Robarge, Naujokas win U12 titles at Junior Gold
August 04, 2015
ADDISON, Ill. - Spencer Robarge of Springfield, Missouri, and Amanda Naujokas of Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, captured the 12-and-under division titles at the 2015 Junior Gold Championships presented by Storm, Roto Grip and Master at Stardust Bowl.
In the finals, which were aired nationally on CBS Sports Network, Robarge bested Cameron Hurwitz of Rochester, New York, in the two-game match, 390-332, to claim the boys U12 title. Naujokas took home the girls U12 win with a 383-324 victory over Aliyah Alleyne of Mooresville, North Carolina.
The championship rounds of the 15-and-under division will air Aug. 11, and the 20-and-under finals will air Aug. 18. Both shows begin at 10 p.m. Eastern. To locate CBS Sports Network on your cable or satellite provider, click here.
Robarge struggled early on the left lane in the boys U12 title tilt, but a ball change on that lane in the ninth frame helped to control his ball reaction against Hurwitz, who suffers from Aplastic Anemia and was wearing an antiviral mask throughout the week.
The change helped Robarge finish with a 211 game to cap off an impressive two-year run at Junior Gold. The 12-year-old two-hander who attacks the lanes from the left side finished third at the 2014 event in Buffalo, New York.
"I wasn't able to really throw a good shot on the left lane," Robarge said. "So I switched to something that would blend it out. If you don't make quality shots and make your spares, it's tough to get to this stage at this tournament. This win feels really good."
Naujokas nearly put together a flawless performance in the girls U12 final, filling all but one frame during her two games against Alleyne.
The 12-year-old right-hander also improved on her finish from the 2014 event after taking fourth place in Buffalo. The 2014 event also marked the introduction of the U12 division.
"I just tried keeping my feet slow and tried to stay calm," Naujokas said. "This title means a lot because I've worked really hard on my game in the last two months, so it definitely paid off."
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, which were aired nationally on CBS Sports Network, Robarge bested Cameron Hurwitz of Rochester, New York, in the two-game match, 390-332, to claim the boys U12 title. Naujokas took home the girls U12 win with a 383-324 victory over Aliyah Alleyne of Mooresville, North Carolina.
The championship rounds of the 15-and-under division will air Aug. 11, and the 20-and-under finals will air Aug. 18. Both shows begin at 10 p.m. Eastern. To locate CBS Sports Network on your cable or satellite provider, click here.
Robarge struggled early on the left lane in the boys U12 title tilt, but a ball change on that lane in the ninth frame helped to control his ball reaction against Hurwitz, who suffers from Aplastic Anemia and was wearing an antiviral mask throughout the week.
The change helped Robarge finish with a 211 game to cap off an impressive two-year run at Junior Gold. The 12-year-old two-hander who attacks the lanes from the left side finished third at the 2014 event in Buffalo, New York.
"I wasn't able to really throw a good shot on the left lane," Robarge said. "So I switched to something that would blend it out. If you don't make quality shots and make your spares, it's tough to get to this stage at this tournament. This win feels really good."
Naujokas nearly put together a flawless performance in the girls U12 final, filling all but one frame during her two games against Alleyne.
The 12-year-old right-hander also improved on her finish from the 2014 event after taking fourth place in Buffalo. The 2014 event also marked the introduction of the U12 division.
"I just tried keeping my feet slow and tried to stay calm," Naujokas said. "This title means a lot because I've worked really hard on my game in the last two months, so it definitely paid off."
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.