2023 Junior Gold Notebook - Round 3
July 21, 2023
FULL STANDINGS
INDIANAPOLIS – The action heated up at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships Wednesday as bowlers in all three age-based divisions (18-and-under, 15-and-under and 12-and-under) attempted to use the third qualifying block to position themselves inside or within striking distance of the cut line prior to Thursday's final four games of qualifying.
U18 Girls
Brooke Salzman of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, a current Junior Team USA member, took over the lead after firing a score of 872 (215, 242, 201 and 214) on Wednesday, which pushed her three-day total to 2,626 (a 218.83 average).
Defending champion Erin Klemencic of Powder Springs, Georgia, who held the U18 girls lead after Round 2, sits in second place at 2,590.
Kaitlyn Stull of Raleigh, North Carolina, used an outstanding 894 (202, 224, 228 and 240) to move up to third place with 2,583 while Katelyn Abigania of San Diego settled into fourth with 2,522.
Victoria Varano of Stony Point, New York, shot 842 (245, 181, 199 and 217) on Wednesday to crack the top five for the first time this week with a 12-game total of 2,510.
Nevertheless, Avery Domaguin of San Diego fired the round of the day in U18 girls action, notching a remarkable 986 (208, 276, 244 and 258) to move into seventh place at 2,461.
U18 Boys
Aidan Furukawa of Sunbury, Ohio, moved into the lead after firing a set of 922 (212, 279, 234 and 197) on Wednesday to get to 2,716 (a 226.33 average) for the tournament.
Daniel Robertson of Jackson, New Jersey, secured second place with 2,663 while Joseph Merz of Davison, Michigan, rode an 888 set, which included a 290 in Game 3, to third place at 2,661.
Christian Liquori of Merritt Island, Florida, got his total to 2,661 as well thanks to games of 195, 202, 245 and 245 on Wednesday.
Fifth place was held by Traeten Henrichsmeyer of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, who ended Round 3 with a grand total of 2,644.
Still, it was defending champion Brandon Bohn of Jackson, New Jersey, who turned the most heads on Wednesday. The talented left-hander authored scores of 268, 234, 257 and 245 for a 1,004 block total (an average of 251 per game) to move all the way up to 15th place in the overall standings heading into Thursday’s final qualifying round.
U15 Girls
Bella Castillo of Odessa, Texas, remained atop the U15 girls standings for the third day in a row.
The two-hander rolled games of 191, 235, 182 and 204 on Wednesday for a block total of 812, which pushed her three-day, 12-game mark to 2,482 (a 206.83 average).
Anna Antony of Farmington, Connecticut, was Castillo’s closest pursuer. Antony used a Round 3 score of 823 (221, 174, 246 and 182) to move into second place at 2,409.
Malayna Calo of Seminole, Florida (2,378); Clara Campbell of McKinney, Texas (2,363); and Elena Weinstok of Costa Rica (2,319) secured the remaining spots in the U15 girls top five.
U15 Boys
Ernesto Reynoso of Folsom, California, used a Round 3 score of 873 (224, 233, 191 and 225) to jump from third to first in the U15 boys overall standings with a three-day total of 2,691 (a 224.25 average).
Braden McDonough of Coppell, Texas, rebounded from a 161 in Game 1 to close with scores of 222, 213 and 226. That allowed McDonough to get to 821 on the day and retain second place at 2,641.
Dylan Harnden of Shelby Township, Michigan, who led the U15 boys during the first two rounds of qualifying, came in with a score of 789 on Wednesday and sits in third place with a 12-game total of 2,627.
William Cunningham III of Newark, New Jersey, began Round 3 with games of 245 and 279. His pace slowed a bit thereafter (180 and 199), but he still managed to end the day with a score of 903, which pushed his overall mark to 2,542 and moved him from 17th place to fourth in the overall standings.
Max Oeken of Ashland, Ohio, grabbed the final spot in the top five with a score of 2,502.
U12 Girls
Alexandra McCowan of Anaheim, California, continued to lead thanks to a three-day, 12-game total of 2,177 (a 181.42 average).
