2023 Junior Gold Notebook - Round 2
July 19, 2023
FULL STANDINGS
INDIANAPOLIS – The qualifying portion of the 2023 Junior Gold Championships reached its halfway point Tuesday as bowlers in each of three age-based divisions for boys and girls (18-and-under, 15-and-under and 12-and-under) completed their second four-game qualifying block. That leaves just two days and eight games remaining before cuts are made to the advancers round Friday.
U18 Boys
Connor Rogus of Macomb, Michigan, remained atop the U18 boys standings for the second day in a row, following up Monday’s tournament-best 1,017 set with 791 on Tuesday to push his two-day total to 1,808 (a 226 average).
Traeten Henrichsmeyer of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, started the second round by shooting 162, but he quickly recovered, finishing with games of 219, 207 and 256 to come in with 844 for the block and move into second place overall at 1,805.
Daniel Robertson of Jackson, New Jersey (1,801), and Aidan Furukawa of Sunbury, Ohio (1,794), finished the day in third and fourth place, respectively.
Jacob Neubauer of Pickerington, Ohio, used a stellar set of 946 (269, 233, 257 and 187) to move into fifth place with an eight-game total of 1,783 (a 222.88 average).
U18 Girls
Defending champion Erin Klemencic of Powder Springs, Georgia, took over the lead in the U18 girls standings, using games of 246, 211, 258 and 256 to shoot 971 for Tuesday’s block, giving her a two-day total of 1,813 (a 226.63 average).
Brooke Salzman of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, moved into second place. The Junior Team USA member was steady throughout the second round, shooting 224, 205, 227 and 245 for a Day 2-total of 901, which gave her 1,754 overall.
Lauren Hunter of Smithton, Illinois, who led the U18 girls division after Round 1, was only able to record a 734 set on Tuesday; nevertheless, her two-day, eight-game total of 1,706 (a 213.25 average) allowed her to remain in third place in the overall standings.
Kaitlyn Stull of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Katelyn Abigania of San Diego rounded out the top five for the second day in a row; however, the duo traded places during Round 2 with Stull (1,689) securing fourth place and Abigania (1,673) ending the day in fifth.
U15 Boys
Dylan Harnden of Shelby Township, Michigan, and Braden McDonough of Coppell, Texas, continued to pace the U15 boys field at the end of Round 2.
Harnden recorded an 873 set on Tuesday to push his leading total to 1,838 (a 229.75 average) while McDonough fired 869 to retain second place at 1,820.
Ernesto Reynoso of Folsom, California, used games of 248, 268, 191 and 256 to put up a score of 963 during Round 2, which moved him into third place in the overall standings with an 1,818 total.
Mel Sim of Queens Village, New York (1,755), and Lincoln D. Moyer of Merritt Island, Florida (1,725), secured spots four and five, respectively.
U15 Girls
Bella Castillo of Odessa, Texas, and Malayna Calo of Seminole, Florida, remained atop the U15 girls standings for the second day in a row, but the margin between the two got considerably closer after Tuesday’s second round.
Castillo started the day with a lead of more than 100 pins; however, the talented two-hander was only able to battle her way to a 724 total during Round 2, which gave her an eight-game total of 1,670 (a 208.75 average).
Calo, meanwhile, finished Tuesday’s block with games of 223 and 213 to come in with a 785 total on the day, which moved her to 1,627 overall and back within 50 pins of Castillo with two qualifying rounds remaining.
Anna Antony of Farmington, Connecticut, secured third place with 1,586.
Clara Campbell of McKinney, Texas, used a Round-2 score of 821 (201, 151, 256 and 213) to jump from 21st to fourth in the overall standings with a two-day total of 1,570 (a 196.25 average).
Elena Weinstok of Costa Rica secured the final spot in the overall U15 girls top five with 1,563.
Despite missing out on the top five, Tori Franklin of Frisco, Texas, who began the day in 100th place, fired the round of the day among U15 girls, shooting 893 (237, 211, 209 and 236) on Tuesday to push her two-day total to 1,561 and move up to sixth place.
U12 Boys
Tatum Lee of Minot, North Dakota, and Miles Gordon of Columbus, Ohio, used Tuesday’s second round to increase their lead atop the U12 boys standings.
Lee followed up Monday’s opening-round set of 917 with 783 on Tuesday to remain in first place with an eight-game total of 1,700 (a 212.5 average).
Gordon shot games of 226, 256, 200 and 181 during Round 2 to come in with 863 for the block and a 1,693 total.
Kristofer Wagner of Deland, Florida, and Noah Wood of Mount Morris, Michigan, flip-flopped positions in the standings on Tuesday with Wagner shooting 747 to come in with a two-day total of 1,531 and move into third place while Wood’s second-round score of 717 pushed his eight-game mark to 1,505, which dropped him to fourth.
