Speer and Martin lead in U20 heading into Day 3 at 2023 Junior Gold Championships
July 12, 2023
INDIANAPOLIS – Four rounds of qualifying are complete in the 20-and-under division of the 2023 Junior Gold Championships with Ryan Speer and Jillian Martin leading the way as the event heads into Day 3 Wednesday.
Speer of nearby Beech Grove, Indiana, was third after Round 1 Monday, took the lead after Round 2 Tuesday morning, and maintained that lead after Rounds 3 and 4 at Royal Pin Western. He started Round 4 with a 265 game on his way to a four-game block total of 860, which was the best of the three rounds he bowled on Tuesday. Speer has totaled 3,495 pins over his 16 games of qualifying, good for a 218.4 average and a 77-pin lead over defending champion Justin Bohn of Jackson, New Jersey.
Martin, a Team USA and Junior Team USA member from Stow, Ohio, was 24th heading into Tuesday’s competition at Royal Pin Expo. She climbed to ninth after Round 2 Tuesday morning and then shot games of 278 and 268 on the way to a four-game total of 927 in Round 3 to take the lead. It was a lead that she would not relinquish in Round 4. Martin has a 16-game total of 3,392 and is averaging 212 for the tournament. She takes a 47-pin lead over Jenna Stretch of Auburn Township, Ohio, into Wednesday.
Speer is very familiar with Royal Pin Western, as he first bowled there at the age of five and estimates he’s logged 1,500 to 2,000 games in the center.
“It definitely helps to be from around here,” Speer said. “I know this center very well, so I’ve been able to read the patterns maybe a little better than most since I have some natural knowledge of the house. I’m just trying to use my comfort level in this center to my advantage.”
Speer, who will be a sophomore this fall on the bowling team at St. Xavier University (Chicago), has shown consistency on the variety of oil patterns he’s faced over the first two days of the tournament.
“I’ve had some pretty good ball reaction on all the patterns,” Speer said. “You never know how they’re going to play from practice day to actual competition, but I made some ball choices that I was confident would work no matter how different they got, and so far that’s worked out well for me.”
Speer also credits his success from taking more of a long-term view during qualifying.
“I think the four-game blocks can kind of trip people up because you think you don’t have a lot of time to sit and grind,” Speer said. “But I look at it as four four-game blocks, and then two five-game blocks if you make the cuts. So, you have 26 games. My mom always says that it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and I try to listen to that.”
Bohn, a member of Junior Team USA, started Tuesday in 28th place, rose to eighth place after Round 2, then used a 286 game at the end of Round 3 to jump into second, which is where he sits after Round 4 with 3,418 pins (213.6 average).
In third place is fellow Junior Team USA member Julian Salinas of Richmond, Texas, with 3,376 pins. Fourth place belongs to Brandon Leavitt of Novi, Michigan (3,374). First-round leader David Hayes of Terre Haute, Indiana, is now fifth (3,371) and had one of the highlights of the day when he successfully converted the 7-10 split in Round 4.
On the girl’s side, Martin is looking to add a Junior Gold championship to her already impressive resume. Following Martin and Stretch in the standings is Marissa Bills of Marion, Iowa, who sits in third place with 3,322 pins. Junior Team USA member and past Junior Gold champion Jaelle Hamman of Jarrell, Texas, is fourth (3,275). Hamman won the 2021 title in the U18 division in Indianapolis. First-round leader Hailey Triske of Minnetonka, Minnesota, is fifth (3,265). Defending champion Anna Callan of La Crosse, Wisconsin, is 13th (3,154).
The U20 division continues Wednesday as the top 95 boys (out of a starting field of 158) and 46 girls (out of 76) have made the cut to the first advancers round. The first advancers round will feature five games before a second cut is made to the top 48 boys and 24 girls. A final five-game block will determine the athletes in the boys and girls divisions advancing to the double-elimination match-play bracket beginning Wednesday night and concluding Thursday morning.
Bracket matches will consist of two games, with total pinfall determining the winner. Three players will emerge from bracket play to compete in the stepladder finals to determine the champion. The two finalists in the match-play bracket will bowl to determine the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds for the stepladder, while the winner of the Elimination Bracket will be the No. 3 seed.