Nevertheless, Kennedi Spears of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, narrowed the gap considerably on Wednesday, using a Round 3 score of 717 (134, 212, 203 and 168) to get to 2,106 and cut McCowan’s advantage down to 71 pins heading into Thursday’s final four games of qualifying.
Jayne Juhasz of Ormond Beach, Florida, came in with a third-round score of 720 (214, 177, 176 and 153) to move into third place at 2,056 while Alivia Portillo of Bellevue, Michigan, shot 682 (188, 149, 183 and 162) to secure fourth at 2,048.
Karissa Kamada of Mililani, Hawaii, ended the day in fifth place with a three-day total of 1,986 (a 165.5 average).
U12 Boys
In a somewhat unusual turn of events, all five bowlers in the U12 boys top five after Tuesday’s second round remained in the exact same positions in the standings at the conclusion of Round 3 on Wednesday.
Tatum Lee of Minot, North Dakota, was strong yet again, shooting 843 (218, 176, 199 and 250) during the third round to push his 12-game total up to 2,543 (a 211.92 average).
Miles Gordon of Columbus, Ohio, notched 807 on the day and held onto second place at 2,500.
Wednesday’s biggest set of the day among U12 boys went to Kristofer Wagner of Deland, Florida, who blistered the Round 3 oil pattern for a score of 900 (222, 185, 258 and 235) to remain in third place but draw considerably closer to both Lee and Gordon with a three-day total of 2,431.
Noah Wood of Mount Morris, Michigan (2,344), and Brennan Brandel of Saginaw, Michigan (2,255), remained in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Ohio bowler keeps 300 streak alive
For the third consecutive day, a bowler in the U18 boys division managed to fire a perfect game.
This time, the honor score was authored by Kyle Dunne of Hinckley, Ohio, who achieved perfection during the second game of Round 3 on Wednesday.
The 300 was part of an 865 set for Dunne, who currently sits in a three-way tie for 19th place in the U18 boys standings at 2,520 (a 210 average).
There have now been six 300 games shot through the first three rounds of competition at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships, all of them by bowlers in the U18 boys division.
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.
Wisconsin bowlers Benjamin Mikolajczak of Kenosha and Zach Olson of Neenah got in on the act with 300s of their own during Round 2 on Tuesday.
Cut lines continue to come into focus with one qualifying round remaining
Thursday’s final four-game qualifying block will determine who keeps their dreams of Junior Gold victory alive for at least one more day and who will have to put those goals aside for at least another year.
That’s because each age-based division (18-and-under, 15-and-under and 12-and-under) will cut its field down after Thursday’s action. The number of bowlers moving on to Friday’s advancers round is different in each division and is based upon the total number of participants in that division.
Here is a look at how the cut situation stands in each group heading into the final round of qualifying:
U18 Girls
The 588-bowler U18 girls field will be cut down to the top 84 scores after Thursday’s final four games of qualifying.
Currently, Kendall Craig of Lexington, Kentucky, and Brooklyn Hieb of Brookings, South Dakota, are tied for the final qualifying position. Both have posted 2,192 through the first three days of competition.
However, there are still 42 bowlers within 50 pins of the final qualifying spot and 90 bowlers within 100. That means it’s still possible for several bowlers to jump inside the cut number or to fall below it by the time Thursday’s action is completed.
U18 Boys
The U18 boys field is the largest at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships with 1,313 competitors shoeing up and vying for this year’s title. The top 188 will move on to the advancers round and keep those championship hopes alive past Thursday.
A three-way tie exists for spot No. 188 as the final round of qualifying action is set to begin. The bowlers holding that position are Jon Freeman Jr. of Gallatin, Tennessee; Gavin Hart of Cape Coral, Florida; and Caden Graham of Mason, Ohio, who all produced 12-game scores of 2,296.
Those three will have plenty of pursuers to hold off as there are there are still 77 bowlers within 50 pins of their total and another 94 bowlers within 100.
U15 Girls
The U15 girls field started with 326 bowlers, which means only the top 47 will remain in contention after Thursday.
