USBC Youth Open resume with big scores
By Aaron Smith
7/16/2009
USBC Communications
INDIANAPOLIS - The 2009 USBC Youth Open resumed Thursday at Expo Bowl after taking a few days off for theNorth Pointe Junior Gold Championships qualifying. The Youth Open Championships, sponsored by Pepsi, had started on July 10 and will finish on July 25.
The leading performance of the day came from Bobby Middleton of Waldorf, Md., who took over the lead for the Division 1 Singles with a 777 series, which included a 290 game. Division 1 includes bowlers with averages above 190. The 20-year-old started off singles with a 232 before recording the final 11 strikes his second game. He capped the series with a255 game.
"The nerves got to me towards the end since I knew I could reach 800," said Middleton, who bowled in his first Youth Open Championships. "I hope the score holds up." Middleton also credits being aware of the lane conditions and planning ahead in helping him jump up the leader board.
"I looked at the graph, and knew we would be bowling on something that had been opened up already, so I chased the shot inside," Middleton said. "I got the right ball in my hand and thenit was bombs away." Middleton added a 640 series in doubles, but was not competing in the team event.
The team event earlier in the morning started on a high note as Sarah Rawski of Chesterfield, Mich., took her run at reaching perfection.
The 18-year-old started off her team event with the first nine strikes before leaving a 5-pin to finish with 278. She added games of 194 and 186 for a 658 series to help her Division 1 team(combined average of 760 and above) Sunnybrook to a 2,185 total.Sockk Rockkers of Allen, Texas currently lead at 2,476.
"I really wanted to have the chance to shoot 300, but I thought about it too much," said Rawski, who competed in her first Youth Open Championships. "I was so tired from the last three days (of Junior Gold), so I was happy to put together the front nine." Rawski added 576 in doubles and 532 in singles for a 1,766 all-events total.
Both Middleton and Rawski competed in the Junior Gold Championships earlier in the week. Middleton, competing in his third year at the event, had an 18-game total of 3,406 to finish in 234th. Rawski, in her second year, placed 242nd with 3,118.