Brennan Brandel of Saginaw, Michigan, used a second-round 787 to move into fifth place with 1,483 (a 185.38 average).
U12 Girls
The top spot in the U12 girls standings still belongs to Alexandra McCowan of Anaheim, California. McCowan followed up Monday’s 800 with a solid 765 (200, 167, 176 and 222) on Tuesday for a two-day total of 1,565 (a 195.63 average).
That put McCowan more than 175 pins ahead of her closest pursuer, 2022 U12 runner up Kennedi Spears of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, who fired 689 on Tuesday to retain second place with an eight-game total of 1,389.
Alivia Portillo of Bellevue, Michigan, used a second-round 707 to move up to third place in the overall standings with a score of 1,366.
Kylie Oppedisano of Trumbull, Connecticut (1,338), and Jayne Juhasz of Ormond Beach, Florida (1,336), rounded out the U12 girls top five.
Pair of Wisconsin bowlers notch perfect games during Round 2
There have now been five 300 games shot through the first two rounds of competition at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships, all of them by bowlers in the U18 boys division.
The latest pair were authored by two bowlers from Wisconsin as Benjamin Mikolajczak of Kenosha and Zach Olson of Neenah each notched a perfect game during Tuesday’s second round of qualifying.
Mikolajczak’s 300 came during the first game of Round 2 while Olson saved his best for last, connecting for 12 in a row during the fourth and final game of Tuesday’s second set.
Garrett Andrus of Austin, Texas; Harcourt Husbands of Titusville, Florida; and Raiden Nakagawa of Kaneohe, Hawaii, each fired perfect games during Round 1 of qualifying on Monday.
Cut lines starting to take shape
The completion of Tuesday’s second round marked the halfway point in qualifying at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships.
Although all bowlers still have two rounds and eight more games to bowl before the first cuts are made, it’s never too early to start paying attention to where the bar is resting in each division.
U18 boys – A total of 188 bowlers will move on to the advancers round in the U18 boys division. Currently, Connor Lunning of O’Fallon, Illinois, and Jacob Davenport of Columbia, North Carolina, are tied for the final spot with two-day totals of 1,541 (a 192.63 average).
U18 girls – This year, there will be 84 advancers among U18 girls. Through two rounds, Kaylee Lipp of Cheswick, Pennsylvania, sits in the final advancing position with an eight-game mark of 1,465 (a 183.13 average).
U15 boys – The top 100 scores will move on in U15 boys action this year. The bowler currently occupying that spot in the standings is Ayden Larson of Aurora, Nebraska, who has earned that position by authoring a mark of 1,494 (a 186.75 average) through the first two rounds.
U15 girls – There are 47 spots in the advancers round up for grabs in the U15 girls field this year, and Joysbeliz Reyes-Solano of Lubbock, Texas, is the bowler currently in place to secure the final one thanks to her eight-game total of 1,402 (a 175.25 average).
U12 boys – The U12 boys division will see 33 bowlers advance out of qualifying. After Round 2, Vincenzo Piccillo of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was the competitor in line to secure the final spot. Through eight games, Piccillo had a total of 1,345 (a 168.13 average).
U12 girls – Competition is sure to remain fierce in the U12 girls competition where the top 15 bowlers will make it through to the advancers round. With two rounds of qualifying to go, Taylor McKeller of Bloomington, Illinois, held the 15th and final advancing spot in the standings with a two-day mark of 1,230 (a 153.75 average).
Elite coaches come to Junior Gold in search of more than just good bowlers
Every year, dozens of high-level coaches attend the Junior Gold Championships looking for talent.
Team USA Head Coach Bryan O’Keefe is one of them.
O’Keefe has attended Junior Gold for many years, so he’s seen first-hand how success at youth bowling’s most-prestigious tournament often serves as a predictor of future triumphs.
“Competitive development is essential for not only collegiate competition but also for those hoping to bowl internationally,” O’Keefe said. “There is no better place than Junior Gold to achieve that development. The players who cut their teeth at Junior Gold are a who’s who of Team USA and collegiate national championship rosters.”
Wichita State Men’s Head Bowling Coach Rick Steelsmith knows all about national championship rosters. After all, he oversaw one this season as his Shockers won the 2023 USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships in Las Vegas back in April.
Nevertheless, the USBC Hall of Famer knows that national titles aren’t achieved by talent alone. For that reason, while attending Junior Gold, Steelsmith pays attention to more than just how an athlete’s ball goes down the lane.
“When you’re looking at recruiting kids for your school, you’re looking for good students and players who get along with other people,” Steelsmith said. “You’re really looking for the whole package.”