Marissa Miller of Oconto Falls, Wisconsin, currently holds the final ticket to the advancers round. In order to keep it, she’ll have to fend off 24 bowlers within 50 pins of her three-day total of 2,090. Another 28 bowlers sit within 100 pins of Miller’s mark.
U15 Boys
In U15 boys action, the top 100 bowlers will advance from a field that started with 700 competitors.
Currently, a four-way tie exists for the final spot with Mason Clark of Blaine, Minnesota; Caston Dhuse of Ottawa, Illinois; Sebastian Vetter of Oak Lawn, Illinois; and Christopher Daughtry of Enterprise, Alabama, all sitting at three-day marks of 2,253.
Nevertheless, those four are far from safe as there are 29 bowlers within 50 pins of their total and 88 bowlers within 100, leaving the quartet with plenty of work to do if they hope to maintain their position inside the cut line.
U12 Girls
The U12 girls division is the smallest at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships with 102 participants on its roster; consequently, only the top 15 bowlers will make it to Friday’s advancers round.
Cynthia Freeman of Springfield, Massachusetts, currently sits in 15th position with a three-day score of 1,847, but there are still five bowlers within 50 pins of her total and another 13 players within 100. That means several U12 girls remain in the hunt with one round of qualifying to go.
U12 Boys
Last, but certainly not least, the U12 boys division will advance the top 33 scores from its 226-player field.
Wyatt Spear of Lyons, Michigan, would’ve been the final bowler through to the U12 boys advancers round if qualifying action were already completed. He authored a score of 2,049 over the first three rounds of qualifying to secure 33rd place.
However, qualifying action isn’t over just yet, and with ten bowlers within 50 pins of Spear’s total and 16 bowlers within 100, clearly, there is still plenty left to be decided.
Illinois bowler understands what Junior Gold is all about
The Junior Gold Championships is bowling’s largest and most-prestigious youth tournament.
Over the course of the last 25 years, tens of thousands of youth bowlers from all over the world have traveled to cities across the United States to take part in the event.
Brianna Dyer of Bonfield, Illinois, is one of those bowlers.
This year marks the second time that Dyer has competed at the Junior Gold national finals – her first appearance came during last year’s tournament in Grand Rapids.
Although Dyer hasn’t been competing at Junior Gold as long as some of her fellow competitors, anyone who watches the right-handed U15 girls competitor on and off the lanes will realize right away that she belongs at this tournament.
That’s because not only has she learned how to prepare for challenging lane conditions, control her nerves and execute quality shots, but she’s also learned the importance of meeting new people, developing friendships and being there for her fellow competitors.
As such, throughout qualifying, Dyer has frequently been seen approaching sad and frustrated bowlers around her to offer some kind words, a smile or even just a reassuring pat on the back.
Some people would have a hard time making such a gesture to “opponents.” That isn’t the case for Dyer, however.
She doesn’t view the young ladies she shares the lanes with as the opposition; she considers them all part of the same team, and she believes that teammates should have one another’s backs.
“You need to be there for your teammates,” Dyer said. “They’re always there for me, so I need to be there for them. That’s sportsmanship. Taking time out of your day to be there for another person is what makes you a good person, and it’s something all of us should be doing.”
What makes Dyer’s willingness to support others even more impressive is the fact that she does so regardless of how she’s currently faring on the lanes.
After all, most people can be polite and supportive when things are going well; however, very few are able to maintain that same attitude when the chips are down.
Nevertheless, for Dyer, it doesn’t matter. She’s always willing to offer a kind word to a friend in need. Perhaps that’s because Dyer realizes that Junior Gold is about far more than just strikes and spares.
“Honestly, the best part of Junior Gold is making so many new friends that you can stay in touch with throughout the year and possibly look to bowl with again down the road,” Dyer said. “The people around you are what make this tournament special, so I just try to connect with them and keep a smile on my face and theirs.”
Dyer will need a big performance in Round 4 if she hopes to make the cut to the U15 girls advancers round.
It remains to be seen whether or not the pins will fall her way on Thursday. However, one thing that’s certain is that regardless of whether or not her scores measure up, Dyer will walk away from Junior Gold 2023 a winner.