BowlTV.com will carry all the action live until the stepladder finals, which will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
The finals in the U20 division will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. Eastern at Royal Pin Western and can be seen on CBS Sports Network Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. Eastern.
For complete standings, click here.
Speer of nearby Beech Grove, Indiana, was third after Round 1 Monday, took the lead after Round 2 Tuesday morning, and maintained that lead after Rounds 3 and 4 at Royal Pin Western. He started Round 4 with a 265 game on his way to a four-game block total of 860, which was the best of the three rounds he bowled on Tuesday. Speer has totaled 3,495 pins over his 16 games of qualifying, good for a 218.4 average and a 77-pin lead over defending champion Justin Bohn of Jackson, New Jersey.
Martin, a Team USA and Junior Team USA member from Stow, Ohio, was 24th heading into Tuesday’s competition at Royal Pin Expo. She climbed to ninth after Round 2 Tuesday morning and then shot games of 278 and 268 on the way to a four-game total of 927 in Round 3 to take the lead. It was a lead that she would not relinquish in Round 4. Martin has a 16-game total of 3,392 and is averaging 212 for the tournament. She takes a 47-pin lead over Jenna Stretch of Auburn Township, Ohio, into Wednesday.
Speer is very familiar with Royal Pin Western, as he first bowled there at the age of five and estimates he’s logged 1,500 to 2,000 games in the center.
“It definitely helps to be from around here,” Speer said. “I know this center very well, so I’ve been able to read the patterns maybe a little better than most since I have some natural knowledge of the house. I’m just trying to use my comfort level in this center to my advantage.”
Speer, who will be a sophomore this fall on the bowling team at St. Xavier University (Chicago), has shown consistency on the variety of oil patterns he’s faced over the first two days of the tournament.
“I’ve had some pretty good ball reaction on all the patterns,” Speer said. “You never know how they’re going to play from practice day to actual competition, but I made some ball choices that I was confident would work no matter how different they got, and so far that’s worked out well for me.”
Speer also credits his success from taking more of a long-term view during qualifying.
“I think the four-game blocks can kind of trip people up because you think you don’t have a lot of time to sit and grind,” Speer said. “But I look at it as four four-game blocks, and then two five-game blocks if you make the cuts. So, you have 26 games. My mom always says that it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and I try to listen to that.”
Bohn, a member of Junior Team USA, started Tuesday in 28th place, rose to eighth place after Round 2, then used a 286 game at the end of Round 3 to jump into second, which is where he sits after Round 4 with 3,418 pins (213.6 average).
In third place is fellow Junior Team USA member Julian Salinas of Richmond, Texas, with 3,376 pins. Fourth place belongs to Brandon Leavitt of Novi, Michigan (3,374). First-round leader David Hayes of Terre Haute, Indiana, is now fifth (3,371) and had one of the highlights of the day when he successfully converted the 7-10 split in Round 4.
On the girl’s side, Martin is looking to add a Junior Gold championship to her already impressive resume. Following Martin and Stretch in the standings is Marissa Bills of Marion, Iowa, who sits in third place with 3,322 pins. Junior Team USA member and past Junior Gold champion Jaelle Hamman of Jarrell, Texas, is fourth (3,275). Hamman won the 2021 title in the U18 division in Indianapolis. First-round leader Hailey Triske of Minnetonka, Minnesota, is fifth (3,265). Defending champion Anna Callan of La Crosse, Wisconsin, is 13th (3,154).
The U20 division continues Wednesday as the top 95 boys (out of a starting field of 158) and 46 girls (out of 76) have made the cut to the first advancers round. The first advancers round will feature five games before a second cut is made to the top 48 boys and 24 girls. A final five-game block will determine the athletes in the boys and girls divisions advancing to the double-elimination match-play bracket beginning Wednesday night and concluding Thursday morning.
Bracket matches will consist of two games, with total pinfall determining the winner. Three players will emerge from bracket play to compete in the stepladder finals to determine the champion. The two finalists in the match-play bracket will bowl to determine the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds for the stepladder, while the winner of the Elimination Bracket will be the No. 3 seed.
BowlTV.com will carry all the action live until the stepladder finals, which will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
The finals in the U20 division will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. Eastern at Royal Pin Western and can be seen on CBS Sports Network Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. Eastern.
For complete standings, click here.