INDIANAPOLIS – The qualifying portion of the 2023 Junior Gold Championships reached its halfway point Tuesday as bowlers in each of three age-based divisions for boys and girls (18-and-under, 15-and-under and 12-and-under) completed their second four-game qualifying block. That leaves just two days and eight games remaining before cuts are made to the advancers round Friday.
U18 Boys
Connor Rogus of Macomb, Michigan, remained atop the U18 boys standings for the second day in a row, following up Monday’s tournament-best 1,017 set with 791 on Tuesday to push his two-day total to 1,808 (a 226 average).
Traeten Henrichsmeyer of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, started the second round by shooting 162, but he quickly recovered, finishing with games of 219, 207 and 256 to come in with 844 for the block and move into second place overall at 1,805.
Daniel Robertson of Jackson, New Jersey (1,801), and Aidan Furukawa of Sunbury, Ohio (1,794), finished the day in third and fourth place, respectively.
Jacob Neubauer of Pickerington, Ohio, used a stellar set of 946 (269, 233, 257 and 187) to move into fifth place with an eight-game total of 1,783 (a 222.88 average).
U18 Girls
Defending champion Erin Klemencic of Powder Springs, Georgia, took over the lead in the U18 girls standings, using games of 246, 211, 258 and 256 to shoot 971 for Tuesday’s block, giving her a two-day total of 1,813 (a 226.63 average).
Brooke Salzman of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, moved into second place. The Junior Team USA member was steady throughout the second round, shooting 224, 205, 227 and 245 for a Day 2-total of 901, which gave her 1,754 overall.
Lauren Hunter of Smithton, Illinois, who led the U18 girls division after Round 1, was only able to record a 734 set on Tuesday; nevertheless, her two-day, eight-game total of 1,706 (a 213.25 average) allowed her to remain in third place in the overall standings.
Kaitlyn Stull of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Katelyn Abigania of San Diego rounded out the top five for the second day in a row; however, the duo traded places during Round 2 with Stull (1,689) securing fourth place and Abigania (1,673) ending the day in fifth.
U15 Boys
Dylan Harnden of Shelby Township, Michigan, and Braden McDonough of Coppell, Texas, continued to pace the U15 boys field at the end of Round 2.
Harnden recorded an 873 set on Tuesday to push his leading total to 1,838 (a 229.75 average) while McDonough fired 869 to retain second place at 1,820.
Ernesto Reynoso of Folsom, California, used games of 248, 268, 191 and 256 to put up a score of 963 during Round 2, which moved him into third place in the overall standings with an 1,818 total.
Mel Sim of Queens Village, New York (1,755), and Lincoln D. Moyer of Merritt Island, Florida (1,725), secured spots four and five, respectively.
U15 Girls
Bella Castillo of Odessa, Texas, and Malayna Calo of Seminole, Florida, remained atop the U15 girls standings for the second day in a row, but the margin between the two got considerably closer after Tuesday’s second round.
Castillo started the day with a lead of more than 100 pins; however, the talented two-hander was only able to battle her way to a 724 total during Round 2, which gave her an eight-game total of 1,670 (a 208.75 average).
Calo, meanwhile, finished Tuesday’s block with games of 223 and 213 to come in with a 785 total on the day, which moved her to 1,627 overall and back within 50 pins of Castillo with two qualifying rounds remaining.
Anna Antony of Farmington, Connecticut, secured third place with 1,586.
Clara Campbell of McKinney, Texas, used a Round-2 score of 821 (201, 151, 256 and 213) to jump from 21st to fourth in the overall standings with a two-day total of 1,570 (a 196.25 average).
Elena Weinstok of Costa Rica secured the final spot in the overall U15 girls top five with 1,563.
Despite missing out on the top five, Tori Franklin of Frisco, Texas, who began the day in 100th place, fired the round of the day among U15 girls, shooting 893 (237, 211, 209 and 236) on Tuesday to push her two-day total to 1,561 and move up to sixth place.
U12 Boys
Tatum Lee of Minot, North Dakota, and Miles Gordon of Columbus, Ohio, used Tuesday’s second round to increase their lead atop the U12 boys standings.
Lee followed up Monday’s opening-round set of 917 with 783 on Tuesday to remain in first place with an eight-game total of 1,700 (a 212.5 average).
Gordon shot games of 226, 256, 200 and 181 during Round 2 to come in with 863 for the block and a 1,693 total.
Kristofer Wagner of Deland, Florida, and Noah Wood of Mount Morris, Michigan, flip-flopped positions in the standings on Tuesday with Wagner shooting 747 to come in with a two-day total of 1,531 and move into third place while Wood’s second-round score of 717 pushed his eight-game mark to 1,505, which dropped him to fourth.