INDIANAPOLIS – The action heated up at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships Wednesday as bowlers in all three age-based divisions (18-and-under, 15-and-under and 12-and-under) attempted to use the third qualifying block to position themselves inside or within striking distance of the cut line prior to Thursday's final four games of qualifying.
U18 Girls
Brooke Salzman of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, a current Junior Team USA member, took over the lead after firing a score of 872 (215, 242, 201 and 214) on Wednesday, which pushed her three-day total to 2,626 (a 218.83 average).
Defending champion Erin Klemencic of Powder Springs, Georgia, who held the U18 girls lead after Round 2, sits in second place at 2,590.
Kaitlyn Stull of Raleigh, North Carolina, used an outstanding 894 (202, 224, 228 and 240) to move up to third place with 2,583 while Katelyn Abigania of San Diego settled into fourth with 2,522.
Victoria Varano of Stony Point, New York, shot 842 (245, 181, 199 and 217) on Wednesday to crack the top five for the first time this week with a 12-game total of 2,510.
Nevertheless, Avery Domaguin of San Diego fired the round of the day in U18 girls action, notching a remarkable 986 (208, 276, 244 and 258) to move into seventh place at 2,461.
U18 Boys
Aidan Furukawa of Sunbury, Ohio, moved into the lead after firing a set of 922 (212, 279, 234 and 197) on Wednesday to get to 2,716 (a 226.33 average) for the tournament.
Daniel Robertson of Jackson, New Jersey, secured second place with 2,663 while Joseph Merz of Davison, Michigan, rode an 888 set, which included a 290 in Game 3, to third place at 2,661.
Christian Liquori of Merritt Island, Florida, got his total to 2,661 as well thanks to games of 195, 202, 245 and 245 on Wednesday.
Fifth place was held by Traeten Henrichsmeyer of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, who ended Round 3 with a grand total of 2,644.
Still, it was defending champion Brandon Bohn of Jackson, New Jersey, who turned the most heads on Wednesday. The talented left-hander authored scores of 268, 234, 257 and 245 for a 1,004 block total (an average of 251 per game) to move all the way up to 15th place in the overall standings heading into Thursday’s final qualifying round.
U15 Girls
Bella Castillo of Odessa, Texas, remained atop the U15 girls standings for the third day in a row.
The two-hander rolled games of 191, 235, 182 and 204 on Wednesday for a block total of 812, which pushed her three-day, 12-game mark to 2,482 (a 206.83 average).
Anna Antony of Farmington, Connecticut, was Castillo’s closest pursuer. Antony used a Round 3 score of 823 (221, 174, 246 and 182) to move into second place at 2,409.
Malayna Calo of Seminole, Florida (2,378); Clara Campbell of McKinney, Texas (2,363); and Elena Weinstok of Costa Rica (2,319) secured the remaining spots in the U15 girls top five.
U15 Boys
Ernesto Reynoso of Folsom, California, used a Round 3 score of 873 (224, 233, 191 and 225) to jump from third to first in the U15 boys overall standings with a three-day total of 2,691 (a 224.25 average).
Braden McDonough of Coppell, Texas, rebounded from a 161 in Game 1 to close with scores of 222, 213 and 226. That allowed McDonough to get to 821 on the day and retain second place at 2,641.
Dylan Harnden of Shelby Township, Michigan, who led the U15 boys during the first two rounds of qualifying, came in with a score of 789 on Wednesday and sits in third place with a 12-game total of 2,627.
William Cunningham III of Newark, New Jersey, began Round 3 with games of 245 and 279. His pace slowed a bit thereafter (180 and 199), but he still managed to end the day with a score of 903, which pushed his overall mark to 2,542 and moved him from 17th place to fourth in the overall standings.
Max Oeken of Ashland, Ohio, grabbed the final spot in the top five with a score of 2,502.
U12 Girls
Alexandra McCowan of Anaheim, California, continued to lead thanks to a three-day, 12-game total of 2,177 (a 181.42 average).
