed to coordinate with Hurwitz's doctors for his weekly blood transfusion, and were able to arrange an appointment at a nearby Chicago hospital. After his second round of qualifying, Hurwitz headed right to the hospital, spending seven hours at the facility as he received his transfusion.
The family finished just in time to watch Cameron's older brother, Reese, compete in the 20-and-under division. Reese, 16, qualified for the Advancers' Round before finishing the 2015 event in 180th place.
Cameron may not have had as many games under his belt compared to his fellow competitors, and because he was fighting some of the aftereffects of his transfusion, he relied on the experience gained on his way to a seventh-place finish at the 2014 event, as well as the guidance provided by his big brother.
"Reese has taught me a lot," Hurwitz said. "He was the one who taught me how to bowl. The patterns were quite similar, so I knew how to prepare for those. I also knew what the pressure was going to be like bowling at Junior Gold."
Hurwitz has developed a support group that includes PBA standouts Rhino Page and Norm Duke, and added the likes of Parker Bohn III and Wes Malott to his fan club throughout the week at Junior Gold. Much like those players, Hurwitz now has checked off the dream of competing for a national title on television.
"It means a lot to me," Hurwitz said of making the televised finals. "Bowling is what I love, so it was a big accomplishment. I was nervous at first, but once I started going, I calmed down."
The U15 and U20 title matches for both the boys and girls divisions will air Aug. 11 and Aug. 18, respectively, also at 10 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network.
The 12-year-old right-hander went undefeated in match play at Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois, to earn his spot in the finals against Spencer Robarge of Springfield, Missouri. But it is the battle Hurwitz has fought off the lanes that has left many inspired by a determination that goes well beyond his 4-foot-9-inch frame.
The boys and girls U12 title matches will be aired on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 10 p.m. Eastern. Amanda Naujokas of Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, and Aliyah Alleyne of Mooresville, North Carolina, will compete in the girl's title tilt, a two-game match with total pinfall determining the winner. To find out what channel CBS Sports Network is on your cable or satellite provider, click here.
In February 2015, bruises began to develop over Hurwitz's legs, prompting a trip to the emergency room. After several days of testing, Hurwitz was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia, a rare blood disorder that occurs when the body stops producing blood cells.
As Hurwitz began treatment in hopes of getting his bone marrow to correctly function, he was unable to attend school and was quarantined at home for four months. His lone escape during that time were trips to Rochester's Clover Lanes and Rose Bowl Lanes in Newark, New York, owned by USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Doug Kent. Hurwitz was allowed to come in and bowl when the centers were closed to the public.
"It was a little bit harder (coming back). I was sitting around for so long that I lost a lot of muscle, so it's kind of harder to throw the ball fast," said Hurwitz, who's hoping to return to Twelve Corners Middle School as an eighth grader in the fall.
In May, an uptick in his white cell count began to give the family hope that his treatment was beginning to take effect, and another spike in June prompted Hurwitz to see if he could make it to the Chicagoland area for Junior Gold.
"I was pretty excited," Hurwitz said. "I didn't think there was any way that I was going to be able to go. It was a last-minute decision. I just wanted to make it through without getting sick again."
Hurwitz's parents, Caryn and Scott, allowed him to start attending league while wearing an antiviral mask. He could touch nothing but his bowling ball and brought his own chair to avoid any potential infections.
As the family prepared for the trip, they also needed to coordinate with Hurwitz's doctors for his weekly blood transfusion, and were able to arrange an appointment at a nearby Chicago hospital. After his second round of qualifying, Hurwitz headed right to the hospital, spending seven hours at the facility as he received his transfusion.
The family finished just in time to watch Cameron's older brother, Reese, compete in the 20-and-under division. Reese, 16, qualified for the Advancers' Round before finishing the 2015 event in 180th place.
Cameron may not have had as many games under his belt compared to his fellow competitors, and because he was fighting some of the aftereffects of his transfusion, he relied on the experience gained on his way to a seventh-place finish at the 2014 event, as well as the guidance provided by his big brother.
"Reese has taught me a lot," Hurwitz said. "He was the one who taught me how to bowl. The patterns were quite similar, so I knew how to prepare for those. I also knew what the pressure was going to be like bowling at Junior Gold."
Hurwitz has developed a support group that includes PBA standouts Rhino Page and Norm Duke, and added the likes of Parker Bohn III and Wes Malott to his fan club throughout the week at Junior Gold. Much like those players, Hurwitz now has checked off the dream of competing for a national title on television.
"It means a lot to me," Hurwitz said of making the televised finals. "Bowling is what I love, so it was a big accomplishment. I was nervous at first, but once I started going, I calmed down."
The U15 and U20 title matches for both the boys and girls divisions will air Aug. 11 and Aug. 18, respectively, also at 10 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network.