Nevada, Florida bowlers earn Youth Ambassador honor

ARLINGTON, Texas – Molly Gallagher of Reno, Nevada, and Sean Wilcox of Altamonte Springs, Florida, have been selected as the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Youth Ambassadors of the Year.

Each year, the International Bowling Congress Youth Committee selects one male and one female USBC Youth bowler for their contributions to the sport, academic achievement and community involvement. Each will receive a $1,500 scholarship and could be selected to serve on the IBC Youth Committee.

MollyGallagher140xGallagher, 17, is a junior at Damonte Ranch High School and serves on the youth committee for Greater Reno Sparks USBC. She is in her third year of service on the Nevada State USBC Youth Committee.

“Receiving this award is obviously a great honor,” Gallagher said. “It shows me that perseverance and dedication really do pay off.”

She is a board member of The Peanut Patrol, a non-profit organization that creates awareness and educates people about life-threatening peanut allergies. Through the organization, she helped create and served as assistant tournament director of the Molly and Melissa’s Annual The Peanut Patrol Bowling Tournament, a fundraiser for the organization that has been held the last six years.

She also helped create, and is involved in, the Peanut Patrol Teen Club, which started a two-day youth scholarship event and a no-tap youth/adult scholarship tournament that recognizes an individual who has made an impact on youth bowling. She was the first recipient of the Nevada State USBC Youth Committee’s Above and Beyond Scholarship in 2012.

SeanWilcox140xWilcox, 16, is a sophomore at Lake Brantley High School. He has earned his USBC Level I coaching certification and works as a lane mentor in his area youth program during league, helping guide less experienced bowlers.

“Being selected to represent our bowling community and our sport is an awesome and humbling honor,” Wilcox said.

For the last two years, he has helped organize the Bowl for Russell Home Doubles Tournament at Boardwalk Bowl. He assisted with sponsors, vendors and media in the promotion of the event to benefit the Russell Home for Atypical Children in Orlando.

At the 2013 Junior Gold Championships, Wilcox earned selection to the Team USA Development squad and had the opportunity to compete in the Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas, where he earned five gold medals and a silver medal.

The Youth Ambassadors will receive an expenses-paid trip to the 2015 USBC Convention in Omaha, Nebraska, to receive their awards. The USBC Convention, including the awards presentation, will be live streamed on BOWL.com.

Go to BOWL.com/Scholarships to learn more about youth scholarships available through USBC.