Nevertheless, Kennedi Spears of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, narrowed the gap considerably on Wednesday, using a Round 3 score of 717 (134, 212, 203 and 168) to get to 2,106 and cut McCowan’s advantage down to 71 pins heading into Thursday’s final four games of qualifying.
Jayne Juhasz of Ormond Beach, Florida, came in with a third-round score of 720 (214, 177, 176 and 153) to move into third place at 2,056 while Alivia Portillo of Bellevue, Michigan, shot 682 (188, 149, 183 and 162) to secure fourth at 2,048.
Karissa Kamada of Mililani, Hawaii, ended the day in fifth place with a three-day total of 1,986 (a 165.5 average).
U12 Boys
In a somewhat unusual turn of events, all five bowlers in the U12 boys top five after Tuesday’s second round remained in the exact same positions in the standings at the conclusion of Round 3 on Wednesday.
Tatum Lee of Minot, North Dakota, was strong yet again, shooting 843 (218, 176, 199 and 250) during the third round to push his 12-game total up to 2,543 (a 211.92 average).
Miles Gordon of Columbus, Ohio, notched 807 on the day and held onto second place at 2,500.
Wednesday’s biggest set of the day among U12 boys went to Kristofer Wagner of Deland, Florida, who blistered the Round 3 oil pattern for a score of 900 (222, 185, 258 and 235) to remain in third place but draw considerably closer to both Lee and Gordon with a three-day total of 2,431.
Noah Wood of Mount Morris, Michigan (2,344), and Brennan Brandel of Saginaw, Michigan (2,255), remained in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Ohio bowler keeps 300 streak alive
For the third consecutive day, a bowler in the U18 boys division managed to fire a perfect game.
This time, the honor score was authored by Kyle Dunne of Hinckley, Ohio, who achieved perfection during the second game of Round 3 on Wednesday.
The 300 was part of an 865 set for Dunne, who currently sits in a three-way tie for 19th place in the U18 boys standings at 2,520 (a 210 average).
There have now been six 300 games shot through the first three rounds of competition at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships, all of them by bowlers in the U18 boys division.
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.
Wisconsin bowlers Benjamin Mikolajczak of Kenosha and Zach Olson of Neenah got in on the act with 300s of their own during Round 2 on Tuesday.
Cut lines continue to come into focus with one qualifying round remaining
Thursday’s final four-game qualifying block will determine who keeps their dreams of Junior Gold victory alive for at least one more day and who will have to put those goals aside for at least another year.
That’s because each age-based division (18-and-under, 15-and-under and 12-and-under) will cut its field down after Thursday’s action. The number of bowlers moving on to Friday’s advancers round is different in each division and is based upon the total number of participants in that division.
Here is a look at how the cut situation stands in each group heading into the final round of qualifying:
U18 Girls
The 588-bowler U18 girls field will be cut down to the top 84 scores after Thursday’s final four games of qualifying.
Currently, Kendall Craig of Lexington, Kentucky, and Brooklyn Hieb of Brookings, South Dakota, are tied for the final qualifying position. Both have posted 2,192 through the first three days of competition.
However, there are still 42 bowlers within 50 pins of the final qualifying spot and 90 bowlers within 100. That means it’s still possible for several bowlers to jump inside the cut number or to fall below it by the time Thursday’s action is completed.
U18 Boys
The U18 boys field is the largest at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships with 1,313 competitors shoeing up and vying for this year’s title. The top 188 will move on to the advancers round and keep those championship hopes alive past Thursday.
A three-way tie exists for spot No. 188 as the final round of qualifying action is set to begin. The bowlers holding that position are Jon Freeman Jr. of Gallatin, Tennessee; Gavin Hart of Cape Coral, Florida; and Caden Graham of Mason, Ohio, who all produced 12-game scores of 2,296.
Those three will have plenty of pursuers to hold off as there are there are still 77 bowlers within 50 pins of their total and another 94 bowlers within 100.
U15 Girls
The U15 girls field started with 326 bowlers, which means only the top 47 will remain in contention after Thursday.