Brennan Brandel of Saginaw, Michigan, used a second-round 787 to move into fifth place with 1,483 (a 185.38 average).
U12 Girls
The top spot in the U12 girls standings still belongs to Alexandra McCowan of Anaheim, California. McCowan followed up Monday’s 800 with a solid 765 (200, 167, 176 and 222) on Tuesday for a two-day total of 1,565 (a 195.63 average).
That put McCowan more than 175 pins ahead of her closest pursuer, 2022 U12 runner up Kennedi Spears of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, who fired 689 on Tuesday to retain second place with an eight-game total of 1,389.
Alivia Portillo of Bellevue, Michigan, used a second-round 707 to move up to third place in the overall standings with a score of 1,366.
Kylie Oppedisano of Trumbull, Connecticut (1,338), and Jayne Juhasz of Ormond Beach, Florida (1,336), rounded out the U12 girls top five.
Pair of Wisconsin bowlers notch perfect games during Round 2
There have now been five 300 games shot through the first two rounds of competition at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships, all of them by bowlers in the U18 boys division.
The latest pair were authored by two bowlers from Wisconsin as Benjamin Mikolajczak of Kenosha and Zach Olson of Neenah each notched a perfect game during Tuesday’s second round of qualifying.
Mikolajczak’s 300 came during the first game of Round 2 while Olson saved his best for last, connecting for 12 in a row during the fourth and final game of Tuesday’s second set.
Garrett Andrus of Austin, Texas; Harcourt Husbands of Titusville, Florida; and Raiden Nakagawa of Kaneohe, Hawaii, each fired perfect games during Round 1 of qualifying on Monday.
Cut lines starting to take shape
The completion of Tuesday’s second round marked the halfway point in qualifying at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships.
Although all bowlers still have two rounds and eight more games to bowl before the first cuts are made, it’s never too early to start paying attention to where the bar is resting in each division.
U18 boys – A total of 188 bowlers will move on to the advancers round in the U18 boys division. Currently, Connor Lunning of O’Fallon, Illinois, and Jacob Davenport of Columbia, North Carolina, are tied for the final spot with two-day totals of 1,541 (a 192.63 average).
U18 girls – This year, there will be 84 advancers among U18 girls. Through two rounds, Kaylee Lipp of Cheswick, Pennsylvania, sits in the final advancing position with an eight-game mark of 1,465 (a 183.13 average).
U15 boys – The top 100 scores will move on in U15 boys action this year. The bowler currently occupying that spot in the standings is Ayden Larson of Aurora, Nebraska, who has earned that position by authoring a mark of 1,494 (a 186.75 average) through the first two rounds.
U15 girls – There are 47 spots in the advancers round up for grabs in the U15 girls field this year, and Joysbeliz Reyes-Solano of Lubbock, Texas, is the bowler currently in place to secure the final one thanks to her eight-game total of 1,402 (a 175.25 average).
U12 boys – The U12 boys division will see 33 bowlers advance out of qualifying. After Round 2, Vincenzo Piccillo of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was the competitor in line to secure the final spot. Through eight games, Piccillo had a total of 1,345 (a 168.13 average).
U12 girls – Competition is sure to remain fierce in the U12 girls competition where the top 15 bowlers will make it through to the advancers round. With two rounds of qualifying to go, Taylor McKeller of Bloomington, Illinois, held the 15th and final advancing spot in the standings with a two-day mark of 1,230 (a 153.75 average).
Elite coaches come to Junior Gold in search of more than just good bowlers
Every year, dozens of high-level coaches attend the Junior Gold Championships looking for talent.
Team USA Head Coach Bryan O’Keefe is one of them.
O’Keefe has attended Junior Gold for many years, so he’s seen first-hand how success at youth bowling’s most-prestigious tournament often serves as a predictor of future triumphs.
“Competitive development is essential for not only collegiate competition but also for those hoping to bowl internationally,” O’Keefe said. “There is no better place than Junior Gold to achieve that development. The players who cut their teeth at Junior Gold are a who’s who of Team USA and collegiate national championship rosters.”
Wichita State Men’s Head Bowling Coach Rick Steelsmith knows all about national championship rosters. After all, he oversaw one this season as his Shockers won the 2023 USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships in Las Vegas back in April.
Nevertheless, the USBC Hall of Famer knows that national titles aren’t achieved by talent alone. For that reason, while attending Junior Gold, Steelsmith pays attention to more than just how an athlete’s ball goes down the lane.
“When you’re looking at recruiting kids for your school, you’re looking for good students and players who get along with other people,” Steelsmith said. “You’re really looking for the whole package.”