Hailey Triske and David Hayes claim early lead in U20 at 2023 Junior Gold Championships
July 11, 2023
INDIANAPOLIS – Hailey Triske and David Hayes grabbed the early lead after the first round of qualifying in the 20-and-under division of the 2023 Junior Gold Championships Monday.
Triske of Minnetonka, Minnesota, averaged 234 over her four games of qualifying at Royal Pin Expo while Hayes of Terre Haute, Indiana, posted a 256.5 average for his four games at Royal Pin Western.
Triske had a high game of 268 in Game 3 of her four-game set, and displayed consistency in her other three games (213, 228, 227). She finished with a pinfall of 936. Her 268 was not only Triske’s high game, but it was the high game of the entire block in the field of 76 competitors.
The junior-to-be at William Woods University, where the bowling program will compete in its inaugural season this fall, first competed at the Junior Gold Championships in 2014. The 19-year-old right-hander was forced to miss last year’s event due to surgery on her left (sliding) knee after injuring it in a car accident. Her best finish is fifth place in the U12 division of the 2016 event in Indianapolis.
Triske found a line to the pocket early Round 1 and was able to keep herself locked in for the entirety of the session.
“What I did today was stand a little further left than everybody else throwing my Storm IQ Tour Ruby and getting the ball just outside of five, playing three to five at the break point,” Triske said. “I was trying to kind of stay away from everyone else because most people were playing a little straighter than that. Out of the four games today, I moved one board. That’s all I moved. I didn’t change my target, my ball or anything.”
Triske knows it’s early, and Tuesday is a long day with three rounds of qualifying, but she’s prepared for the different oil patterns she’ll face.
“I took notes on all the patterns and I have at least three different options that I know will work for me on each pattern,” Triske said. “I’ll start with the one I’m most comfortable with during practice session and go from there, but I feel confident in my preparation.”
Triske’s 936 total has her 45 pins ahead of Jenna Stretch of Auburn Township, Ohio. Stretch finished her block with a 259 game to move into second place. Third place belongs to Brystal Beyer of Ogdensburg, Wisconsin (881) and defending champion and Junior Team USA member Anna Callan of La Crosse, Wisconsin, is fourth. Rounding out the top five is Elena Carr of Hilton, New York (868).
Triske impressed herself with her effort for the mere fact that she did it on her own.
“I usually have someone with me, but my dad can’t get here until Wednesday this week,” Triske said. “So, since I’ve arrived here, I’ve done all the preparation myself. I’ve made all the decisions myself and was out here by myself today. Kind of a new experience for me, so I’m proud of how I bowled today.”
Hayes’ four-game block started with a 288 game and finished with a 279 game. In between were games of 258 and 201 for a total of 1,026. Trailing Hayes by 19 pins is Brendan Salo of Dayton, Ohio. Salo had bookend 258 games with games of 224 and 267 sandwiched in between. More big numbers were posted by Ryan Speer of Beech Grove, Indiana, as he rolled games of 275, 267 and 255, before finishing with 201 for a total of 998. Junior Team USA member Julian Salinas of Richmond, Texas, is fourth (935) and Aiden Walter of Ringle, Wisconsin, is one pin behind Salinas in fifth. The boys field features 158 bowlers.
The U20 division continues Tuesday as the field of 158 boys and 76 girls return to bowl their final three qualifying blocks. Each block consists of four games for a total of 16 games of qualifying bowled over two days. Following those 16 games, the field will be cut to the advancers rounds which take place Wednesday.
The first advancers round will feature five games before a second cut is made, and 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.
Triske of Minnetonka, Minnesota, averaged 234 over her four games of qualifying at Royal Pin Expo while Hayes of Terre Haute, Indiana, posted a 256.5 average for his four games at Royal Pin Western.
Triske had a high game of 268 in Game 3 of her four-game set, and displayed consistency in her other three games (213, 228, 227). She finished with a pinfall of 936. Her 268 was not only Triske’s high game, but it was the high game of the entire block in the field of 76 competitors.
The junior-to-be at William Woods University, where the bowling program will compete in its inaugural season this fall, first competed at the Junior Gold Championships in 2014. The 19-year-old right-hander was forced to miss last year’s event due to surgery on her left (sliding) knee after injuring it in a car accident. Her best finish is fifth place in the U12 division of the 2016 event in Indianapolis.
Triske found a line to the pocket early Round 1 and was able to keep herself locked in for the entirety of the session.
“What I did today was stand a little further left than everybody else throwing my Storm IQ Tour Ruby and getting the ball just outside of five, playing three to five at the break point,” Triske said. “I was trying to kind of stay away from everyone else because most people were playing a little straighter than that. Out of the four games today, I moved one board. That’s all I moved. I didn’t change my target, my ball or anything.”
Triske knows it’s early, and Tuesday is a long day with three rounds of qualifying, but she’s prepared for the different oil patterns she’ll face.
“I took notes on all the patterns and I have at least three different options that I know will work for me on each pattern,” Triske said. “I’ll start with the one I’m most comfortable with during practice session and go from there, but I feel confident in my preparation.”
Triske’s 936 total has her 45 pins ahead of Jenna Stretch of Auburn Township, Ohio. Stretch finished her block with a 259 game to move into second place. Third place belongs to Brystal Beyer of Ogdensburg, Wisconsin (881) and defending champion and Junior Team USA member Anna Callan of La Crosse, Wisconsin, is fourth. Rounding out the top five is Elena Carr of Hilton, New York (868).
Triske impressed herself with her effort for the mere fact that she did it on her own.
“I usually have someone with me, but my dad can’t get here until Wednesday this week,” Triske said. “So, since I’ve arrived here, I’ve done all the preparation myself. I’ve made all the decisions myself and was out here by myself today. Kind of a new experience for me, so I’m proud of how I bowled today.”
Hayes’ four-game block started with a 288 game and finished with a 279 game. In between were games of 258 and 201 for a total of 1,026. Trailing Hayes by 19 pins is Brendan Salo of Dayton, Ohio. Salo had bookend 258 games with games of 224 and 267 sandwiched in between. More big numbers were posted by Ryan Speer of Beech Grove, Indiana, as he rolled games of 275, 267 and 255, before finishing with 201 for a total of 998. Junior Team USA member Julian Salinas of Richmond, Texas, is fourth (935) and Aiden Walter of Ringle, Wisconsin, is one pin behind Salinas in fifth. The boys field features 158 bowlers.
The U20 division continues Tuesday as the field of 158 boys and 76 girls return to bowl their final three qualifying blocks. Each block consists of four games for a total of 16 games of qualifying bowled over two days. Following those 16 games, the field will be cut to the advancers rounds which take place Wednesday.
The first advancers round will feature five games before a second cut is made, and 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.