Marissa Miller of Oconto Falls, Wisconsin, currently holds the final ticket to the advancers round. In order to keep it, she’ll have to fend off 24 bowlers within 50 pins of her three-day total of 2,090. Another 28 bowlers sit within 100 pins of Miller’s mark.
U15 Boys
In U15 boys action, the top 100 bowlers will advance from a field that started with 700 competitors.
Currently, a four-way tie exists for the final spot with Mason Clark of Blaine, Minnesota; Caston Dhuse of Ottawa, Illinois; Sebastian Vetter of Oak Lawn, Illinois; and Christopher Daughtry of Enterprise, Alabama, all sitting at three-day marks of 2,253.
Nevertheless, those four are far from safe as there are 29 bowlers within 50 pins of their total and 88 bowlers within 100, leaving the quartet with plenty of work to do if they hope to maintain their position inside the cut line.
U12 Girls
The U12 girls division is the smallest at the 2023 Junior Gold Championships with 102 participants on its roster; consequently, only the top 15 bowlers will make it to Friday’s advancers round.
Cynthia Freeman of Springfield, Massachusetts, currently sits in 15th position with a three-day score of 1,847, but there are still five bowlers within 50 pins of her total and another 13 players within 100. That means several U12 girls remain in the hunt with one round of qualifying to go.
U12 Boys
Last, but certainly not least, the U12 boys division will advance the top 33 scores from its 226-player field.
Wyatt Spear of Lyons, Michigan, would’ve been the final bowler through to the U12 boys advancers round if qualifying action were already completed. He authored a score of 2,049 over the first three rounds of qualifying to secure 33rd place.
However, qualifying action isn’t over just yet, and with ten bowlers within 50 pins of Spear’s total and 16 bowlers within 100, clearly, there is still plenty left to be decided.
Illinois bowler understands what Junior Gold is all about
The Junior Gold Championships is bowling’s largest and most-prestigious youth tournament.
Over the course of the last 25 years, tens of thousands of youth bowlers from all over the world have traveled to cities across the United States to take part in the event.
Brianna Dyer of Bonfield, Illinois, is one of those bowlers.
This year marks the second time that Dyer has competed at the Junior Gold national finals – her first appearance came during last year’s tournament in Grand Rapids.
Although Dyer hasn’t been competing at Junior Gold as long as some of her fellow competitors, anyone who watches the right-handed U15 girls competitor on and off the lanes will realize right away that she belongs at this tournament.
That’s because not only has she learned how to prepare for challenging lane conditions, control her nerves and execute quality shots, but she’s also learned the importance of meeting new people, developing friendships and being there for her fellow competitors.
As such, throughout qualifying, Dyer has frequently been seen approaching sad and frustrated bowlers around her to offer some kind words, a smile or even just a reassuring pat on the back.
Some people would have a hard time making such a gesture to “opponents.” That isn’t the case for Dyer, however.
She doesn’t view the young ladies she shares the lanes with as the opposition; she considers them all part of the same team, and she believes that teammates should have one another’s backs.
“You need to be there for your teammates,” Dyer said. “They’re always there for me, so I need to be there for them. That’s sportsmanship. Taking time out of your day to be there for another person is what makes you a good person, and it’s something all of us should be doing.”
What makes Dyer’s willingness to support others even more impressive is the fact that she does so regardless of how she’s currently faring on the lanes.
After all, most people can be polite and supportive when things are going well; however, very few are able to maintain that same attitude when the chips are down.
Nevertheless, for Dyer, it doesn’t matter. She’s always willing to offer a kind word to a friend in need. Perhaps that’s because Dyer realizes that Junior Gold is about far more than just strikes and spares.
“Honestly, the best part of Junior Gold is making so many new friends that you can stay in touch with throughout the year and possibly look to bowl with again down the road,” Dyer said. “The people around you are what make this tournament special, so I just try to connect with them and keep a smile on my face and theirs.”
Dyer will need a big performance in Round 4 if she hopes to make the cut to the U15 girls advancers round.
It remains to be seen whether or not the pins will fall her way on Thursday. However, one thing that’s certain is that regardless of whether or not her scores measure up, Dyer will walk away from Junior Gold 2023 a winner.